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Floristic Composition and Plant Diversity of Western Part of Wadi El-Enaghar, Libya

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The piece of work has been designed to study the present-day vegetation and document the flora of wild plants of the Wadi El- Enaghar region eastern part of Libya. The study was carried out in the period from October 2018 to June 2020, with two trips per month at least. The plant specimens were collected in flowering or in fruiting condition. Data inventory has been documented in the form of family, Botanical name, vernacular name, life form, and habit. The study revealed the presence of 207 species within 151 genera of vascular plants belonging to 46 families, of which 17 species are belonging to monocotyledons and 190 belonging to dicotyledons. The family Asteraceae was the richest (35 species) followed by Fabaceae (33 species), then Brassicaceae (17 species). In this study, there are four endemic species have been collected. The most dominant life form was Therophytes having 119 species (57.5%) followed by Hemicryptophytes having 34 species (16.4%) Chamaephytes 21 species (10.1%) Geophytes 18 species (8.69%) Phanerophytes 15 species (7.2%). Finally, most of the species were herbs (87.5%)
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SPECIES l RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Floristic Composition and Plant
Diversity of Western Part of
Wadi El- Enaghar, Libya
Naser OI Omar¹, Naser G El-Mghrbi², Raheel RO¹,
Mohamed A Alaib³, Abdul Hamid K Alzerbi
ABSTRACT
The piece of work has been designed to study the present-day vegetation and
document the flora of wild plants of the Wadi El- Enaghar region eastern part
of Libya. The study was carried out in the period from October 2018 to June
2020, with two trips per month at least. The plant specimens were collected in
flowering or in fruiting condition. Data inventory has been documented in the
form of family, Botanical name, vernacular name, life form, and habit. The
study revealed the presence of 207 species within 151 genera of vascular
plants belonging to 46 families, of which 17 species are belonging to
monocotyledons and 190 belonging to dicotyledons. The family Asteraceae
was the richest (35 species) followed by Fabaceae (33 species), then
Brassicaceae (17 species). In this study, there are four endemic species have
been collected. The most dominant life form was Therophytes having 119
species (57.5%) followed by Hemicryptophytes having 34 species (16.4%)
Chamaephytes 21 species (10.1%) Geophytes 18 species (8.69%)
Phanerophytes 15 species (7.2%). Finally, most of the species were herbs
(87.5%).
Keywords: Floristic diversity, life forms, Wadi El- Enaghar, Libya.
1. INTRODUCTION
A various floristic study has been conducted on the Flora of Libya, e. g. [1].
reported some observations on Sylphium which was one of the most
important extinct plant species in Cyrenaica. [2]. had conducted the first
taxonomic study on Flora of Libya and collected about 260 species from the
coastal belt of Libya. [3] published Flora Libycae specimen and reported 1200
plant samples. [4] provided the most comprehensive information on the
vegetation of Tripolitania, Fezzan, Ghadames, Kufra, Aoujila, and Cyrenaica
as well as a list of vernacular names of plants. [5] had published Florae
Libycae Prodromus and listed 1026 species. Floristically, Cyrenaica is
relatively well known, and all records up to 1930 are contained in the
comprehensive "Prodrmo Della Flora Cyrenaica" [6]. In his work Pampanini
dealt with all plant groups of Libya. He described species and provided keys
for their identification. [7] made observations on the pastures of Cyrenaica.
The vegetation of these pastures is represented by 35 families of flowering
Species
22(70), 2021
To Cite:
Naser OI Omar, Naser G El-Mghrbi, Raheel RO,
Mohamed A Alaib, Abdul Hamid K Alzerbi. Floristic
Composition and Plant Diversity of Western Part of
Wadi El- Enaghar, Libya. Species, 2021, 22(70), 204-217
Author Affiliation:
¹Department of Botany, Faculty of Arts and Sciences,
University of Benghazi- Alabear Branch, Libya.
²Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University
of Ajdabiya, Ajdabiya, Libya.
³Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, University
of Benghazi, Benghazi, Libya.
Department of Botany, Faculty of Arts and Sciences,
University of Benghazi, Tocra Branch, Libya.
