Asparagus aphyllus L.

Common Name: Sakkoom.
Family: Asparagaceae
Flowering Time: Aug-Sept.

General Appearance

Asparagus aphyllus L., it is a perennial, rhizomatous plant; aerial parts glaucous-green, glabrous, with grooved branches. 50-100 cm high; cladophylls angled, spiny, sub equal, 0.5-1.0 cm long, in fascicles 2-6. Leaves rudimentary, reduced to membranous, coriaceous, triangular-lanceolate scales, c. 6 mm long, white-creamish in colour. Flowers dioecious, solitary emerging from the cladophyll base (sometimes inter-mingled with them), each fascicle of cladophylls 1-6 flowers; peduncle c. 4 mm long, as long as pedicels, both connected in an articulate joint. Perianth stellate, white-greenish, sometimes with pink centers; tepals uninerved, oblong, obtuse, free, c. 6 mm long. Stamens included, 2/3 as long as tepals; filaments entire with ± triangular base; anther oblong medifixed. Ovary sub globular with short style and 3-lobcd stigma. Fruit a black berry, 5-7 mm across.

Life Form

G

Phytochoria

MED+SA. The native range of this species is Medit. to NW. Arabian Peninsula.

Distribution in Libya

Benghazi Plain:

Wadi El-Ghattara 2010 Between Slouk and Al-Abiar 2016

Jabal Nafusa:

Reported from Gharian, Tarhuna  Msallata-Garaboulli Province 2020

Al-Jabal Al-Akhader:

Wadi Derna, Wadi El-Teir, (24 km) W. of Derna 1967 Shahat 1978  El-kouf area 1984  El-Hamamah to Biada 2003  Wadi (Valley) Stowah region 2007  El-Fadil Abou-Omar 2011  S. AL-Marj 2011 Valley Jarjr-oma 2013  Wadi Haboon 2015  Wadi El Akar 2016  Wadi Belkaf-Bata 2016 Habun (Ain Al-Shallala) 2017  Wadi Al-Ager 2017   From Nuqrat Said to Wadi Al-Zagzoog, From Zawiet Tamula to Al-Manarh, From Lustata to Beshtaya 2019 Wadi Al-Kouf 2021

Marmarica Plateau:

Reported in Marmarica north-eastern part of Libya by Pampanini 1930 Marmarica (north-eastern part of Libya) 2002

Notes

Wild in Libya, medicinal plant, in The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2014. Asparagus aphyllus is listed as Least Concern.

Link of images: https://www.actaplantarum.org/flora/flora_info.php?id=506964  https://www.maltawildplants.com/ASPG/Asparagus_aphyllus.php

Bibliographic References

First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan:

Jafri, S. M. H. & El-Gadi, A. (1978) Flora of Libya, Liliaceae Vol. (57) Department of Botany, Al-Faateh Univ., Tripoli, Libya.

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

Al-Traboulsi, M. & Alaib, M.A. (2021) A Survey of medicinal plants of Wadi Al-Kouf in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, Libya. NAT. CROAT, VOL. 30. No 2. (389-404), ZAGREB. December 31, 2021. https://hrcak.srce.hr/269442 / https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/390805

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

Mahklouf, M.H., Sherif, A.S., Betelmal, A.G. (2020) Floristic Study and Species Diversity of Msallata-Garaboulli Province in Libya. J. of Advanced Botany and Zoology Volume 7 / Issue 3 ISSN: 2348-7313. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohammed-Mahklouf, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341306643_Floristic_Study_and_Species_Diverisy_of_Msallata-Garaboulli_Province_in_Libya

Ali, A. M., Lashhab, S. R., Abu-Aweena, A. A.M. (2019) Classification of vegetation cover and its geographical distribution in the area extending between Al-Haniya and Wadi Zagzoog in the north to Lasastata and Bishtaya in the south. Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar eastern Libya. Issue (61) Journal of Science and Human Studies- Al-Marj-University of Benghazi-Libya (In Arabic).  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/sd-lshhb

Abusaief, H.M.A. & Alwishish, F.M. (2017) Survey of endangered plants and description the seeds in some sites at Al-JabalAl-Akhdar of Libya. Curr. Sci. Int., 6 (3): 511-539, 2017 ISSN 2077-4435. http://www.curresweb.com/csi/csi/2017/511-539.pdf

