(Tetraena gaetula waterlotii)
Zygophyllum is the type genus of the flowering plant family Zygophyllaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek words ----- (zygon), meaning "yoke," and ------ (phyllon), meaning "leaf." It refers to the leaves, each of which have two leaflets. The more than 50 species the genus contains are distributed in arid and semi-arid regions of Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, central Asia and Australia. Recent DNA analysis suggests that the genera Augea, Fagonia, and Tetraena are embedded in Zygophyllum.