Corresponding author:
Department of Botany, Faculty of Arts and Sciences,
University of Benghazi- Alabear Branch, Libya; E-mail
address: naser.omar@uob.edu.ly
Peer-Review History
Received: 27 May 2021
Reviewed & Revised: 29/May/2021 to 03/July/2021
Accepted: 04 July 2021
Published: July 2021
Peer-Review Model
External peer-review was done through double-blind
method.
© 2021 Discovery Scientific Society. This work is licensed
under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
License.
DISCOVERY
SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY
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Page205
plants. The members of the family Poaceae most dominant followed by these of Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Apiaceae. [8] published
A Preliminary Check List of the Flora of Libya, provided their local names and uses. [9] published a bibliography about the flora
and vegetation of Libya. The University of Tripoli and the Arab Development Institute adopted the flora of Libya projects and have
published [10-12] between 1976 to 1989. through last three decades, Numerous researchers have worked on floristic composition
and ecological studies on regional or local floras of certain parts of the country; examples include the studies of [13] on Wadi
Al-Asrah, [14] on Wadi Al-Agar, [15] on Tobruk province, [16] on Wadi Al-Hamar Region, [17] when studied weed flora of
agriculture Project of Sirte.
Moreover, floristic studies are not only important to know the variety of plants present in an area, but also socio-economically
significant. They provide shelter, food, medicine and everything for the human being and other species of that area [18]. The
specific goals of the study were to analyse the vegetation, prepare preliminary list of the species of flowering plants, life-form and
the diversity in the Wadi El- Enaghar.
Study Area
The study area lies south of Benghazi city and the eastern part of the study area is situated in the southwestern edge of Al-Jabal Al-
Akhdar at about 200 m above the sea-level, whereas the western part is situated in Benghazi Plain at about 50 m (M asl). It extends
approximately 30 Km. It lies between 20 24'49" and 20 08'45" E longitude and 31 54’09" and 31 47'08" N latitude (Figure 1).
Figure 1. A map of the study area
Climate
The climate of Libya is generally semi-arid to arid [19]. Within Libya, five different climatic zones have been recognized, but the
dominant climatic influences are the Mediterranean and Saharan. The weather system in study area is general semi-arid. According
to the records of Benghazi meteorological station for the period 1976- 2006, the study area is characterized by a mean minimum
temperature of 8.8 ºC in January and a mean maximum temperature of 32 ºC in July with an annual mean temperature of 20 ºC.
The rainfall in the study area is markedly seasonal and irregular in amount. The annual rainfall at the area varies considera bly
around the mean from one month to another, year to year. Most of the rainfall occurs in late autumn and early spring (during the
period between Octobers a March). The peak rainy months are December, January and February. In general the rainfall starts in the
month of October sometime in September and extends up to March sometime up to April. It was low as 80 mm and as high as 240
mm. The average annual rainfall is 135 mm. The mean monthly relative humidity ranges between 55.3% in June and 75.4% in
January. The average wind speed of the study area varies from 8.5 Km/h in November to 11 Km/h in April.
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study area was regularly visited from October 2018 to June 2020. During this period at least one field trip per month was done
for sample collection and vegetative observations. The plant specimens were collected in flowering or in fruiting condition .For
drying, the presser containing the specimens was placed in the sun. After that, the specimens were examined individually,
rearranged, transferred to a fresh sheet and again tightly bonded in the presser. The specimens were changed to dry sheet every 24
or 48 hours until they were completely dry.
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When specimens were completely dry they were mounted on herbarium sheet with stander size (27 x 42 cm) with the aid of
adhesives. On the lower right-hand corner of the herbarium sheet, a label was glued and all information from the field notebook
was transferred to it. First, the family of the plant was determined by the use of an artificial key to the families. The genus and
species were identified by the utilization of available taxonomic literature [8, 10-12, 20-21].
After drying, specimens were flooded with poisoning solution (Mercuric chloride 15 gm, Ammonium chloride 35 gm, in 1000 ml
ethanol 96%) to protect them from fungi and pests [22]. Or placed in an oven at 60º C for 4-6 hours, which is enough to kill eggs of
insects [23]. All plant species studied, were classified according to their growth habits, and Raunkiaer's life forms system [24] was
used. The percentage composition of each of these life form categories was calculated. The generic coefficient was calculated
following Jacord's Generic Coefficient [25] as under:-
Generic Coefficient (G) % = Total no. of genera x 100
Total no. of species
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Enumeration of species
:
Taxa collected from the study area are enumerated here. The arrangement of families, genera, and species are alphabetical.
