Read it through once

Another very interesting plant at Tripoli and in the North African Desert generally, is a sort of broom, the Retama (_Retama Raetam_). It is not very unlike the common broom, but has long, leafless, whip-like branches covered by bright pink-and-white flowers. It can often be seen half submerged in waves of sand, and struggling nevertheless to hold its own. As it has no leaves its loss of water is very much kept down. This is the Juniper of the Bible, and it is still used for making coals.