Flora

Echiochilon fruticosum Desf.

Common Name: Sehizur el bill.

Family: Boraginaceae

Flowering Time: Almost the year.

General Appearance

Echiochilon fruticosum Desf., it is a much branched subshrub, up to 30cm tall, apprcssed-canesccnt or hispid, with terete white barked stems. Leaves alternate linear to oblong, hispid, 8-11 x 1-1.5 mm, obtuse, closely appressed below, spreading above. Inflorescence solitary axillary. Flowers sessile. blue or blue-violaceous. Calyx 5-parted, 2-3 x c. 1 mm at anthesis, subulate hirsute, enlarged in fruit, up to 6 mm long, membranous at the margin, acute. Corolla bilipped, villose, upper lip 2-Iobed, 8-3 x 5 mm, lower 3-lobed, 2 x 6, mm, lobes rounded; corolla tube 5-6 mm long, throat without scales. Stamens 5, included; anthers versatile, acute, c. 1 mm long; filaments short, inserted at the mouth of the tube. Stigma bilobed; style filiform, 2-2.5 mm long. Nutlets 4 ± ovoid, beaked, I.5-2 x 1 mm, ± tuberculate; seed curved, glabrous.

Life Form

Phytochoria

SA. The native range of this species is Syria to N. Africa.

Distribution in Libya

Al-Jafarah Plain: Tripoli, (32 km) from Tripoli 1972 Tripoli, Wadi El-Hera 1976 Telil area, (8 km) from Sabrataha 1978 Sabrata 2008 Tripoli 2010 El-Zawia 2015 Researches Station of Agriculture Faculty, University of Tripoli 2021

Zliten-Misurata Plain: Leptus Megna 2004 Misurata 2006, 2008

Sirte Plains: (6 km) E. of Sirte 1977

Benghazi Plain: Zweitina area (Sandy beach) 2016 Beach sand dunes in Karkurah 2021

Jabal Nafusa: Boghilan, Wadi Kabau 1972 (68 km) N. of Tiji, Sharshara 1975 Kabau 1975,1976 (2 km) from Ab-Zaian 1976 Tarhuna (Zurgan) 2018 Msallata-Garaboulli Province 2020 Gharyan (Sedrores Mountains) 2020

Al-Jabal Al-Akhder: Wadi Mahbool 1973

Marmarica Plateau: Reported in Marmarica north-eastern part of Libya by Pampanini 1930

Al-Qibla area: Wadi Nesma region 2009 Wadis South of Mizda 2013

Al-Jufra area: (130 km) from Hun 1973 El-Harouge mountain 2012

Notes

Wild in Libya, a very common in the per-desert areas in sandy and gravely habitats.

Link of images: https://www.gbif.org/species/4060436, https://atlas-sahara.org/Boraginaceae/Echiochilon%20fruticosum/Echiochilon%20fruticosum.html, https://www.orchid-nord.com/Flore-Djerba/Echiochilon%20fruticosum/Echiochilon-fruticosum.html, https://flora.org.il/en/plants/ECHFRU/

For more information

https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:115486-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/115486-1, https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000662596, https://www.gbif.org/species/4060436, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/77543/echiochilon-fruticosum-desf, https://atlas-sahara.org/Boraginaceae/Echiochilon%20fruticosum/Echiochilon%20fruticosum.html, https://flora.org.il/en/plants/ECHFRU/, https://www.orchid-nord.com/Flore-Djerba/Echiochilon%20fruticosum/Echiochilon-fruticosum.html

Bibliographic References

First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan:

Jafri, S. M. H. & El-Gadi, A. (1979) Flora of Libya, Boraginaceae Vol. (68) Department of Botany, Al-Faateh Univ., Tripoli, Libya. Page. 4.

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

Alteerah, M.A., El-Barasi, Y.M., Ali Alwerfally, A. (2023) Vegetation cover composition and seed bank study of beach sand dunes in Karkurah coastal area, east of Libya. Sustainability, Agri, Food and Environmental Research. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yacoub-El-Barasi , https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Munay-Alteerah

Vegetation cover composition and seed bank study of beach sand dunes in Karkurah coastal area. 2023

Al-Sghair, F.G. and Mahklouf, M.H. (2021) Vegetation Survey for Vascular Plants of Protected Area of the University of Tripoli-Libya. Species. Vol.22 (69), 2021. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohammed-Mahklouf, http://www.discoveryjournals.org/Species/current_issue/2021/v22/n69/index.htm, http://www.discoveryjournals.org/Species/current_issue/2021/v22/n69/A1.pdf

Vegetation Survey of Protected Area of the University of Tripoli-Libya. 2021

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

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

Mahklouf, M.H. Sherif, A.S, Betelmal, A. G. (2018) Floristic Study for Tarhuna-Libya. Hacettepe J. Biol. & Chem, 2018, 46 (3), 337-364. http://www.hjbc.hacettepe.edu.tr/journal/volume-46/issue-3/floristic-study-for-tarhuna-libya/index.html

Floristic Study for Tarhuna–Libya. 2018

Daidah AM, Mugassby MF (2016) Study of the vegetation of coastal sand dune in Zwaitina area. Eastern Libya. Proceeding of the Fourth Scientific Conference of Environment and Sustainable Development in the Arid and Semi- Arid Regions (ICESD); 2016 Nov 20–22; Ajdabiya (Libya); p. 857–864 (In Arabic).

Al-Fiqi, Abd al-Salam M., Abul-Qasim, R. (2015) Inventory of the vegetation cover surrounding Al-Zawiya University. The Libyan Journal of Science Volume 18, 2014/2015 .(In Arabic) https://uot.edu.ly/journals/index.php/ljs/issue/view/24

حصرالغطاء النباتى المحيط بجامعة الزاوية. 2015

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-Barasi, Y.M. & Barrani, M.W. (2012) Factors affecting natural vegetation on EL-Harouge Mountain, Central part of Libyan Desert (Sahara). Bocconea 24: 199-211. 2012. -ISSN 1120-4060. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yacoub-El-Barasi, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Manam-Saaed-2 , https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323991132_Factors_Affecting_Natural_vegetation_on_EL-Harouge_mountain_Central_part_of_Libyan_desert_Sahara

Factors affecting natural vegetation on EL-Harouge Mountain. 2012

Beit Al-Mal, A. G. (2010) Classification of pastoral vegetation in the pasture of the Faculty of Agriculture-Al-Fateh University-Tripoli-Libyan Jamahiriya. Ass. Univ. Bull. Environ. Res. Vol. 13 No. 2, October 2010. (In Arabic). https://journals.ekb.eg/article_149297.html, https://auber.journals.ekb.eg/article_149297.html

تصنيف الغطاء النباتي الرعوي بمرعى کلية الزراعة 2010

Bahri, N.M. (2009) Study of the vegetation covers of Wadi Nesma region, northwest of Libya. Master Thesis, Department of Botany, College of Science, Sebha University, Libya. (In Arabic).

Baayo, Kh. A. (2008): Floristic composition and Phytochorological Analysis of Misratah area, Libya, Assiut Univ.J. of Botany 37(2), P-P. 33-78 (2008).

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).

Al-Dana, S. M. M. (2006) Taxonomic study of wild flower plants in some areas of Misrata. Master Thesis, Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Misurata University (7 October previously) Misurata, Libya. (In Arabic).

El-Komati, A. F. (2004) Medicinal plants in the Shapiat of Marqab, their distribution, classification and importance. Master Thesis. Biology Department- Faculty of Science-Al-Marqab University. Al-Khums. Libya. (In Arabic).