Table 1: List of species recorded in the study area with their families, Vernacular name, life form and Growth form (Th. =
Therophytes, Ch. = Chaemophytes, H. = Hemi-cryptophytes, Ph. = Phanerophytes, and G. = Geophytes.)
Scientific name
Vernacular name
Life
form
Growth
form
Aizoaceae
Aizoon hispanicum L .
Malha
Th.
Herb
Alliaceae
Allium erdelii Zuec.
Korath
G.
Herb
Allium subhirsutum L.
Ghazul.
G.
Herb
Allium nigrum L.
G.
Herb
Amaranthaceae
Amaranthus viridis L.
Buzinzir
Th.
Herb
Anacardiaceae
Rhus tripartita (Ucria.) Grande .
Ijdari
Ph.
Shrub
Apiaceae
Ammi majus L.
Sfinnari-Hameer, Khalla, Sfinnari
el ma'iz
Th.
Herb
Ammoides pusilla (Brot.) Breist.
Th.
Herb
Bupleurum lanciofolium Hornem.
Th.
Herb
Bupleurum odontites L.
Th.
Herb
Ferula tingitana L.
Kalakh
H.
Herb
Foeniculum vulgare Mill.
Kammun
H.
Herb
Deverra tortuosa (Desf.) DC. Syns. Pituranthos
tortuosus (Desf.) Benth
Gazzah.
Ch.
Subshrub
Pseudorlaya pumila (L.) Gramde
Th.
Herb
Araceae
Arisarum vulgare Targ.Tozz
Weden Essaloqi
G.
Herb
Arum cyrenaicum Hruby
Wednish, Gedri
G.
Herb
Asteraceae
Achillea santolina L.
Zefrah, El Batharan
Th.
Herb
Anacyclus monanthos (L.) Thell.
Tagrefta, Serat elkabesh.
Th.
Herb
Anthemis secundiramea Biv.
Th.
Herb
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Atractylis cancellata L.
Th.
Herb
Bellis sylvestris Cirillo. var. cyrenaiaca
Beguinout
H.
Herb.
Calendula arvensis L.
Ain Al Baghra
Th.
Herb
Calendula tripterocarpa Rupr.
Th.
Herb
Carduus getulus Pomel
Th.
Herb
Centurea alexandrina Delile
Mrrier.
Th.
Herb
Centurea dimorpha Viv.
Bla ′ala
Th.
Herb
Centaurea sphaerocephala L.
Shebrem
Th.
Herb
Chamomilla aurea (Loefl.) Gay
Komilla
Th.
Herb
Chrysanthemum coronarium L.
Gahwan
Th.
Herb
Cichorium spinosum L.
Shikorea
Th.
Herb
Conyza bonariensis (L.) Cornq.
Ashbet Zamora
Th.
Herb
Crepis senecioides Delile
Th.
Herb
Cynara cornigera L.
Kharshofe, Gaamool
H.
Herb
Echinops galalensis Schweinf
Shembet Elgatoos
H.
Herb
Filago contracta (Boiss.) Chrtek & Holub Syns.
Evax contracta Boiss
Th.
Herb
Filago desertorum Pomel
Th.
Herb
Hypochaeris achyrophorus L.
Th.
Herb
Launaea nudicaulis (L.) Hooker, fil.
Adeeda, Aara, Orreem
Th.
Herb
Launaea resedifolia (L.) O.Kuntze
Adeeda.
Th.
Herb
Onopordum cyrenaicum Maire & weiller
Libid
H.
Herb
Onopordum espinae Cosson ex Bonnet
Libid
H.
Herb
Pallenis spinosa (L.) Cass.
H.
Herb
Phagnalon rupestre (L.) DC .
Ch.
Subshrub
Reichardia tingitana (L.) Roth.
Sahani.
Th.
Herb
Rhantterium suaveolens Desf.
Ch.
Herb
Scorzonera undulata vahl.
Dhabeeh, Tumare
H.
Herb
Senecio gallicus Chiax
Daraita, Mourare.
Th.
Herb
Senecio vulgaris L.
Kraa Eddjaja
Th.
