Much confusion occurs over the names of trees in Somalia amongst expatriates due to problems with translation. Therefore in this book the international botanical name is taken as the standard. In the Tables below, Somali names are listed against botanical names to clarify which tree is which. Sources for these names are derived from the Somali teachers at the NRA forestry school, Peter Kuchar and Michael Madany.

Table 1: Botanical tree names

Botanical Somali Arabic English

A. Somali trees

Acacia albida Garbi Haraz Apple ring acacia

Acacia bussed Galool

Acacia nilotica Tugaar Sunt Egyptian thorn

Acacia senegal Cadaad Hashab, Alloba Gum arabic

Acacia tortilis Qurac Seyal Umbrella thorn

Balanites aegyptiaca Quud Heglig (Lalob) Soapberry tree

Boswellia frereana Yagcar Frankin-cense tree

Commiphora myrrha Dheddin Balsam Myrrh tree

Conocarpus lancifolius Dhamas Common tug tree

Cordeauxia edulis Gud Yihib nut tree

Cordia sinensis Mareer

Dobera glabra Garas Mikah

Hyphaene compressa Baar El Dom Doum palm

Juniperus excelsa Dayib Ar Ar Pencil cedar

Phoenix dactylifera Timir Nakl-el-Balah Date palm

Salvadora persica Caday Araq Toothbrush tree

Tamarindus indica Raqay Abal Tamarind

Tamaria aphylla Dhuur Atel, Tarfah Tamarisk

Terminalia prunioides Hareeri

Terminalia spinosa Xarar Spiny desert tree

Ziziphus mauritiana Gob Nabk Chinese date

B. Foreign trees

Albizia lebbeck Dakn-el-Bashna Siris tree

Azadirachta indica Geed hindi Neem

Cassia siamea Boordi Ironwood

Casuarina equisetifolia Shawri Whistling pine

Eucalyptus camaldulensis Baxerasaaf Kafur Red river gum

Khaya senegalensis Mahogany Kaya African mahogany

Leucaena leucocephala Ipil-ipil tree

Parkinsonia aculeata Geed walaayo

Hardbean

Prosopis chilensis Mesquite

Prosopis cineraria Ghaf Ghaf

Prosopis juliflora Algaroba

Schinus moue Mirimiri Filfilrafie Pepper tree

Sesbania grandiflora Sisaban Corkwood tree

C. Foreign fruit trees

Anacardium occidentale Bibbo Cashew nut

Annona muricata Anuune (weyn)

Soursop

Annona squamosa Anuune (yare)

Sweetsop, sugarapple

Carica papaya Babbaay Papaya

Citrus aurantifolia Liin Mawaleh Lime

Citrus paradisi Bombelmo Mawaleh Grapefruit

Cocos nucifera Naarajiin Bondog Coconut

Mangifera indica Cambe Mango Mango

Psidium guajava Seytuun Guwafa Guava

Terminalia catappa Beydaan Luze Indian almond

Table 2: Somali tree names

Somali Botanical

A. Somali trees

Cadaad Acacia senegal

Caday Salvadora persica

Dayib Juniperus procera

Dhamas Conocarpus lancifolius

Dhuur Tamarix aphylla

Dheddin Commiphora myrrha

Galool Acacia bussei

Garbi Acacia albida

Garas Dobera glabra

Gob Ziziphus mauritiana

Xarar Terminalia spinosa

Hareeri Terminalia prunioides

Baar Hyphaene compressa

Mareer Cordia sinensis

Qurac Acacia tortilis

Quud Balanites aegyptiaca

Raqay Tamarindus indica

Timir Phoenix dactylifera

Tugaar Acacia nilotica

Yagcar Boswellia frereana

Yicib Cordeauxia edulis

B. Foreign trees

Baxerasaaf Eucalyptus camaldulensis

Boordi Cassia siamea

Geed hindi Azadirachta indica

Geed walaayo Parkinsonia aculeata

Prosopis juliflora

Mahogany Khaya senegalensis

Mirimiri Schinus molle

Shawri Casuarina equisetifolia

Albizia lebbeck

Leucaena lencocephala

Prosopis chilensis

Prosopis cineraria

Sesbania grandiflora.

