Helianthemum vesicarium Boiss.

Family: Cistaceae

General Appearance

Helianthemum vesicarium Boiss. / Homotypic Synonyms: Helianthemum virgatum var. vesicarium (Boiss.) E.A.Durand & Barratte ,  it is a perennial subshrub, up to 15-30 cm tall, with prostrate or occasionally ascending stems. The leaves are short-petiolate, opposite, linear or linear-lanceolate, (1-)2-3(-5) cm long and 0.2-0.4(-0.7) cm wide, appressed-hairy, with revolute margins and obtuse tips; stipules are linear to subulate, 0.5-1.5 cm long. The inflorescence is a terminal cyme with 3-7 flowers. Flower stalks are 1.5-3 cm long, becoming bent after flowering, and subtended by subulate bracts 0.5-1 cm in length; there are 5 distinctly veined sepals, the outer sepals are oblong, while the inner sepals are much longer than the outer and broadly obovate. Petals are 1.5-2 cm long, pink to purple, or very rarely white. Stamens are numerous. The gynoecium is formed by the fusion of 3 carpels. The fruit is a spherical capsule about 8 mm in size, usually densely hairy and often shorter than the inflated, membranous, persistent calyx, 3-many-seeded.

Life Form

Ch

Phytochoria

MED. The native range of this species is Tunisia to E. Medit.

Distribution in Libya

Marmarica Plateau:  Reported in Marmarica north-eastern part of Libya by Pampanini 1930

First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan:

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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

PAMPANINI, R. (1931). Prodromo della Flora Cirenaica. -: 329 – under: Helianthemum virgatum var. vesicarium (Boiss.) Durand & Barratte https://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/records/item/14218-prodromo-della-flora-cirenaica

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