Herb
Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertner.
Shobrum
Th.
Herb
Sonchus oleraceus L.
Tefaf.
Th.
Herb
Volutaria tubuliflora (Murb.) Sennen: Syns.
Amberboa tubuliflora Murb.
Th.
Herb
Boraginaceae
Echium angustifolium Mill.
Henna alagrab, abat elgula
Ch.
Subshrub
Echium horridum Batt
Ch.
Subshrub
Anchusa aegyptiaca (L.) A.DC.
Th.
Herb
Heliotropium bacciferum Forssk.
Ramram
Ch.
Subshrub
Heliotropium ramosissimum (Lehm.) De.
Tahaunna, tahenna
Ch.
Herb
Brassicaceae
Biscutella didyma L.
Ain Al Hanash
Th.
Herb
Brassica tournefortii Gouan
Shultam
Th.
Herb
Capsella bursa-pastoris var. rubella (Reut.)
Rapin
Kees El Rai
Th.
Herb
Cardaria draba (L.) Desv.
Th.
Herb
Carrichtera annua (L.) DC .
Th.
Herb
Didesmus bipinnatus (Desv)DC.
Lessless
Th.
Herb
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Didesmus aegyptius (L.) Desv .
Lessless
Th.
Herb
Diplotaxis muralis (L.) Dc. ssp. Muralis
Al harra
Th.
Herb
Enarthrocarpus clavatus Del.ex Goder.
Shultam
Th.
Herb
Enarthrocarpus pterocarpus (Pers.) var.
pterocarpus .
Shultam
Th.
Herb
Eruca sative Mill.
Gargeer Barry
Th.
Herb
Lobularia libyca (Viv.) Meisner
Auinet El Hanash
Th.
Herb
Matthiola fruticulosa (L.) Maire
Eshegara
Th.
Herb
Matthiola longipetala (Vent.) Dc. ssp.
Longipetala
Eshegara
Th.
Herb
Sinapis alba L.
Khardal, Harra
Th.
Herb
Sinapis flexuosa Poir.
Khardal, Harra
Th.
Herb
Sisymbrium irio L.
Fegeela
Th.
Herb
Caryophyllaceae
Silene apetala Willd .
Th.
Herb
Silene cerastioides L.
Th.
Herb
Spergula fallax (Lowe.) Krause
Th.
Herb
Vaccaria pyramidata Medik.
Ful el Arab
Th.
Herb
Chenopodiaceae
Anabasis articulata (Forssk.) Moq.
Ageram, Bagel
Ch.
Subshrub
Atriplex glauca L. Syns. Atriplex stylosa Viv.
Kataff
Ph.
Subshrub
Atriplex halimus L.
Kataff
Ph.
Subshrub
Bassia muricata (L.) Aschers.
Chouleta, Ghabbir
Th.
Herb
Beta vulgaris L .
Seleg
Th.
Herb
Chenopodium murale L.
Effena
Th.
Herb
Haloxylon scoparium Pomel. Syns. Hammada
scoparia (Pomel) Iljin.
Hdidat, Rehsal, Shenin
Ch.
Subshrub
Haloxylon scoparium Pomel
Rimth
Ch.
Subshrub
Suaeda vera Forssk. ex J.F.Gmel.
Souida, Essabata
Ch.
Subshrub
Convolvulaceae
Convolvulus althaeoides L.
Ullak
G.
Herb
Convolvulus arvensis L.
Ullak
G.
Herb
Convolvulus dorycnium L.
Ullak
H.
Herb
Convolvulus humilus Jacq .
Ullak
Th.
Herb
Convolvulus althaeoides L.
Ullak
G.
Herb
Crassulaceae
Umbilicus horizontalis (Guss.) Dc.
Surrat Al'ard
G.
Herb
Cucurbitaceae
Bryonia cretica L.
Fachira
H.
Herb
Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.
Handel
H.
Herb
Ecballium elaterium (L.) A.Rich.
Cyperaceae
Cyper laevigatus L.
Al Saad
H.
Herb
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbia falcata L
Lebbena
H.
Herb
Euphorbia helioscopia L .
Lebbena
H.
Herb
Euphorbia peplus L .
Lebbena
H.
Herb
Ricinus communis L.
Kharwa
Ph.
