Flora

Caroxylon imbricatum (Forssk.) Moq.

Common Name: ——-

Family: Amaranthaceae

Flowering Time: Sept-Nov.

General Appearance

Caroxylon imbricatum (Forssk.) Moq. // Infraspecifics: Caroxylon imbricatum var. imbricatum / Heterotypic Synonyms: Salsola baryosma (Schult.) Dandyit, is a spreading shrub or sub-shrub growing up to 1.2 m tall. The grey or reddish stems are up to 2 cm, thick and these, the lower leaves are densely hairy. In the upper parts of the plant the stems are creamy or pale grey and branch frequently, some branches growing vertically while others spread horizontally. Regularly-arranged, catkin-like branchlets project from the branches. The leaves are tiny, succulent and linear or narrowly triangular. The inflorescence is spike-like with bracts similar to the leaves, small flowers with five petals, five stamens and two styles. The fruiting perianth has silky wings.

Life Form

N.Ph

Phytochoria

SA+SZ+IT. The native range of this variety is Sahara & Sahel to W. India.

Distribution in Libya

Al-Jafarah Plain:

Tripoli 1976

Marmarica Plateau:

Marmarica (north-eastern part of Libya) 2002

Al-Qibla area:

Wadis South of Mizda 2013

Ghadames area:

(5 km) from Ghadames to Berber castle 1975

Al-Jufra area:

Weshka, (43 km) from Weshka 1975

Fezzan area:

Wadi Atiq, (150 km) from Wegh, (45 km) from Highway to Brak 1973

Notes

Wild in Libya, a desert species.

For more information

https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:164641-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/164641-1, https://www.gbif.org/species/3759522/metrics, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caroxylon_imbricatum, https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Overlapping-Flowers%20Saltwort.html

Bibliographic References

First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan:

Jafri, S. M. H. & El-Gadi, A. (1978) Flora of Libya, Chenopodiaceae Vol. (58) Department of Botany, Al-Faateh Univ., Tripoli, Libya.

Second: Researches and PhD theses, master theses, Sorted by Newest:

Saaed, M.W.B., EL-Barasi, Y.M. & Rahil, R.O. (2021) An updated checklist and quantitative analysis of the Marmarica Plateau flora, in the north-eastern part of Libya. Phytotaxa 509 (1): 001-055. https://phytotaxa.mapress.com/pt/article/view/phytotaxa.509.1.1

Mohamed, F.J. (2013) A Taxonomic Study of Wadis Flora South of Mizda at the intersections with Mizda-Sebha Highway. Master Thesis. Department of Botany-Faculty of Science-Sebha University. Libya. (In Arabic)

El-Shaary MS. 2002. The Natural Vegetation in Marmarica plateau (North-eastern Libya). First ed. Tobruk (Libya): Published by the local Authority. (In Arabic)