General Appearance
Maerua crassifolia Forssk., it is a small tree, up to 3-9 m tall, usually with flattish crown of branches. Leaves 5-15 x 2-8 mm, oblong-ovate, variable in shape, sub fleshy, glabrous or minutely hairy, shortly petioled. Flowers 1, sometimes 2-4. fascicled in the axils of the clustered leaves, c. 2 cm across, with petals absent. Calyx tube c. 5 mm long, lobes 5-7 (-9) x 3-4 mm oblong-ovate, obtuse, pubescent outside. Fruits (1-) 3-6 x 0.6-1 cm, markedly constricted into 1-6 globose, usually 1-seeded sections, often densely pubescent. Seeds c,4 mm in diameter.
Life Form
Phytochoria
Distribution in Libya
Al-Jufra area: Washka, (70 km) from Hun 1973 Wadi Weshka 1976 EL-Harouge mountain 2012
Jabal Al-Uwinat: Gebel Uweinat 1968 Jabal Al-Uweinat region 2008
Notes
Wild, one of the few shrubs in in central and southern Libya.
This species is accepted: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:147674-1
Link of images: https://atlas-sahara.org/Capparaceae/Maerua%20crassifolia/Maerua%20crassifolia.html, https://www.teline.fr/en/photos/capparaceae/maerua-crassifolia https://botany.cz/cs/maerua-crassifolia/
For more information
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:147674-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/147674-1, https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000375694, https://www.gbif.org/species/3871765, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/12527/maerua-crassifolia-forssk, https://atlas-sahara.org/Capparaceae/Maerua%20crassifolia/Maerua%20crassifolia.html, https://www.ksanature.com/plants/maerua_crassifolia/, https://www.teline.fr/en/photos/capparaceae/maerua-crassifolia, https://flora.org.il/en/plants/maecra/, https://botany.cz/cs/maerua-crassifolia/, https://www.feedipedia.org/node/130
First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan:
Ali, S.I. & Jafri, S.M.H. (1977) Flora of Libya, Capparaceae Vol. (12) Department of Botany, Al-Faateh Univ., Tripoli, Libya. Page. 8.
Second: Researches and PhD theses, master theses, Sorted by Newest:
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
Alzwai, A.M.H. (2008) A study of the vegetation covers of the Jabal Al-Uweinat region in Libya. Master Thesis – Botany Department – College of Science – Garyounis University – Libya. (In Arabic).
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