Shrub
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Fabaceae
Alhagi graecorum Boiss.
Agol
H.
subshrub
Argyrolobium uniflorum (Dence.) Jaub. &
Sapach
Ergah, Kerta
Ch.
Herb
Astragalus asterias Hohen
Th.
Herb
Astragalus boeticus L.
Grambushia
Th.
Herb
Astragalus cabrinus L.
Shaewit Erraie
H.
Herb
Astragalus hamosus L.
Katai, kedad
H.
Herb
Astragalus haurensis Boiss
Th.
Herb
Astragalus peregrinus Vahl.
Th.
Herb
Hippocrepis multisiliquosa L.
Th.
Herb
Hymenocarpus circinnatus (L.) Savi.
Th.
Herb
Lathyrus aphaca L
Th.
Herb
Lathyrus annuus L.
Th.
Herb
Lathyrus clymenum L.
Th.
Herb
Lotus cytisoides L.
Qart
Ch.
Herb
Lotus halophilus Boiss & Spruner.
Nafel , Gurn al Ghazzal
Th.
Herb
Medicago disciformis Dc.
Nafal
Th.
Herb
Medicago littoralis Rohde ex Lois
Nafal
Th.
Herb
Medicago minima (L.) Bart.
Nafal
Th.
Herb
Medicago orbicularis (L.) Bartal
Nafal
Th.
Herb
Medicago sativa L.
Gadb, safsafa
Th.
Herb
Medicago polymorpha L.
Nafal
Th.
Herb
Melilotus indicus (L.) All
Handagog, Qart
Th.
Herb
Onobrychis crista-galli (L.) Lam
Th.
Herb
Ononis serrata Forsk.
Th.
Herb
Retama raetam (Forsk.) webb.
Ratam
Ph.
Subshrub
Scorpiurus muricatus L.
Th.
Herb
Trigonella marititma Delile ex poiret
Kherta, Garat
Th.
Herb
Trifolium dasyurum C.Presl
Th.
Herb
Trifolium purpureum Loisel.
Th.
Herb
Trifolium tomentosum L.
Th.
Herb
Vicia monantha Retz.
Th.
Herb
Vicia sativa L.
Jilban.
Th.
Herb
Vicia villosa Roth
Jelbana Hmam
Th.
Herb
Fumariaceae
Fumaria officinalis L.
Sfinari el homar
Th.
Herb
Geraniaceae
Erodium cicutarium (L.) L’ Herit
Dahmiyet el-ghazl.
Th.
Herb
Erodium crassifolium L'Her
Khlala El-Gula, Temeer
G.
Herb
Erodium malacoides (L.) L'Her.
Rogma
Th.
Herb
Erodium moschatum (L.) L'Her.
Missaykah
Th.
Herb
Geranium molle L .
Th.
Herb
Illecebraceae
Paronychia arabica (Linn .) Dc.
Tifun
H.
Herb
Iridaceae
Moraea sisyrinchium (L.) Ker-Gawler Syns. Iris
sisyrinchium L.
Sawsan
G.
Herb
Lamiaceae
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Ajuga iva (L.) Shreber
Shandgura
Th.
Herb
Marrubium alysson L.
Robia
Th.
Herb
Phlomis floccosa D.Don .
Zahira
Ch.
Subshrub
Rosmarinus officinalis L.
Kleel
Ch.
Subshrub
Salvia lanigera Poir.
Sag en naga
Ch.
Herb
Stachys aegyptiaca Pers.
Lahiat Alshshayib
H.
Subshrub
Thymus capitatus (L.) Hoffm.
Zater
Ch.
Subshrub
Liliaceae
Asphodelus fistulosus L.
Lehiat ettaes
H.
Herb
Asphodelus ramosus L. Syns. Asphodelus
microcarpus Salzm.
Onsail, Balloose
G.
Herb
Bellevalia mauritanica Pomel.
G.
Herb
Urginea autumnalis (L.) El-Gadi
Faraon
G.
Herb
Linaceae
Linum decumbens Desf.
Khadd El Arous
Th.
Herb
Malvaceae
Malva aegyptia L .
Khobaiz
Th.
Herb
Malva parviflora L. Var microcarpa (Pers.)
Loscos
Khobaiz
Th.
Herb
Malva parviflora L. var parviflora
Khobaiz
Th.
