Flora

Centuarea maroccana Ball

Family: Asteraceae

Flowering Time: Mar-Apr.

General Appearance

Centuarea maroccana Ball, it is an annual up to 20-40 cm tall. Stem divaricately branched, pubescent, hairy, leafy throughout, narrowly winged throughout. Lower & mid. cauline leaves pinnatipartite to pinnatisect, oblanceolate in outline. Upper most cauline leaves linear-lanceolate, entire. Capitula solitary sessile, terminal and in between the dichotomies, ovoid-conical, small, subtended by 2-3, small, linear leaves. Middle involucral bracts yellowish, ovate; appendages narrow, dark brown or blackish, terminated by a strong, pinnately branched spine. Inner involueral bracts with a dark-brown or blackish, reflexed mucro. Florets yellow. Cypsela black, very small; pappus white and longer than the cypsela.

Life Form

Phytochoria

SA. The native range of this species is Spain, N. Africa.

Distribution in Libya

Al-Jafarah Plain:

Reported from Azizia by Keith

Zliten-Misurata Plain:

Wadi Kaam (Estuary) 2022

Benghazi Plain:

Reported from Gemines by Keith

Jabal Nafusa:

Reported from Ras-Talcont by Keith Abugilan, (14 km) from Gharian 1972 (15 km) from Gharian 1977 Msallata (Shaafeen) 2008 Msallata National Park (Shaafeen) 2013 Wadi Kaam 2017 Msallata-Garaboulli Province 2020 Gharyan (Sedrores Mountains) 2020 Wadi Kaam (Main course, Headwaters) 2022

Ghat area:

Ghat (Between Acacus and Tassili Mountains) 2004 Wadi Tanezzuft 2012

Notes

Wild in Libya.

Link of images: https://www.florandalucia.es/index.php/centaurea-maroccana, https://www.almerinatura.com/joyas/centaurea-maroccana.html, https://www.floramaroccana.fr/c.-maroccana.html

For more information

https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:190975-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/190975-1, http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000010200, https://www.gbif.org/species/3128509, http://www.africanplants.senckenberg.de/root/index.php?page_id=78&id=8349, https://www.floramaroccana.fr/c.-maroccana.html, https://www.florandalucia.es/index.php/centaurea-maroccana, https://www.teline.fr/en/photos/asteraceae/centaurea-maroccana, https://www.almerinatura.com/joyas/centaurea-maroccana.html

Bibliographic References

First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan:

Jafri, S. M. H. & El-Gadi, A. (1983) Flora of Libya, Asteraceae Vol. (107) Department of Botany, Al-Faateh Univ., Tripoli, Libya.

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

Almushghub, F., Ahmed, D., Sharaf El-Din, A., Shaltout, k. (2022) Vegetation analysis of Wadi Kaam at northwest Libya. Journal of Basic and Environmental Sciences, 9 (2022) 20-37. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357516127_Vegetation_analysis_of_Wadi_Kaam_at_northwest_Libya

Vegetation analysis of Wadi Kaam at northwest Libya.2022

El-Ahmir, S.M., Mahklouf, M.H., Shanta, M.B., Abo-Jaafer, H.A. (2020) Floristic Study of Sedrores Mountains in Gharyan District-Libya. J. of Advanced Botany and Zoology. Volume 8 / Issue 1. ISSN: 2348-7313. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sh-Hoob-El-Ahmir, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohammed-Mahklouf

Floristic Study of Sedrores Mountains in Gharyan District – Libya. 2020

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

Floristic Study and Species Diverisy of Msallata-Garaboulli Province. 2020

Bahri, N.M. (2017) Identify, Limit and Determine the Vegetation Types of Wadi Ka’am Areas, Libya. Journal of Marine Sciences and Environmental Technologies-Volume (3) -Issue (2) (In Arabic) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371282756_altrf_ly_alanwa_alnbatyt_lmnatq_wady_kam_whsrha_wthdyd_ashkal_nmwha

التعرف على الانواع النباتية لمناطق وادي كعام وحصرها وتحديد أشكال نموها. 2017 .

Al-Masalati, N. A. A. (2013) Plant diversity across the altitudes of the Msallata National Park Reserve Mountains. Master Thesis. Botany Department-College of Science-University of Benghazi-Libya. (In Arabic).

Mukassabi, T.A, Ahmidat, G., Sherif, I.M., ELMogasapi, A. (2012) Checklist and life forms of plant species in contrasting climatic zones of Libya. Biological Diversity and Conservation – 5 / 3 (2012) https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/biodicon/issue/55888/765799

Checklist and life forms of plant species in contrasting climatic zones of Libya. 2012

Mohammed, S.A.H. (2008) A taxonomic and ecological study of the plants of the Shaafin Reserve in Masalatah. Master Thesis. Department of Biology-Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Al-Mirqab University. Al-Khums. Libya. (In Arabic).

Ahmidat, Gh. (2004) Study of the vegetation cover of the area between the Acacus Mountains and the Tassili Mountains (Ghat). Master Thesis. Department of Botany.College of Science. Sebha University. Libya. (In Arabic).