General Appearance
Cuscuta europaea L., it is a holoparasitic climber annual, often reddish with flowering glomerules 10-15 mm in diam., each with a bract at the base. Flowers 4(-5)- merous, (2.5-) 4 (-5) mm long, on short, thickish pedicels. Calyx lobes ovate, obtuse, as long as or shorter than tube. Corolla campanulate, urceolate in fruit; lobes erect to spreading, triangular to ovate, usually obtuse. Hypostaminal scales usually 2-fid and sparsely fimbriate, some-times almost absent. Stamens often included. Styles with stigma shorter than ovary. Capsules globose, conical or pyriform, capped by the detached corolla; seeds c. 1.5 mm.
Life Form
Phytochoria
Distribution in Libya
Benghazi Plain: Between Slouk and Al-Abiar 2016
Al-Jabal Al-Akhder: Reported from Derna by Durand & Barratte and from Barce by Pampanini Al-Merj, Wadi Umm el Anain 1922 Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar 2021
Marmarica Plateau: Marmarica (north-eastern part of Libya) 2004
Notes
Introduced in Libya, parasitic on Pistacia lentiscus etc.
This species is accepted: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:267425-1
Link of images: https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/cuscuta/europaea/, https://www.florealpes.com/fiche_grandecuscute.php, https://agroatlas.ru/en/content/weeds/Cuscuta_europaea/index.html, https://www.i-flora.com/en/the-smartphone-apps/iflora-deutschland/species/art/show/cuscuta-europaea-1.html
For more information
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:267425-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/267425-1, https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0001297552, https://www.gbif.org/species/2927493, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/139989/cuscuta-europaea-l, https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/cabicompendium.17113, http://agroatlas.ru/en/content/weeds/Cuscuta_europaea/index.html, https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/cuscuta/europaea/, https://www.i-flora.com/en/the-smartphone-apps/iflora-deutschland/species/art/show/cuscuta-europaea-1.html, https://botany.cz/en/cuscuta-europaea/, https://www.florealpes.com/fiche_grandecuscute.php
First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan:
Jafri, S.M.H. & El-Gadi, A. (1978) Flora of Libya, Cuscutaceae Vol. (53) Department of Botany, Al-Faateh Univ., Tripoli, Libya. Page. 3.
Second: Researches and PhD theses, master theses, Sorted by Newest:
El-Mokasabi, F. M., Askar, A. M., Hassan, S. A. Al-Darawi, M., Al-Bakoush, A. M. (2021) A preliminary survey of the parasitic plants on wild plants in the Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar region. A special issue of the Fifth Annual Conference on Theories and Applications of Basic and Life Sciences. (4) September 2021. Faculty f Science-University of Misurata. (In Arabic) https://www.misuratau.edu.ly/journal/sci/paperS.php?id=1642&ed_id=305
حصر أولي للنباتات الطفيلية المتطفلة على النباتات البرية بمنطقة الجبل الاخضر 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
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
دراسة الفلورا والغطاء النباتي للمنطقة الشبه صحراوية الممتدة بين مدينتي سلوق والابيار . 2016
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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