| Calicotome spinosa (L.) Link / Syn. Calicotome spinosa ssp. spinosa, it is a very spiny, densely branched shrub which can reach up to 3 metres in height. The stems are much-branched from the base of the plant and greenish in colour. They are finely ridged lengthwise (i.e. striate) and are armed with many, sharp, rigid spines (up to 75 mm long). These spines may occasionally be branched. The compound (i.e. trifoliate) leaves each have three small leaflets (mostly 5-10 mm long and 2-5 mm wide) that are dark green or greyish-green in colour. These leaflets are either oval (i.e. elliptic) or oblong in shape and the middle leaflet of each leaf is slightly larger than the others (i.e. about 6-12 mm long). The leaves are alternately arranged along the stems or clustered together on small side branches (or occasionally even found on the spines). They are borne on short stalks (i.e. petioles) and are sparsely hairy to moderately hairy (particularly on their undersides). The numerous flowers are bright yellow and pea-shaped (12-25 mm long). They are borne singly or in small clusters on short stalks (i.e. pedicels) in the leaf forks (i.e. axils) near the ends of the branches. Flowering occurs mostly during late spring and early summer. The fruit is a smooth, flattened pod (25-40 mm long) that ends in a short spine and has two distinctive ridges along one edge. These pods are either grey, black, or dark reddish-brown in colour and are hairless (i.e. glabrous). They are oblong to elongated (i.e. linear) in shape and contain 3-15 seeds. The smooth, rounded, seeds are brown or reddish-brown in colour (about 3 mm across) and have a shiny appearance. Life Form: N.Ph, Flowering in: Mar-May, Vern: Gandel, Phytochoria: MED, The native range of this species is E. Spain, Baleares, Corse, Sardegna, SE. France, NW. Italy, N. Algeria, SW. Albania. Notes: Wild in Libya, medicinal plant.
For more information: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:127578-3, https://www.ipni.org/n/127578-3, https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000213263, https://www.gbif.org/species/2956359, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/146081/calicotome-spinosa-l-link, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calicotome_spinosa, https://hoseito.com/producto/calicotome-spinosa-l-link/, https://www.preservons-la-nature.fr/flore/taxon/2177.html |
| Distribution in Libya |
| Al-Jabal Al-Akhder |
| Between Tocra and Tolmeta 1933 Baida, El-Hania e Messaa 1934 Wadi Al-Agar 1999 Al-Dercya, Wadi El-Akar, Shahat, El Fadil Abou Omar, Wadi Algharega, Qandulah, Al-Marj-Al-Baida motorway, Wadi El-Kouf 2011 Wadi El-Kouf 2014 Wadi El-Ager 2016 Wadi Om-El-Amaym 2019 Wadi Al-Kouf 2021 |
| Bibliographic references: | |
| First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan: | |
| Jafri, S.M.H. & El-Gadi, A. (1980) Flora of Libya, Fabaceae Vol. (86) Department of Botany, Al-Faateh Univ., Tripoli, Libya. | |
| Second: Researches and PhD theses, master theses, Sorted by Newest: | pdf files |
| Al-Traboulsi, M. & Alaib, M.A. (2021) A Survey of medicinal plants of Wadi Al-Kouf in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, Libya. NAT. CROAT, VOL. 30. No 2. (389-404), ZAGREB. December 31, 2021. https://hrcak.srce.hr/269442 /, https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/390805 | Medicinal plants of Wadi Al-Kouf 2021 |
| 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) | |
| Hegazy, A.; Kabiel, H.; AlRowaily, S.; Lovett-Doust,L. and AlBorki, A. (2016) Plant communities and reproductive phenology in mountainous regions of northern Libya. Journal of Forestry Research. July 2017, Volume 28, Issue 4, pp 741–761. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11676-016-0345-8, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ahmad-Hegazy-2 | |
| 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,2014 DOI:10.5829/idosi.aejaes.2014.14.08.12375. https://bit.ly/3VtCvAA, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/441b/23b83960f007044aca94e26f5c6b170fe102.pdf | Plant Species at Wadi Al-kuf 2014 |
| Hegazyi, A.K., Boulos, L., Kabiel, H.F. and Sharashy, O.S. (2011) Vegetaion and species altitudinal distribution in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar landscape, Libya. Pak. J. Bot., 43(4): 1885-1898, 2011. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ahmad-Hegazy-2 | Vegetaion in Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar landscape 2011 |
| 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) |
