Flora

Asparagus acutifolius L.

Common Name: Sakkoom

Family: Asparagaceae

Flowering Time: Aug-Sept.

General Appearance

Asparagus acutifolius L., It is a scrambling perennial, green, bushy plant, with short rhizome; stems cylindrical. Leaves rudimentary, triangular-lanceolate, the lower leaves: ± becoming spiny; cladophylls fasciculate, usually 4-12 together, unequal in length, 3-6 mm long, reddish spine-lipped. Flowers solitary or in group at the base of cdadophyll fasicle, dioecious; pedicels short c. 2 mm long, ± equaling the peduncle and both joined with an articulation. Perianth campanulate. Tepals linear-oblong, uni-nerved, yellow-greenish in colour, c. 3 mm long, usually connate at base to form a short tube, c. 1 mm long. Stamens included, sub equal: filaments entire. Anthers oblong, reddish, medifixed. In male flowers rudimentary ovaries are usually present, in female stamens rudimentary. Ovary well-developed, sub globular with short style and reddish bifid stigma. Fruit a globular black berry, 4-6 mm in diameter.

Life Form

Phytochoria

MED. The native range of this species is Medit.

Distribution in Libya

Benghazi Plain:

Qaminas to Ajdabia (Slouk plain) 2006 Between Slouk and Al-Abiar 2016

Jabal Nafusa:

Reported from Khoms (Wadi Naggaza) by Pampanini

Al-Jabal Al-Akhader:

Wadi Al-Agar 1999 Wadi Zaza 2003 Wadi El-Kouf 2014 Barce 2016 Wadi Derna 2017 Wadi Om-El-Amaym 2019 From Lustata to Bishtaya 2019

Notes

Wild in Libya, in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2014.

Link of images: https://www.florealpes.com/fiche_aspaacuti.php?lightforce=0&PHPSESSID=9811eqns4t14e9fflmh5gh3da3, https://dryades.units.it/trieste/index.php?procedure=taxon_page&id=6963&num=355

For more information

https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:530992-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/530992-1, http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000631143, https://www.gbif.org/species/2768995, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/156271/asparagus-acutifolius-l, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/176508/19392112, https://www.florealpes.com/fiche_aspaacuti.php?lightforce=0&PHPSESSID=9811eqns4t14e9fflmh5gh3da3, https://dryades.units.it/trieste/index.php?procedure=taxon_page&id=6963&num=355, https://flora.org.il/en/plants/ASPACU/, https://temperate.theferns.info/plant/Asparagus+acutifolius, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus_acutifolius

Bibliographic References

First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan:

Jafri, S. M. H. & El-Gadi, A. (1978) Flora of Libya, Liliaceae Vol. (57) Department of Botany, Al-Faateh Univ., Tripoli, Libya.

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

Ali, A. M., Lashhab, S. R., Abu-Aweena, A. A.M. (2019) Classification of vegetation cover and its geographical distribution in the area extending between Al-Haniya and Wadi Zagzoog in the north to Lasastata and Bishtaya in the south. Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar eastern Libya. Issue (61) Journal of Science and Human Studies- Al-Marj-University of Benghazi-Libya (In Arabic). https://www.researchgate.net/profile/sd-lshhb

El-farse, M.H. (2019) Study of the vegetation of Wadi Om-El-Amaym in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar region. Master Thesis- department of environmental science and engineering, Academy of post graduate studies, Benghazi, Libya. (In Arabic).

Hegazy, A.; Kabiel, H.; AlRowaily, S.; Lovett-Doust,L. and AlBorki, A. (2016) Plant communities and reproductive phenology in mountainous regions of northern Libya. Journal of Forestry Research. July 2017, Volume 28, Issue 4, pp 741–761. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11676-016-0345-8, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ahmad-Hegazy-2

Ab-Aziza, F.B., El–Barasi, Y.M. and Rahil, R.O. (2017) Flora, Vegetation and Human Activities of Wadi Derna-El-Jabal. Research article I Botany l Version 1. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fatma-Abuaziza, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yacoub-El-Barasi, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rebeh-Rahil

Raheel, RO. M., El-Borasi, Y. M., El-Barrani, M. W., El-Hassi, S. (2016) Study of Flora and vegetation cover of the semi-desert area between Salouq and Al-Abyar-the first high of Jabal Al-Akhdar-Libya, Fourth Scientific Conference for Environment and Sustainable Development In dry and semi-arid areas. Ajdabia. Libya. (In Arabic). https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yacoub-El-Barasi, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rebeh-Rahil

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

Al-Maghrabi A.S.S. (2006) Study of the vegetation and seed bank of the zone of Ghaminis and Agedabia (Slouk plain), Master of Science Thesis, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Academy of Graduated Studies, Benghazi Branch, Libya, 2006. (In Arabic).

El-Barasi, Y. M., EI-Sherif, l. M. & Gawhari, A. M. H. (2003) Checklist and analysis of the flora and vegetation of Wadi Zaza at AI-Jabal AI Akhdar (Cyrenaica, Libya). Bocconea 16 (2): 1091-1105. 2003. – ISSN 1120-4060. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yacoub-El-Barasi, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ahmed-Gawhari, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281559070_Checklist_and_analysis_of_the_flora_and_vegetation_of_Wadi_Zaza_at_AI-Jabal_AI_Akhdar_Cyrenaica_Libya

Al-Hamadi R.I. (1999) Floristic and ecological study of wadi Al-Agar, Master Thesis, Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Botany Department-Faculty of Science-Garyounis University, Benghazi, Libya. (In Arabic)