Flora

Soda longifolia (Forssk.) Akhani

Common Name: ——-

Family: Amaranthaceae

Flowering Time: Apr-Sept.

General Appearance

Soda longifolia (Forssk.) Akhani / Homotypic Synonyms: Salsola longifolia Forssk, it is an ascending to erect, shrubby perennial, up to 60 cm tall, glabrous or sparingly mealy with dull-brown or greenish stem and branches, woody at base. Leaves 5-25 (-30) x (1-) 2 mm, opposite, rarely upper ones subopposite or alternate, fleshy, semi terete-linear, somewhat broadened at base, obtuse or mueronulate, ± canaliculate above. Bracts leaf-like, oblong-linear, smaller: bracteoles shorter than bracts, ovate-orbicular, concave. Flowers axillary, 2-bracleolute, usually solitary, opposite along the spicate inflorescences. Perianth segments free, 2.5-3.5 mm long, whitish, ovate, obtuse, usually developing wings in fruit (then (8-) 10-15 mm across), almost globular and 5-angled at base: wings ± obovate. sinuate: stamens usually 5, exerted, anthers c. 1.5 mm long, ovate-sub sagiuate: seed 2-3 mm in diam, sub globose with membranous testa.

Life Form

N.Ph

Phytochoria

SA. The native range of this species is Sahara to Arabian Peninsula.

Distribution in Libya

Al-Jafarah Plain:

Talil, Sabratha, between Sabratha and Zwara, (10) km from Zwara to farwa, (8)km from Al-Assa 1976 Sabrata 2008 Sabratha region 2020

Sirte Plains:

(2 km) E. of Bugrain 1967

Jabal Nafusa:

Wadi Malah, (10 km) from Nalut 1972

Marmarica Plateau:

Reported in Marmarica north-eastern part of Libya by Pampanini 1930 (60 km) befor Tobruk 1975 Marmarica (north-eastern part of Libya) 2002

Notes

Wild in Libya, medicinal plant.

For more information

https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77215013-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/77215013-1, , https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000435932, https://www.gbif.org/species/11277578, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/246715/soda-longifolia-forssk-akhani, https://identify.plantnet.org/k-world-flora/species/Soda%20longifolia%20(Forssk.)%20Akhani/data

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

Al-khojah, H.M., Al-Yafour, L.A., Mahklouf, M.H. (2020) Floristic Study of Selected Districts in Sabratha region Libya. J. of Advanced Botany and Zoology Volume 7/Issue 4 ISSN: 2348-7313. https://zenodo.org/records/3830169, https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2s5EMysAAAAJ&hl=ar, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohammed-Mahklouf

El-Yafour, L. A. (2008) Taxonomic study of the vegetation properties of Sabratha city Master Thesis. Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Al-Zawiya 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)