Herb
Malva sylvestris L.
Khobaiz
H.
Herb
Mimosaceae
*Acacia cyanophylla Lindley
Sunt
Ph.
Tree
*Acacia karoo Hayne
Sunt Shawki, Talha
Ph.
Tree
Myrtaceae
*Eucalyptus cosmophylla F.
Serwel, Kafoor
Ph.
Tree
*Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh.
Serwel, Kafoor
Ph.
Tree
Oleaceae
Olea europaea L .
Zaitoon
Ph.
Tree
Orobanchaceae
Orobanche schultzii Mutel.
P.
Herb
Oxalidaceae
Oxalis pes-caprae L.
Hummdha
G.
Herb
Papaveraceae
Glaucium flavum Crantz
Gurn- aljadian
H.
Herb
Papaver hybridum L.
Bugraun, Garaun
Th.
Herb
Papaver rhoeas L.
Bugraun
Th.
Herb
Roemeria hybrid (L) DC. var. Hybrid
Mungar el gharab
Th.
Herb
Plantaginaceae
Plantago albicans L.
Aenm.
H.
Herb
Plantago crypsoides Boiss.
H.
Herb
Plantago cyrenaica Durand & Barratte
Degghis
H.
Herb
Plantago lagopus L .
H.
Herb
Plantago ovata Forssk.
H.
Herb
Plumbaginaceae
Limonium lobatum (L.f.) .Syns. Limonium
thouinii (Viv.) O.Kuntze
zita
Th.
Herb
Poaceae
Avena barbata Pott ex Link
Shofan barry, Gussiba
Th.
Herb
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Bromus rigidus Roth.
Summa
Th.
Herb
Cutandia dichotoma (Forssk.) Trabut
Zewahn , bu ′rukba
Th.
Herb
Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.
Najem, Najieel
G.
Herb
Hordeum murinm L. ssp. Leporinum (link.)
Arcang.
Bu sharenta, Bu Shterta
Th.
Herb
Lolium rigidum Gaud.
Bomanjor.
Th.
Herb
Phalaris minor Retz.
Zewan
Th.
Herb
Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.
Gaspa
G.
Subshrub
Stipa capensis Thunb.
Behma
Th.
Herb
Polygonaceae
Emex spinosus (L). Campd
Dors el-azouz and el-henzab
Th.
Herb
Polygonum aviculare L.
Gurdab
H.
Subshrub
Polygonum equisetiforme Sibth. and Sm.
Gurdab
H.
Subshrub
Rumex vesicarius L .
Hommadet Hmam
Th.
Herb
Primulaceae
Anagallis arvensis var. caerulea (L.) Gouan
Ain Algatuus
Th.
Herb
Ranunculaceae
Adonis dentata Delile
Zeghalil
Th.
Herb
Ranunculus paludosus Poiret .
G.
Herb
Resedaceae
Reseda alba L.spp. decursiva (Forssk.) Maire
m″sawiyah, Fattolet El Holi
Th.
Herb
Rhamnaceae
Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam .
Sedra
Ph.
Shrub
Rubiaceae
Galium aparine L.
Dibbaykah
Th.
Herb
Rutaceae
Haplophyllum tuberculatum (Forssk) Juss.
Sezeret er rih
Ch.
Herb
Scrophulariaceae
Kickxia aegyptiaca (L.) Nabelek
Amekchin
Ch.
Herb
Linaria laxiflora Desf.
Th.
Herb
Linaria virgata (Poir) Desf .
Th.
Herb
Solanaceae
Hyoscyamus muticus L.
Vathim, Flazlez, Sajran
Ch.
Herb
Lycium europaeum L .
Awsaj
Ph.
Shrub
Nicotiana glauca R.C. Graham
Akkuzemusa.
Ph.
Shrub
Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav.
Th.
Herb
Solanum nigrum L. var. nigrum
Anab ed. Deeb
H.
Herb
Thymelaeaceae
Thymelaea hirsuta (L.) Endl.
Metnan
Ph.
Subshrub
Urticaceae
Urtica pilulifera L .
Horregh
H.
Herb
Zygophyllaceae
Fagonia cretica L
Tlaha, Zerga
Ch.
Shrub
Nitraria retusa (Forssk.) Asch
Atazzim, Dumuc, Rhordog
Ph.
