Flora

Polycarpaea robbairea (Kuntze) Greuter & Burdet

Family: Caryophyllaceae

Flowering Time: Jan-Apr.

General Appearance

Polycarpaea robbairea (Kuntze) Greuter & Burdet // Infraspecifics: Polycarpaea robbairea ssp. robbairea / Heterotypic Synonyms: Robbairea delileana Milne-Redh., it is an annual, rarely perennial; prostrate, glabrous herb, with thin, filiform dichotomously branched, up to 25 (-30) cm long, shoots from the ± woody base. Leaves sessile, narrowly oblong to linear-oblanceolate, 5-10 C-15) x 1-1.5 (-2) mm, entire, acute; stipules triangular-ovate, c. 1 mm long, membranous, acute, glabrous. Flowers small, in loose dichasial cymes, whitish-pink, c. 2.5 mm across, shortly pedicellate; bracts triangular-ovate, c. 2 mm long, midrib green, broadly membranous margined, glabrous. Sepals ovate, 2-2.5 x c. 1 mm, the inner 3 longer than the outer 2, narrowly membranous margined. Petals as long as or longer than the sepals, limb ± orbiculate, cordate, obtuse. Stamens c. 2/3 of petal length, anthers yellow, c. 0.5 mm long. Ovary ovoid-sub globose. Capsule ovoid, c. 2: mm long, yellowish, enveloped by persistent sepals and petals. Seeds minute, smooth, shiny.

Life Form

Phytochoria

SS. The native range of this species is Sahara to NE. Tropical Africa, Sinai to Iraq and Arabian Peninsula.

Distribution in Libya

Jabal Nafusa: Gebel Nefousa, Shakshuk on way to Jadou 1970

Al-Qibla area: (108 km) S.E. Jado 1970 Wadis South of Mizda 2013

Fezzan area: (240 km) from Sebha. along highway 1973

Ghat area: Wadi lghigi, (70 km) from Ghat to Algerian border 1977 Ghat (Between Acacus and Tassili Mountains) 2004

Jabal Al-Uwinat: Jabal Al-Uweinat region 2008

Notes

Wild in Libya, a species of arid region.

This species is accepted: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:911142-1

Link of images: http://www.florasilvestre.es/mediterranea/Caryophyllaceae/Polycarpaea_robbairea.htm, https://www.plantarium.ru/lang/en/page/view/item/47559.html, https://atlas-sahara.org/Caryophyllaceae/Polycarpaea%20robbairea/Polycarpaea%20robbairea.html, https://flora.org.il/en/plants/POLROB/

For more information

https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:911142-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/911142-1, https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000395856, https://www.gbif.org/species/7268216, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/13173/polycarpaea-robbairea-kuntze-greuter-burdet, https://atlas-sahara.org/Caryophyllaceae/Polycarpaea%20robbairea/Polycarpaea%20robbairea.html http://www.florasilvestre.es/mediterranea/Caryophyllaceae/Polycarpaea_robbairea.htm, https://www.plantarium.ru/lang/en/page/view/item/47559.html https://flora.org.il/en/plants/POLROB/, https://www.floraofqatar.com/polycarpaea_robbairea.htm

Bibliographic References

First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan:

Jafri, S.M.H. & El-Gadi, A. (1978) Flora of Libya, Caryophyllaceae Vol. (59) Department of Botany, Al-Faateh Univ., Tripoli, Libya. Page. 29- under Robbairea delileana Milne-Redh.

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

Mohamed, F.J. (2013) A Taxonomic Study of Wadis Flora South of Mizda at the intersections with Mizda-Sebha Highway. Master Thesis. Department of Botany-Faculty of Science-Sebha University. Libya. (In Arabic).

Alzwai, A.M.H. (2008) A study of the vegetation covers of the Jabal Al-Uweinat region in Libya. Master Thesis – Botany Department – College of Science – Garyounis University – Libya. (In Arabic).

Ahmidat, Gh. (2004) Study of the vegetation cover of the area between the Acacus Mountains and the Tassili Mountains (Ghat). Master Thesis. Department of Botany.College of Science. Sebha University. Libya. (In Arabic).