Within the UAE, it has only been recorded from Jebel Fayyah (Jongbloed et al. 2003) and associated ridges. Globally, this species' native range spans across the tropical and subtropical Old World (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The distribution of this species within the UAE is not well understood. Jongbloed et al. (2003) recorded it from one locality at Qarn Nazwa, and D. Aplin (pers. comm. 2019) recorded the species (i.d. S. Neale RBGE) from the upper parts of Wadi Sahm (Fujairah) at c.600 m elevation. G.R. Brown has seen the species only once, and considers the species to be restricted to limestone areas in the east of the UAE. There is possible confusion and taxonomic uncertainty between this species and other members of the group. Globally, the native range of this species spans from Tanzania to the Sahara and to Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The identity of records of this species in the UAE are uncertain and its distribution is not known. Jongbloed et al. (2003) refer to the species without locality data. R.A. Western (<a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00558683"">RBGE Herbarium</a>) collected the species from a plantation near Al Ain and commented that the species is ""common throughout country, even on Abu Dhabi Island."" S. Ghazanfar (pers. comm. 2019) considers it to be a synonym of Heliotropium bacciferum. The global range of this species is across northern Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula (including the UAE), to Iran and Central Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

There is only one record of this species which is from Wadi Farfar (Jongbloed et al. 2003) in the northeast of the UAE. In Africa, this species ranges from South Africa to south-western Ethiopia and through the Arabian Peninsula. It has also been recorded from India and Sri Lanka (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018). GRIN (2019) only lists its occurrence within Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula.

Within the UAE it has been recorded from the Hatta area, in the northeast of the country (Böer and Chaudhary 1999). Globally, the native range of this species spans from Hungary to Somalia and the western Himalayas (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

There is little information available for this species in terms of distribution in the UAE, however, Tamarix aucheriana is considered to occur in saline areas within the country. Globally, this species is native to northern Africa and temperate Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). Plants of the World Online doesn't list the UAE as a native country of occurrence for this species, and Norton et al. (2009) state that this species is not found in other Gulf States except for Qatar.

In the UAE, this species was collected by M. Jongbloed from along the Dubai-Al Ain road (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The draft Red Data Book (MEW 2010) considered that all material identified as T. megistopterus is referable to T. pentandrus. Plants of the World Online (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019) considers the species to be endemic to the Arabian Peninsula (Gulf States and Oman), whilst the African Plant Database (AFD 2019) considers it to also be present in north-east Africa.

The species was recorded for the UAE (as Tribulus bimucronatus var. inermis) by Böer and Chaudhary (1999) from the from the hills near Dibba, and the identity of the record requires confirmation. The global range of this species spans from north Africa (Morocco) and north-east Africa, through to the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Qatar and the UAE; Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The distribution of this species in the UAE is not well known. The synonym Zygophyllum boulosii has been recorded once by B. Böer in the western region of Abu Dhabi (Jongbloed et al. 2003), although Böer and Chaudhary (1999) only mention a record from the east coast. The synonym Tetraena migahidii is locally common in rocky habitats on Jebel Hafeet, especially at higher elevations, as reported by Brown and Sakkir (2004). The global range of this species is from Egypt (Sinai), through the eastern Mediterranean, the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia only) to Afghanistan and Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, two plants have been recorded from both Kalbard and Wadi Hayl (Sharjah Seed Bank and Herbarium pers. comm. 2019). This species has been recorded from Wadi Kitnah (Jongbloed et al. 2003), which is in Oman close to the border with the UAE. Globally, this species is native to the Arabian Peninsula, in addition to from Iran to Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).