Flora

Heliotropium ramosissimum (Lehm.) Sieber ex DC.

Common Name: Tahanna.

Family: Boraginaceae

Flowering Time: Dec-Mar.

General Appearance

Heliotropium ramosissimum (Lehm.) Sieber ex DC., it is a perennial, erect to sub erect herb, woody and much branched at base with setulose-hispid somewhat spreading hairs. Leaves 15-30 (40) x 5-7 (8) mm, sub sessile to sessile or lower petiolate, lanceolate, acute, rough, flat with often crisped, margin greyish with semi-appressed bristles on large solid tubercles. Cymes 20-50 mm, lax, ebracteate small, sessile. Flowering calyx 1-2.5 mm long, lobes lanceolate, persistent, grey with small rough hairs. Corolla white, tube glabrous inside, puberulous outside, lobes oblong, obtuse, c. 0.75 mm long with crenulate margin. Anthers inserted below the middle of the tube, sessile, c. 1 mm long, oblong-sub ovate. Stigma conical longer than style, c. 1 mm long. Nutlets 4, separating from each other, covered with long, hispid hairs and becoming glabrescent, 1.5-2 mm long, ovate, brown.

Life Form

Phytochoria

SA+IT. The native range of this species is Macaronesia to Afghanistan and Arabian Peninsula.

Distribution in Libya

Sirte Plains: (6 km) from Abu-Hadi, Al-Gharibat 1975 (7 Km) SE of Sitre City 2008 Wadi Al-Hamar Region 2020

Benghazi Plain: Jardina-Soloq Region 2020 Wadi El-Enaghar 2021

Jabal Nafusa: Tarhuna, (184 km) from Nalut, (64 km) from Senoan 1975

Al-Qibla area: Wadi Nesma region 2009

Al-Jufra area: (43 km) from Weshka, Grar Al Tafinin 1975 Between Sokna & Wadi Weshka 1976

Fezzan area: (10 km) to the right from Sebha 1972

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

Jabal Al-Uwinat: Gebel Uweinat 1968

Notes

Wild in Libya.

Link of images: https://www.teline.fr/en/photos/boraginaceae/heliotropium-ramosissimum, https://botany.cz/cs/heliotropium-ramosissimum/, https://www.floraofqatar.com/heliotropium_ramosissimum.htm

For more information

https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:117174-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/117174-1, https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000718874, https://www.gbif.org/species/2925775, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/77306/heliotropium-ramosissimum-lehm-dc, https://www.teline.fr/en/photos/boraginaceae/heliotropium-ramosissimum, https://www.ksanature.com/plants/heliotropium_ramosissimum/, https://botany.cz/cs/heliotropium-ramosissimum/, https://www.floraofqatar.com/heliotropium_ramosissimum.htm, https://floradecanarias.es/heliotropium-ramosissimum/, https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Heliotropium+ramosissimum&redir=Heliotropium+crispum

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. 61.

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

Omar, N., El-Mghrbi, N.G., Rahil, R.O., Alaib, M.A., Alzerbi, A.K. (2021) Floristic Composition and Plant Diversity of Western Part of Wadi El- Enaghar, Libya. Species-22(70), 2021. pp. (204-217). http://www.discoveryjournals.org/Species/current_issue/2021/v22/n70/index.htm, http://www.discoveryjournals.org/Species/current_issue/2021/v22/n70/A4.pdf

Floristic Composition and Plant Diversity of Western Part of Wadi El- Enaghar, Libya. 2021.-مضغوط

Omar, N.O.I., Alaib, M.A., El-Mghrbi, N.G., Alzerbi, A.K. (2020) Checklist of Flora and Floristic Study of Wadi Al-Hamar Region in Libya. Journal of Umm Al-Qura University for Applied Science 6 (2), (2020) 20-24. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Naser-Omar

Checklist of Flora and Floristic Study of Wadi Al-Hamar Region in Libya. 2020

Omar, N., Alai, M.A. & Al-Zerbi, A.K. (2020) A Survey of Weed Species of Barley Crop Fields in Farms of GMR Agricultural Project in Jardina-Soloq Region, Libya. Libyan Journal of Basic Sciences, Vol: 11, No: 1, P: 29-38, August. 2020. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Naser-Omar, https://repository.uob.edu.ly/handle/123456789/1535

A Survey of Weed Species of Barley Crop Fields in Jardina-Soloq Region, Libya.2020

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, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259357995_Checklist_and_life_forms_of_plant_species_in_contrasting_climatic_zones_of_Libya

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

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).

Al-Aib, M. A. and El-Shakhy, N. O. (2008) Weed flora of great man made river agriculture project (sirte). Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development, Vol.102, Issue 3: 241-25. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohamed-Alaib, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343655187_Weed_Flora_of_Great_Man-Made_River_Agriculture_Project_Sirte

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).