Flora

Onopordum platylepis (Murb.) Murb.

Family: Asteraceae

Flowering Time: Jan-Mar.

General Appearance

Onopordum platylepis (Murb.) Murb. / Homotypic Synonyms: Onopordum confusum Pamp., it is a biennial plant, robust, spiny with a very tomentose, erect stem, sparsely branched with broad, spiny wings, reaching 50 to 150 cm in height. Leaves are lanceolate, the lower ones very large, pinnately lobed with broad, triangular, toothed, and spiny lobes; the upper leaves clasp the stem. The terminal flower head is very large, hemispherical, 5 to 6 cm across, pinkish-purple or violet, sometimes accompanied by smaller flower heads in the axils of the upper leaves. The involucral bracts are lanceolate, up to 10 mm wide, leathery, gradually tapering into a long, reddish, spreading spine that gives the flower head a bristly appearance. Obovate, sub tetragonal achene, transversely wrinkled, brown in color, surmounted by a deciduous pappus of ciliate bristles, 2 to 3 times longer than the achene itself.

Life Form

Phytochoria

The native range of this species is Algeria to Tunisia.

Distribution in Libya

Zliten-Misurata Plain: Kaam area 2005

Jabal Nafusa: Reported from Gharian, Tarhuna, Kussbat by Pampanini and Keith Msallata-Garaboulli Province 2020 Wadi Kaam (Dam & lake, Main course, Headwaters) 2022

Al-Jabal Al-Akhder: El-Bakur 2007 Wadi (Valley) Stowah region 2007 Wadi Derna 2017

Marmarica Plateau: From Tobruk to Egyptian Border 1999

Notes

Wild in Libya.

Link of images: https://www.tela-botanica.org/isfan-nn-163821-illustrations, https://identify.plantnet.org/afn/species/Onopordum%20platylepis%20(Murb.)%20Murb./data https://www.gbif.org/species/3094936

For more information

https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:235346-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/235346-1, http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000039228, https://www.gbif.org/species/3094936, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/163821/onopordum-platylepis-murb-murb, https://www.tela-botanica.org/isfan-nn-163821-illustrations, https://identify.plantnet.org/ar/afn/species/Onopordum%20platylepis%20(Murb .)%20Murb./data

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, https://jbes.journals.ekb.eg/article_372060_558ee8095e2cf97881a8a3cc705aa126.pdf

Vegetation analysis of Wadi Kaam at northwest Libya.2022

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

An-updated-checklist-and-quantitative-analysis-of-the-Marmarica-Plateau-flora-مضغوط

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

Ab-Aziza, F.B., El–Barasi, Y.M. and Rahil, R.O. (2017) Flora, Vegetation and Human Activities of Wadi Derna-El-Jabal. Research article I Botany l Version 1. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fatma-Abuaziza, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yacoub-El-Barasi, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rebeh-Rahil

Flora, Vegetation and Human Activities of Wadi Derna. 2017

Abd Al-lkhaleq, Y. M. (2007) Vegetation Coverage of El-Bakur Highlands in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar. Master Thesis, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Garyounis University, Libya. (In Arabic).

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-Shif, N. S. (2005) a taxonomic study of the plants of the Kaam region. Master Thesis, College of Science, Al-Marqab University, Al-Khums, Libya. (In Arabic).

EL-Habony, A.M. (1999) Vegetation and flora of a sector along Mediterranean cost of Libya from Tobruk to Egyptian border, M.Sc. Thesis, Botany Department-Faculty of Science-Garyounis University, Benghazi, Libya. (in Arabic).

PAMPANINI, R. (1914). Piantae Tripolitanae, ab auctore anno 1913 […] – Firenze: 271 – under: Onopordum confusum Pamp.