Borago officinalis L.

Family: Boraginaceae
Flowering Time: Mar-May.

General Appearance

Borago officinalis L., it is an annual or biennial herb, up to 15-50 (-70) cm tall, mostly branched, densely hispid all over, hairs mostly with a bulbous base. Basal leaves ovate to lanceolate, 50-150 (200) x 20-50 mm, with dentate to undulate margin, acute to obtuse, petiole 20-60 mm long. Cauline leaves sessile, 30-60 x 20-30 mm long, amp1exicaul. Inflorescence a branched bracteate cyme. Pedicel 3-25 cm long, spreading but deflexed after anthesis. Calyx lobes linear-lanceolate, entire, 6-12 (-15) x 1-1.5 mm at anthesis but enlarged in fruit up to 20 x 3 mm. Corolla rotate, bright blue, rarely white, tube absent or 1.5-2 mm long, lobes 7-15 x 5-8 mm, lanceolate, subacute. Anthers 5-7 mm long, dark violet. filaments much dilated and shorter than anthers. appendages erect, broad triangular ovate, 34 mm long. Stigma capitate. Style 6-8 mm long, filiform. Nutlets 5-8 (-10) x 2.5-35 mm, oblong, obovoid, rugose, brownish-black.

Life Form

Th

Phytochoria

S-Cosm. The native range of this species is W. & Central Medit.

Distribution in Libya

Al-Jabal Al-Akhder:  Wadi El-Kouf, Baida, Shahat 1973    Al-Mansora 2013  Wadi El-Kouf 2014  Wadi Haboon 2015 Wadi Jarjar-Omma, Wadi Ras Al-Hilal 2017  Ain Mara 2020     Wadi Al-Kouf 2021

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

Jabal Al-Uwinat:  Gebel Uweinat 1968

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. 8.

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

Al-Traboulsi, M. & Alaib, M.A. (2021) A Survey of medicinal plants of Wadi Al-Kouf in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, Libya. NAT. CROAT, VOL. 30. No 2. (389-404), ZAGREB. December 31, 2021. https://hrcak.srce.hr/269442 / ,  https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/390805

Medicinal plants of Wadi Al-Kouf in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, Libya. 2021

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

Al-Maqsabi, F. M. & Makhlouf, M. A. (2020) Vegetation cover in the Ain Mara region, Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar region – Libya. The Libyan Journal of Science (An International Journal): Volume 23, 2020. (In Arabic) https://uot.edu.ly/journals/index.php/ljs/article/view/122, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Farag-Elmokasabi-2

الغطاء النباتي في منطقة عين مارة بمنطقة الجبل الاخضر2020

Mukassabi, T.A., Thomas,P.A., ELMogasapi, A.(2017) Medicinal plants in Cyrenaica, Libya: existence and extinction. Biological Diversity and Conservation – 10/2 (2017) 183-192. https://eprints.keele.ac.uk/id/eprint/4064/

Medicinal plants in Cyrenaica, Libya 2017

El-Rabiai, G.T. & Al tira, M. (2015) Checklist of the Flora of Wadi Haboon at AI Jabal AI Akhdar (Cyrenaica, Libya). International Journal of Pharmacy & Life Sciences 6(8-9): Aug-Sep, 2015:4661-4665] Coden (USA): IJPLCP ISSN: 0976-7126. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Munay-Alteerah , https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292919013_Checklist_of_the_Flora_of_Wadi_Haboonat_AI_Jabal_AI_Akhdar_Cyrenaica_Libya

Checklist of the Flora of Wadi Haboonat AI Jabal AI Akhdar. 2015

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

Plant Species at Wadi Alkuf, Al-Jabal Al-Akhder, Libya 2014

Abusaief, H. M. A. and Dakhil, A. H. (2013) The floristic composition of Rocky habitat of Al Mansora in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar- Libya. New York Science Journal 2013; 6(5).  https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Huda-Abusaief

Foristic composition of Rocky habitat of Al Mansora in Al- Jabal Al- Akhdar 2013

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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