Herniaria cyrenaica  F.Herm.

Family: Caryophyllaceae
Flowering Time: Mar-Jun.

General Appearance

Herniaria cyrenaica F.Herm., it is a perennial prostrate herb with branches spreading to c. 10 cm from woody rootstock, internodes minutely patent hairy. Leaves almost sessile, narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, 2-6 x 1.5-2.5 mm, glabrous except the marginal hairs, acute; stipules membranous white, c. 1.5 mm long, ciliate. Inflorescence somewhat lax cymose cluster of 5-9-flowers. Flowers pale green, pentamerous. c. 1.5 mm long, c. 3 mm across, sub sessile, perigynous zone with minute straight hairs. Sepals 5, equal, lanceolate, c. 1 mm long, obtuse, beset with straight hairs externally. Petals 5, linear, Stamens 5, opposite to sepals, anthers yellow, c. 0.25 mm long. Ovary sub globose, papillate at the apex; style minute, 2-fid at the apex. Utricle ovoid. not exceeding the sepals, c. 1.5 mm long, brownish. Seeds lenticular, c. 0.5 mm, shining brown.

Life Form

Ch

Phytochoria

Near-endemic. The native range of this species is NE. Libya to N. Egypt.

Distribution in Libya

Benghazi Plain:  Benghazi 1883  Daryanah 1972

Al-Jabal Al-Akhder:  Roman aquaduct near Labrag, E. of Shahat (Cyrene)  1970  Gebel Akhdar 2015

Marmarica Plateau:  Marmarica (north-eastern part of Libya) 2004

Notes

Wild in Libya, near-endemic, NE. Libya to N. Egypt.

This species is accepted: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:154746-1

Link of images: https://www.gbif.org/taxon/3L2JS

First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan:

Jafri, S.M.H. & El-Gadi, A. (1977) Flora of Libya, Illecebraceae Vol. (37) Department of Botany, Al-Faateh Univ., Tripoli, Libya. Page. 26.

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

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

Essokne, R.S. & Jury, S.L. (2015) Report on a visit to Gebel Akhdar (Cyrenaica, Libya). Fl. Medit. 25: 79-85-doi: 10.7320/FlMedit25.079-Version of Record published online on 30 December 2015. http://www.herbmedit.org/flora/FL25_079-086.pdf, https://herbmedit.org/storage/1078/FL25_079-086.pdf

Report on a visit to Jebel Akhdar (Cyrenaica, Libya) 2015

Le Houerou H.N. (2004) Plant diversity in Marmarica (Libya and Egypt). A catalogue of the vascular plants reported with their biology, distribution, frequency, usage, economic potential, habitat, and main ecological features, with an extensive bibliography. Candollea. 59:259–308.  https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/HN-le-Houerou-62785096

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