Shrub
Peganum harmala L .
Harmal
H.
Shrub
(*) cultivated plant
At the end of the survey a total of 207 species of flowering plants 151 representing genera belong to 46 families have been
collected and identified, of which 190 taxa belonging to 135 genera are belong to Dicotyledones which distributing in 42 fami lies;
SPECIES l RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Page212
whereas 17 taxa belonging to 16 genera and 4 families are belonging to monocotyledons (Table 2). The ratio of Dicotyledons to
Monocotyledons is roughly 10.5 : 1.
Table 2: Different taxonomic groups present in the study area.
No. of Genera
No. of families
Plant group
135
42
Dicotyledons
16
4
Monocotyledons
151
46
Total
From floristic analysis were carried out which showed the most highly represented families were Asteraceae was the richest
with (35 species, about 17% of the total species) followed by Fabaceae with 33 species (ca. 16%), Brassicaceae with 17 species (ca.
8.2%), Chenopodiaceae and Poaceae with 9 species each (ca. 4.3%). A comparison of families in term of the largest number of
species recorded in this study is similar studies in different region of A comparison of families in term of the largest number of
species recorded in this study is similar studies in different regions of Libya by [13, 15, 26] in different regions of Libya.
From the data of the present study, it was shown the Wadi El- Enaghar region had relatively high plant diversity (Table 3). The
percentage of plant families reported in this study contributed to almost 30% of the total plant families rec orded from Libya [27].
The recorded species represented about 10.1 % of the total flora recorded in the entire country, this cannot be considered a very rich
flora as compared to the large area of the country [27]. A striking features in Libyan flora is a large number of genera in proportion
to that of the species (about 2.5 species per genus). This is considered a very low figure compared with the global average, which
amounts to 13.6 [28].
The present study indicated that the flora of the Wadi El- Enaghar region went below the average level of the Libyan flora
where the number of species per genus was 1.37. That means that the flora of the study area is relatively rich as the region that has a
certain number of species, each of which belongs to a different genus, is relatively more diverse than a region that has the same
number of species but belongs to a few numbers of genera.
Table 3. Comparison of floristic diversity in Wadi El- Enaghar region in the present study to the floristic diversity in the entire
country of Libya.
Location
Family
Genera
Species
Generic coefficient
Study area
46
151
207
1.37
Flora of libya [27]
168
818
2042
2.5
Percentage (%)
27.4
18.5
10.1
According to the number of species in each genus in the study area, Astragalus and Medicago were the only two genera
represented by six species each. Two genera, Convolvulus and Plantago have five species each. Two genera with four species namely,
Erodium and Malva. Five genera were represented by three species each namely, Allium, Centurea, Lathyrus, Trifolium and Vicia.
Plant life forms were categorized as Therophytes with 118 species (57%), Hemicryptophytes with 35 species (17%),
Chamaephytes with 21 species (10.1%), Geophytes with 18 species (8.69%), Phanerophytes with 15 species (7.2%) (Figure 2).
Therophytes was dominated in Wadi El- Enaghar. The present findings are in the line with other related studies such as [15, 29-30],
who reported the dominance of therophytes over the other life forms. Based on the study of [27], the dominance of therophytes is
due to the long dry periods during the year in Libya.
The study showed that the growth habits of species were distributed as herbs 173 species (83.5%), subshrubs to shrubs 29
species (14%) and trees 5 species (2.4%). The dominance of herbs over the other growth habits can be attributed to the short life
cycle that enables them to resist the instability of the ecosystem [31].
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Page213
Figure 2. Life form spectrum of the recorded species in Wadi El- Enaghar. PH: Phanerophytes, CH: Chamaephytes, HE:
Hemicryptophytes, GE: Geophytes, TH: Therophytes.
In this study only four taxa considered as endemic to Libya. These taxa namely, Plantago cyrenaica, Bellis sylvestris Cyr. var.
Cyrenaiaca, Onopordum cyrenaicum and Arum cyrenaicum. This number is considered low (ca. 2 % of the recorded species in the study
area) were recorded. These findings agree with [32] in their comprehensive analysis of the flora of Libya in which they reveal that
number of endemic species in the flora of Libya not exceeding 4%. Only two species namely, Centurea alexandrina and Echinops
galalensis considered as near-endemic where known only in Libya and Egypt, according to study of [27].
