Bassanite fromSalvadora persica: A new evaporitic biomineral

For centuries, stems ofSalvadora persica have been commonly used as a chewing stick or a natural toothbrush in many parts of the world, including Saudi Arabia, Africa, and India. We report, for the first time, the existence of a new biomineral, “bassanite”, extracted from the stems ofSalvadora persica. Detailed scanning electron microscopy and thin window energy dispersive spectroscopy were employed to document the crystal morphology and to determine the elemental composition of the bassanite. Comparison of the powder X-ray diffraction data of the biomineral found inSalvadora persica with that of a synthetic bassanite confirmed the identity of the biomineral as bassanite. The bassanite reported herein is quite different than the fibrous nature of the non-biogenic mineral bassanite.