Flora

Heliotropium curassavicum L.

Family: Boraginaceae

Flowering Time: May-Aug

General Appearance

Heliotropium curassavicum L., it is a perennial. halophytic, glabrous, up to 70 cm procumbent herb, often with fleshy stem, turning black when dried. Leaves fleshy, spathulate, linear-oblong, 15-30 (-35) x 2-7 (10) mm, entire, obtuse, lateral veins not very prominent. Flowers sessile, small, white. Sepals ovate,1-2 x 1 mm. Corolla, white, 1-2.5 mm, limb about 2 mm in diameter. Anthers c. 1 mm long, with short filaments. Stigma shortly conical. Nutlets 4, glabrous, rugose, c. 2 mm long, ventrally angled, reniform.

Life Form

Phytochoria

Cosm. The native range of this species is Australia, Hawaiian Islands, Tropical & Subtropical America.

Distribution in Libya

Al-Jafarah Plain: Mallaha Wetland Tripoli 2016 Coastal of Tripoli 2020

Sirte Plains: Sirte 2015, 2016

Benghazi Plain: Benghazi, near water 1977 (10 km) before Bemghazi to Dariana, around the lake, saline soil 1978

Al-Jabal Al-Akhder: Al-Gaigab road, side waste ground 1972 Wadi El-Kouf 2014

Marmarica Plateau: Tobruk, saline soil near the sea, in a localized area, 1975,1977 From Tobruk to Egyptian Border 1999 Marmarica (north-eastern part of Libya) 2002

Notes

Introduced in Libya, it is localized in the saline areas near the sea, in all our species of Heliotropium, this is the only halophytic and glabrous species.

Link of images: https://flora.org.il/en/plants/HELCUR/, https://www.floraofqatar.com/heliotropium_curassavicum.htm, https://www.teline.fr/en/photos/boraginaceae/heliotropium-curassavicum

For more information

https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:116784-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/116784-1, https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000718508, https://www.gbif.org/species/2925786, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/77215/heliotropium-curassavicum-l, https://www.maltawildplants.com/BORG/Heliotropium_curassavicum.php, https://flora.org.il/en/plants/HELCUR/, https://www.teline.fr/en/photos/boraginaceae/heliotropium-curassavicum, https://www.floraofqatar.com/heliotropium_curassavicum.htm, http://southwestdesertflora.com/WebsiteFolders/All_Species/Boraginaceae/Heliotropium%20curassavicum,%20Salt%20Heliotrope.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. 56.

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

Mahklouf, M.H. (2020) Biodiversity of the coastal flora of Tripoli Province. Biodiv. Res. Conserv. 58: 13-19, 2020. BRC http://www.brc.amu.edu.pl, http://brc.amu.edu.pl/pdf-127341-54763?filename=Biodiversity%20of%20the.pdf, http://brc.amu.edu.pl/Issue-58-2020,9131

Biodiversity of the coastal flora of Tripoli Province. 2020

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

Elsayed, N. (2016) Relationship between Vegetation and Soil Seed Bank at Protected Versus Unprotected Sites at Coastal Habitats in Libya.CATRINA (2016), 15 (1): 59-68. https://scholar.google.com.eg/citations?user=mSAskW0AAAAJ&hl=en , https://cat.journals.ekb.eg/article_18337_76652686b5c99f5fd479aebab87fbcb4.pdf

Vegetation and Soil Seed Bank at Protected Versus Unprotected Sites at Coastal Habitats in Libya. 2016

Mahklouf, M.H. &Al-Sghair, F.G. (2016) Floristic and Inventory Study of Mallaha Wetland Tripoli – Libya. American Journal of Life Science Researches, Oct 2016, Volume 4, Issue 4.PP(119-123) https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohammed-Mahklouf, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/310898871_Floristic_and_Inventory_Study_of_Mallaha_Wetland_Tripoli_-_Libya

Floristic and Inventory Study of Mallaha Wetland Tripoli – Libya. 2016.

Elsayed M. A. N. (2015) Floristic Composition of the Plant Cover at Surt Region in Libya. Catrina (2015), 12 (1): 63-71-2010 By the Egyptian society for environmental SCIENCES. https://cat.journals.ekb.eg/article_18403_37c687e375b9144800a15704e68ebad7.pdf

Floristic Composition of the Plant Cover at Surt Region in Libya. 2015

El-Mokasabi, F M. (2014) Floristic Composition and Traditional Uses of Plant Species at Wadi Al-kuf, Al-Jabal Al-Akhder, Libya. American-Eurasian J. Agric. & Environ. Sci., 14 (8): 685-697, 2014, ISSN 1818-769,IDOSIPublications,2014DOI:10.5829/idosi.aejaes.2014.14.08.12375. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/441b/23b83960f007044aca94e26f5c6b170fe102.pdf

Plant Species at Wadi Alkuf, Al-Jabal Al-Akhder, Libya 2014

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).

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).

Prodr. Fl. Ciren. : 374 (1931). https://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/records/item/14218-prodromo-della-flora-cirenaica