Retama monosperma (L.) Boiss.

Family: Fabaceae

General Appearance

Retama monosperma (L.) Boiss. / Ttaxaon Infra-specific: Retama monosperma ssp. bovei (Spach) Maire, it is a shrub or small tree, up to (1.5) 2–3 m tall. Branches rounded, with (11) 13 (14) longitudinal T-shaped ridges; silvery-sericeous when young, later glabrescent; indumentum dual, with straight, appressed hairs on the ridges and short, curled hairs in the grooves between them. Leaves with leaflets 4-8 × 0.7-1 mm, lanceolate, oblanceolate, or linear-lanceolate, silvery-sericeous on both surfaces, very caducous. Inflorescences axillary, in solitary or paired racemes, with 10-26 flowers; bract and bracteoles 1.5-2 × 0.7-1.7 mm, lanceolate or ovate-elliptic, sericeous, very caducous; pedicel c. 1 mm, sericeous. Calyx 3-4 mm, campanulate-cylindrical, more or less bilabiate, reddish, glabrescent, with the lobes of the upper lip positioned very close to those of the lower lip; tube 2-2.5 mm; upper lip with lobes c. 1.5 × 1.5 mm; lower lip with teeth 0.3-0.5 mm long. Corolla white; standard 9-10.5 x 7-9 mm, elliptic, apiculate, attenuate at the base, sericeous on the back, with a claw c. 1.5 mm long, scarcely differentiated; wings 9-11 x 2.3-3 mm, similar in size to the standard, lanceolate-elliptic, sericeous on the back in the upper half, with ciliate auricles and a claw c. 2 mm long; keel 7-8.5 x 1.7-2.5 mm, much shorter than the standard and wings, with a linear-lanceolate apex, sericeous in the upper half, with the lower margin and auricle ciliate, and a claw c. 2 mm long. Androecium with 4 short stamens with basifixed anthers, 5 medium-sized ones with dorsifixed anthers, and 1 long one with a basifixed anther; basifixed anthers 0.6-0.8 mm, ovoid; dorsifixed anthers 0.3-0.4 mm, sub globose. Ovary glabrous, except for the coiled hairs along the inner suture line, with 4-7 ovules. Fruit 10-22 x 9-14 mm, more or less globose, sometimes slightly curved, apiculate, externally glabrous, internally cottony, reticulate, with a highly developed keel along the suture line; pericarp fleshy and sugary at maturity; fruit deciduous, dehiscent, monospermous (rarely with 2-3 seeds). Seeds 4-6 x 5.2-8.5 mm.   

Flowering in: Feb-May.

Life Form

N.Ph

Phytochoria

MED. The native range of this species is S. Portugal to SW. Spain, Morocco, Greece to E. Aegean Islands.

Distribution in Libya

Al-Jabal Al-Akhder:  Wadi El-Kouf 2014

First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan:

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

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,IDOSI Publications,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

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