Mukassabi, T.A., Thomas,P.A., ELMogasapi, A.(2017) Medicinal plants in Cyrenaica, Libya: existence and extinction. Biological Diversity and Conservation – 10/2 (2017) 183-192. https://eprints.keele.ac.uk/id/eprint/4064/

Al-Aib, M.A., Elbakkosh, A.M., Ali, Y.B., Gadelmola, A.S., Elmhafdi, A.M. (2016) Preliminary Investigation of the Vegetation of Wadi Belkaf-Bata Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar-Libya. Libyan Journal of Basic Science (LJBS) Vol: 4, No: 1, PP: 20-27., 2016. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohamed-Alaib,  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323772475_Preliminary_Investigation_of_the_Vegetation_of_Wadi_Belkaf-Bata_Al-Jabal_Al-Akhdar-Libya

Hegazy, A.; Kabiel, H.; AlRowaily, S.; Lovett-Doust,L. and AlBorki, A. (2016) Plant communities and reproductive phenology in mountainous regions of northern Libya. Journal of  Forestry Research. July 2017, Volume 28, Issue 4, pp 741–761. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11676-016-0345-8, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ahmad-Hegazy-2

Raheel, RO. M., El-Borasi, Y. M., El-Barrani, M. W., El-Hassi, S. (2016) Study of Flora and vegetation cover of the semi-desert area between Salouq and Al-Abyar-the first high of Jabal Al-Akhdar-Libya, Fourth Scientific Conference for Environment and Sustainable Development In dry and semi-arid areas. Ajdabia. Libya. (In Arabic) https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yacoub-El-Barasi,  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rebeh-Rahil

El-Rabiai, G.T. & Al tira, M. (2015) Checklist of the Flora of Wadi Haboon at AI Jabal AI Akhdar (Cyrenaica, Libya). International Journal of Pharmacy & Life Sciences 6(8-9): Aug-Sep, 2015:4661-4665] Coden (USA): IJPLCP ISSN: 0976-7126. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Munay-Alteerah https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292919013_Checklist_of_the_Flora_of_Wadi_Haboonat_AI_Jabal_AI_Akhdar_Cyrenaica_Libya

Abusaief, H. M. A. (2013) Life forms and rangeland for many habitats of Jarjar oma in Al-Jabal Al- Akhdar on Mediterranean Sea. Journal of American Science 2013;9(5) http://www.jofamericanscience.org/journals/am-sci/am0905/029_17747am0905_236_249.pdf

EL-Barasi, Y. M., Barrani, M. W., Abdelsalam, O. EL-Amrouni, N., Mohamad, F. (2011) Check list of flora and vegetation on south EL-Marj zone: south EL-Jabal EL-Akhadar. Libya. Annals of Faculty Engineering Hunedoara-International Journal of Engineering. Tome IX (Year 2011). Fascicule 3. ISSN 1584-2673, 141-146.  http://annals.fih.upt.ro/pdf-full/2011/ANNALS-2011-3-24.pdf

Hegazyi, A.K., Boulos, L., Kabiel, H.F. and Sharashy, O.S. (2011) Vegetaion and species altitudinal distribution in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar landscape, Libya. Pak. J. Bot., 43(4): 1885-1898, 2011. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ahmad-Hegazy-2 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hanan_Kabiel/publication/249011161_Vegetation_and_species_altitudinal_distribution_in_Al-Jabal_Al-Akhdar_landscape_Libya/links/58171d7c08ae90acb24128b9.pdf

El-Rabiai, G.T., Al tira, F.M., Lamlom, S.H. (2010) Preliminary Checklist for the Flora of Wadi El Ghattara in Libya. Garyounis University Press Journal of Science and Its Applications Vol. 4, No. 1, pp 39-47, December 2010. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Wz8jpkIAAAAJ&hl=ar, https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ALTsoucAAAAJ&hl=en,   https://journals.uob.edu.ly/index.php/sjuob/issue/view/71

Nawras, A. M. B. (2007) A study of the vegetation cover in the Wadi (Valley) Stowah region. Master Thesis. Botany Department-Faculty of Science-Garyounis University-Libya. (In Arabic).

Al-Sodany, Y. M., Shehata, M. N. & Shaltout, K. H. (2003): Vegetation along an elevation gradient in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, Libya. ecologia mediterranea, tome 29, fascicule 2, 2003, p. 125-138. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yassin-Al-Sodany, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kamal-Shaltout

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

ACSAD (1984) Wadi Al-Kouf National Park Studies Project. Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Other Plants