Flora

Silene behen L.

Family: Caryophyllaceae

Flowering Time: Mar-May.

General Appearance

Silene behen L., it is an anual, glabrous, glaucous herbaceous species with ascending stems (sometimes solitary) up to 40-90 cm long, circular in cross-section and with distinct nodes. Leaves opposite, somewhat sheathing; lower leaves oblanceolate, tapering towards the base and mucronate at the apex; upper leaves more oblong. Flowers diurnal; lower ones borne on a very characteristic, robust pedicel. Calyx glabrous, whitish at the base, with pigmented venation forming a very dense reticulate pattern towards the upper half. Corolla barely protruding from the calyx, with petals having a very short, deeply cleft (bipartite) limb that is very pale pink. Capsule ovoid. Seeds approx. 1.2–1.6 x 1–1.2 x 0.9–1 mm, grayish, reniform, wingless. Lateral faces slightly concave; dorsal side lacking a groove. Cells of the lateral faces elongated, usually with a more or less centrally located papilla and deeply toothed margins. Dorsal cells columnar, with a central papilla.

Life Form

Phytochoria

MED. The native range of this species is Macaronesia, Medit.

Distribution in Libya

Jabal Nafusa: Wadi Maleh, (3 km) from Nalut, near top of hill 1975 Msallata (Shaafeen) 2008 Msallata National Park (Shaafeen) 2013 Msallata-Garaboulli Province 2020

Al-Jabal Al-Akhder: Wadi Al-Agar 1999 Wadi Om-El-Amaym 2019

Notes

Wild in Libya.

This species is accepted: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:156910-1

Link of images: https://flora.org.il/en/plants/SILBEH/, https://www.florandalucia.es/index.php/silene-behen, https://www.atlasdesemillasdecanarias.org/atlas/ficha.php?ID=174

For more information

https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:156910-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/156910-1, https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000438854, https://www.gbif.org/species/7523432, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/134293/silene-behen-l, https://www.atlasdesemillasdecanarias.org/atlas/ficha.php?ID=174, https://www.florandalucia.es/index.php/silene-behen, https://biodiversitycyprus.blogspot.com/2017/04/silene-behen-l-cyprus.html, http://www.cretanflora.com/silene_behen.html, https://flora.org.il/en/plants/SILBEH/, https://www.orchid-nord.com/Flore-Rhodes/Caryophyllaceae/Silene%20behen/Silene-behen.html

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. 65.

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

Mahklouf, M.H., Sherif, A.S., Betelmal, A.G. (2020) Floristic Study and Species Diversity of Msallata-Garaboulli Province in Libya. J. of Advanced Botany and Zoology Volume 7 / Issue 3 ISSN: 2348-7313. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mohammed-Mahklouf, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341306643_Floristic_Study_and_Species_Diverisy_of_Msallata-Garaboulli_Province_in_Libya

Floristic Study and Species Diverisy of Msallata-Garaboulli Province. 2020

El-farse, M.H. (2019) Study of the vegetation of Wadi Om-El-Amaym in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar region. Master Thesis- department of environmental science and engineering, Academy of post graduate studies, Benghazi, Libya. (In Arabic).

Al-Masalati, N. A. A. (2013) Plant diversity across the altitudes of the Msallata National Park Reserve Mountains. Master Thesis. Botany Department-College of Science-University of Benghazi-Libya. (In Arabic).

Mohammed, S.A.H. (2008) A taxonomic and ecological study of the plants of the Shaafin Reserve in Masalatah. Master Thesis. Department of Biology-Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Al-Mirqab University. Al-Khums. Libya. (In Arabic).

Al-Hamadi R.I. (1999) Floristic and ecological study of Wadi Al-Agar, Master Thesis, Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Botany Department-Faculty of Science-Garyounis University, Benghazi, Libya. (In Arabic).

Prodr. Fl. Ciren.: 199 (1931). https://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/records/item/14218-prodromo-della-flora-cirenaica