The study area as in all parts of the country suffers from the pressures of multiple forces, including extreme weather conditions,
particularly drought. It is also caused by overgrazing, unorganized randomness, and human activities that pollute or reduce t he
quality of the soil and therefore, the impact on biological diversity. [33] pointed out that land degradation begins with a decrease in
the palatable pastoral species completely removed from the vegetation cover, and with the continuous loss of species from the plant
populations in these lands their productivity also decreases due to the imbalance which in turn the leading cause of a decrease in
capacity.
Linum decumbens (Linaceae) Erodium crassifolium (Geraniaceae)
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Page214
Scorzonera undulata (Asteraceae) Trifolium tomentosum (Fabaceae)
Chamomilla aurea (Asteraceae) Volutaria tubuliflora (Asteraceae)
Allium nigrum (Alliaceae) Geranium molle (Geraniaceae)
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Page215
Biscutella didyma (Brassicaceae) Arum cyrenaicum (Araceae)
Roemeria hybrida (Papaveraceae) Glaucium flavum (Papaveraceae)
Convolvulus althaeoides (Convolvulaceae) Convolvulus arvensis (Convolvulaceae)
SPECIES l RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Page216
Anchusa aegyptiaca (Boraginaceae) Moraea sisyrinchium (Iridaceae)
4. CONCLUSION
The present study reported 207 species in this region which can be considered to be one of the relatively high diverse areas of Libya.
This may be due to that the region is considered an ecotone between two plant communities, which are AlJabal Al-Akhdar and the
Sahara. Further ecological studies should be carried out in the future to better understand the ecological interaction betwee n plant
species and environmental conditions variables in the Wadi. Moreover, conservation programs should be designed and
implemented to protect the natural biodiversity of this region.
Data and materials availability
All data associated with this study are present in the paper.
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ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.
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Malva parviflora (little mallow) is a wild herb with agricultural importance in Egypt, where it is cultivated as a food crop. The main objective of the present work was to study the distribution and common associated species of the arable weed, M. parviflora, in the Nile Delta, Egypt. In addition, the diversity and behavior of the common species along the prevailing environmental conditions were assessed. Fifty stands, representing five common habitats (crop fields, orchards, canals, drains and roadsides), were selected. Eighty-five species and one variety (50 annuals and 36 perennials) were recorded. Therophytes dominated the other life forms and biregional taxa contributed the highest chorological elements. Malva parviflora is a therophytic plant that has a Mediterranean distribution intermingled with Irano-Turanian elements. Moreover, the highest coverage percentage of M. parviflora was recorded in the canal banks. Four vegetation groups that represented the distinct habitats were produced by the application of a two-way indicator species analysis and a detrended correspondence analysis as a classification and ordination technique, respectively. Vegetation group C, which inhabited the crop fields, was the most diverse. A canonical correspondence analysis indicated that calcium carbonate, organic carbon, carbonate, potassium and the potassium adsorption ratio and electrical conductivity are the most effective soil variables on the distribution of M. parviflora and its associated species in the different habitats. It was found that M. parviflora was affected greatly by calcium carbonate, sand and magnesium. In addition, it was significantly associated with soil bicarbonate. Such a study could help in managing this important agricultural weed.
Les antiquites de la cyrenaiqne ouil est aussi question du "seltion" que M. Bonnet areconnu etra le Phlomis floccosa
  • Lemaire
Lemaire, (1703) Les antiquites de la cyrenaiqne ouil est aussi question du "seltion" que M. Bonnet areconnu etra le Phlomis floccosa. France.
Viaggio da Tripoli di Barberia alle frontier occidental del. 1,Egitto. 222 P., 2plates and 1map Geneva
  • P Della-Cella
Della-Cella, P.(1819). Viaggio da Tripoli di Barberia alle frontier occidental del. 1,Egitto. 222 P., 2plates and 1map Geneva.
Flora Libyacae Specimen Sive Plantarum Eneumaratio. Gnuae. I-XII. 1-68
  • D Viviani
Viviani, D.(1824). Flora Libyacae Specimen Sive Plantarum Eneumaratio. Gnuae. I-XII. 1-68.27 tables.