C. Foreign fruit trees

Anuune (weyn) Annona muricata

Anuune (yare) Annona squamosa

Babbaay Carica papaya

Beydaan Terminalia catappa

Bibbo Anacardium occidentale

Bombelmo Citrus paradisi

Cambe Mangifera indica

Liin Citrus aurantifolia

Naarajiin Cocos nucifera

Seytuun Psidium guajava

Table 3: Somali tree names with regional and spelling variations

A. Somali trees

Cadaad: Caddad cad, Cadaad geri, Edad, Idad, Adat, Adad Geri,

Adad Jerri, Jalegan, Cadad, Adad

(Gum: Xabag cadaad)

Adei: Caday, Rumay, Addai, Ade, Adi, Arak, Rak,

Adai, Adaj, Hadai, Hadi, Aie, Aras

(Toothstick:Rummei,Rummi, Rummay)

Dayib: Dayeb, Deyib, Daiyib, Deid, Sigib, Taiid,

Tajib, Zerida

Dhamas: Hadeti, Damas, Sammas, Hodeti, Damask

(Wood: Shalman, Rawakib, Tassasi)

Dheddin: Dhiddin, Gowlalla, Xagar, Xoday, Haggar, Golelu, Hotai, Surut,

Wedu Dedin (Myrre: Malmol)

Galool: Galol, Galoll, Sarmaan Dhaadheer

Garabi:

Garas: Geras, Kharas, Garass

Gobb: Gop,.Gub, Gob, GheW

Xarar: Hara, Harar, Hareeri, Hareri, Buga, Leby, Areri

Hareeri: Harayri,Hareri, Tiyes, Ti-e, Areri, Careri, Cordoba, Ordoba

Baar: (Fruit: Khoone, Qoone)

Mareer: Madheedh, Modheedh, Marerh, Marer Doeol, Madheedh, Maded,

Mared, Maret, Marir, Bared, Morette, Maded-Goli, Mared-Daol

Qurac: Qora, Qudhac, Gurah, Gurha, Tim-ad, Abak, Abqo, Abac, Obac,

Acab

Quud: Koolan, Guud, Kullan, Shillan, Collum, Kullum, Ghot,

Goa, Goah, God, Gut, Ader, Kidi, Kidthi, Koulan, Kulan, Schilling,

Quwaax, (Res in : Ha nj i-Kidt hi)

Raqay: Rogo, Ragaay, Racai, Rakhi, Roco, Xamar, Harmar, Timir hindi

Timir: Kharif

Tugaar: Tugare, Turaar, Twer, Tuwer, Tugaal, Maraa, Marah,

Dughir, Dugar

Yagear: Yagar, Yegaar, Yehar, Moxoh Cad, Mohor, Gegar, Gehar,

Gekar, Mohor-ad (Gum-resin Mayddi Luubaan)

Gud: (Nut: Yicib, Jicib)

B. Foreign trees

Baxarsaaf: Baharasaaf

Boordi:

Geed hindi: Mirimiri

Geed waalaayo

Lebi:

Mahogany:

Mirimiri:

Shawri:

C. Foreign fruit trees

Anuune (weyn):

Anuune (yare):

Babbaay: Mafafay, Babay

Beydaan: Bidan

Bibbo: Kashew

Bombelmo:

Cambe: Ambo, Amba

Liin:

Naarajiin: (Fruit: Qunbe)

Seytuun: Zeitum

Table 4: Climatic zones

Code Climatic zone Rainfall (mm/yr)

Altitude (m) Temperature (°C/yr)

A Very dry <250 0-1500 >22

B Lowland dry 250-400 <700 >22

C Highland dry 250-400 >500 <24

D Lowland wet >400 <700 >22

E Highland wet >400 >500 <24

Note: < = less than, > = more than.

Table 5: Trees in order of drought tolerance (in order of minimum rainfall requirement)

Table 6: Tree uses (*=useful, **=very useful)