Flora

Herniaria fontanesii J.Gay

Family: Caryophyllaceae

Flowering Time: Mar-May.

General Appearance

Herniaria fontanesii J.Gay , it is a perennial, light green herb with woody rootstock. Branches woody, brittle, prostrate to sub erect, spreading to c. 30 cm, with deflexed tomentose, 10-20 mm long internodes. Leaves sessile, opposite, alternate in floral region, linear-oblong or linear-lanceolate, 4-10 x 2-3 mm, fleshy, shortly crisped hairy to glabrescent; stipules triangular-ovate, c. 1.5 mm long, light purplish-brown with silvery-white ciliate margins, becoming dark purple brown in floral region. Inflorescence dense, axillary and terminal 5-8-flowered, cymose clusters borne along all the younger branches. Flowers whitish-green, tetramerous, sub sessile, c. 2-2.5 mm long, preigynous zone uncinate hairy. Bracts similar to stipules, Sepals 4, sub equal, outer 2 thick, c. 1.5 mm long, deltoid-ovate, divergent above, ciliated or not on margins, glabrous, inner 2 not thickened, oblong with hairy membranous margins towards base, slightly shorter than outer ones and cucullate at the apex. Petals 4, setaceous, c. half as long as sepals. Stamens 4, as long as petals; anthers oblong, c. 0.5 mm long, yellow. Ovary ovoid, glabrous; style short, stigmas clavate, divergent, bownish. Utricle ovoid, c. 1 mm long, papillose und emarginate at apex, enveloped by sepals. Seeds compressed, ovoid, c. 0.75 mml light brown.

Life Form

Phytochoria

MED+SA. The native range of this species is Canary Islands, Sahara to Egypt (Sinai).

Distribution in Libya

Zliten-Misurata Plain: Sea shore, north Misurata 1967 Leptis Magna 1974 Leptus Megna 2004 Kaam area 2005 Misurata 2006

Benghazi Plain: Daryanah, c. 40 km from Benghazi, sand c. 1/2 km from sea, near cultivated field 1972

Jabal Nafusa: (22 km) W. Khoms 1967 Wadi Maleh, (10 km) from Nalut, Kabao 1972 (22 km) from Nalut to Wazn, Al-Awenia, (15,37 km) from Kaleba to Mizda, (24 km) from Mizda, Al-Nagaza 1974 (22 km) from Nalut 1975 Msallata (Shaafeen) 2008 Msallata National Park (Shaafeen) 2013 Msallata-Garaboulli Province 2020 Gharyan (Sedrores Mountains) 2020

Al-Jabal Al-Akhder: Wadi (Valley) Stowah region 2007

Notes

Wild in Libya.

This species is accepted: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:434792-1

Link of images: https://atlas-sahara.org/Caryophyllaceae/Herniaria%20fontanesii/Herniaria%20fontanesii.html, https://www.gbif.org/species/7314286

For more information

https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:434792-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/434792-1, https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000720671, https://www.gbif.org/species/7314286, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/133803/herniaria-fontanesii-j-gay, https://atlas-sahara.org/Caryophyllaceae/Herniaria%20fontanesii/Herniaria%20fontanesii.html, https://efloramaghreb.org/specie/133803, https://jb.utad.pt/especie/Herniaria_fontanesii_subesp_almeriana, https://endemicascanarias.com/es/allcategories-es-es/nativas/herniaria-fontanesii, https://identify.plantnet.org/the-plant-list/species/Herniaria%20fontanesii%20J.Gay/data, https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Herniaria_fontanesii

Bibliographic References

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. 31.

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

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

Al-Masalati, N. A. A. (2013) Plant diversity across the altitudes of the Msallata National Park Reserve Mountains. Master Thesis. Botany Department-College of Science-University of Benghazi-Libya. (In Arabic).

Mohammed, S.A.H. (2008) A taxonomic and ecological study of the plants of the Shaafin Reserve in Masalatah. Master Thesis. Department of Biology-Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Al-Mirqab University. Al-Khums. Libya. (In Arabic).

Nawras, A. M. B. (2007) A study of the vegetation cover in the Wadi (Valley) Stowah region. Master Thesis. Botany Department-Faculty of Science-Garyounis 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).

Al-Shif, N. S. (2005) a taxonomic study of the plants of the Kaam region. Master Thesis, College of Science, Al-Marqab University, Al-Khums, 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).

PAMPANINI, R. (1914). Piantae Tripolitanae, ab auctore anno 1913 […] – Firenze: 73 – under: Herniaria hemistemon var. glabrescens Pamp.