Handbook of the most palatable wild species for camel browsing in the Western Mediterranean coast of Egypt. By Mahmoud E. Ali Ecology and range management dep., Desert Research Center, Egypt. Mdsw78@hotmail.com Family: Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) Most Apiaceae are annual, biennial or perennial herbs, though a minority are shrubs or trees. Their leaves are of variable size and alternately arranged, or alternate with the upper leaves becoming nearly opposite. In some taxa, the texture is leathery, fleshy, or even rigid, but always with stomata. They are petiolate or perfoliate and more or less sheathing, the blade usually dissected and pinnatifid, but entire in some genera. Most commonly, crushing their leaves emits a marked smell, aromatic to foetid, but absent in some members. The flowers are nearly always aggregated in terminal umbels, simple or compound, often umbelliform cymes, rarely in heads. Name: Deverra tortuosa (Desf.) DC. English name: Desert dill. Arabic name: Qazzaah ( ‫)ق ا‬. Part used: all plant. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: plateau, desert wadis , sandy and stony plains. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast, Oases and Eastern desert) Global: North Africa, Middle East, and Mediterranean basin. Notes: Glabrous desert shrub of leafless appearance. Densely branched of bushy appearance with numerous blue- green slender tortuose branches. Family Apocynaceae Sub family: Asclepidoideae Asclepiadaceae are mostly herbs and shrubs with white sap comprising about 250 genera and 2,000 species, many of which are lianous and some of which are cactus-like succulents with reduced leaves. The leaves are simple and nearly always opposite or whorled; minute stipules are present. The flowers are bisexual, nearly always actinomorphic, and usually include an elaborate crown or corona of nectariferous appendages between the corolla and sexual parts. Name: Periploca angustifolia Labill English name: wolfbane Arabic name: Halaab ( ‫)حا‬. Part used: Leaves. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: plateau and rocky ridges. Ecology: Local (Mediterranean Coast and desert) Global: canary Islands and Mediterranean basin. Notes: Small shrub with short, stiff branches rarely upper ones slightly scandent. Leaves hardly petioled, linear, acute or obtuse. Flowers few together, corolla lobes narrow, glabrous. Family Asteraceae (Compositae) The Asteraceae or Compositae are an exceedingly large and widespread family of flowering plants (Angiospermae). The family has more than 23,600 currently accepted species, spread across 1,620 genera and 13 subfamilies. It is the biggest family in the Egyptian flora. It contains 228 species distributed in all Egyptian desert areas. Most of species are thistles with spiny leave ends. Many are herbaceous and under shrubs rarely shrub or tree. This family has many economic potentialities as: medicinal and fodders. Name: Atractylis cancellata L. English name: Arabic name: Kharshoof (‫)خ شوف‬. Part used: all parts Palatability: High Other uses: Medicinal plant. Habitat: Water runnels. Ecology: Local (Mediterranean and Sinai) Global (Mediterranean and Middle East) Notes: Very small plant with purple tubular flowers. Name: Carduus getulus Pomel. English name: Rocky doke Arabic name: Khirsheif (‫)خ شوف‬. Part used: all parts Palatability: High Other uses: Medicinal plant. Habitat: waste ground Ecology: Local (Mediterranean and Sinai) Global (Africa, Asia and Europe) Notes: Green, densely spiny-winged up to the heads. Leaves slightly cleft glabrous or mostly somewhat cobwebby along the nerves. Centaurea glomerata Vahl. Arabic name: Sorret en-na,ga. English name: Rocky doke Part used: all plant. Palability: high. Other uses: Unkwon. Habitat:wadi bed, and road sides Ecology: Local : Mediteranean, Sinai Global: Mediteranean besin. Notes: Heads small, yellow flowered in a dense sessile cluster, subtended by rosette leaves. Name: Filago desertorum Pomel . English name: Purslane Arabic name: Quteyna ( ‫)قطي‬. Part used: all parts. Palatability: High. Other uses: Unkwon Habitat: Desert wadis and plains Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast, and Red Sea) Global: North Africa, Middle East, India, and Australia. Notes:Woolly dwarf annual with minute heads in spikes or clusters. Leaves entire. Yellow – flowered head . Name: Gymnarrhena micrantha Desf. English name: Octopus plant Arabic name: Octopus plant (‫ااخط وط‬ ). Part used: Leaves. Palatability: High. Other uses: Eaten, and Medicinal. Habitat: Pelateau. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast, and desert) Global: North Africa and Middle East. Notes: Stemless, glabrous annual with crowded, sessile heads in the center of a leave- rosette. Name: Ifloga spicata (Forssk.)Sch. Bip. English name: Arabic name: Khershat El- Gadi. Part used: all parts. Palatability: High. Other uses: Eaten, and Medicinal. Habitat: Sandy desert and wadis. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast, and Desert) Global: North Africa, Middle East, India, and Australia. Notes: Dwarf herb often beset from base to summit with clusters of very small heads. Name: Onopordum alexandrinum Boiss. English name: cotton thistle Arabic name: Shoak el-gamal. Part used: all above ground parts. Palatability: High. Other uses: Eaten, and Medicinal. Habitat: Waste lands, and roadsides. Ecology: Local (Mediterranean Coast, and Sinai) Global: Mediterranean basin, Canary Islands and Central Asia. Notes: biennial or short lived perennial thistle with the stem spiny-winged by decurrent leaves. Name: Scorzonera undulata Vahl. English name: Black salsify Arabic name: Dabbaah ( ) Part used: all parts. Palatability: High. Other uses: Eaten, and Medicinal. Habitat: plateau. Ecology: Local (Mediterranean Coast, Eastern desert) Global: Europe, Asia and Africa. Notes: Tuber small, globose. Leaves narrowly liner, often crispmargined, base sheating. Flower pale mauve, at the Centeral deep purple. Name: Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. English name: Purslane Arabic name: Shoak el-gamal (‫)شوك ال ل‬. Part used: all above ground parts. Palatability: High. Other uses: Eaten, and Medicinal. Habitat: Waste lands. Ecology: Local (Nile region, Mediterranean Coast, and Oases) Global: North Africa, Middle East, India, and Australia. Notes: Thistle with broad white mottled leaves not decurrent on the stem. Head large with purple flowers. Family : Boraginaceae Boraginaceae is a family of 2300 species with a cosmopolitan distribution. Species of boraginaceae are distributed in all Egyptian ecoregion. This family contains approximately 70 species and 7 subspecies. Most of species are hispid with fine hairs. Name: Echiochilon fruticosum Desf. English name: Purslane Arabic name: Kahla ( ‫)كح ه‬. Part used: all above ground parts. Palatability: High. Other uses: Unkwon. Habitat: sandy and stony desert wadis and plains. Ecology: Local (Nile region, Mediterranean Coast, Sinai and Eastern desert) Global: North Africa, Middle East, India, and Australia. Notes: Small hispid shrublet. Flower 2-lipped, blue, very small. Name: Lappula spinocarpos (Forssk.) Asch. Ex Kuntz. English name: Purslane Arabic name: Silees (‫)س يس‬. Part used: all parts. Palatability: High. Other uses: Unkown. Habitat: sandy and stony desert wadis and plains. Ecology: Local (Nile region, Mediterranean Coast, and Sinai) Global: North Africa, Middle East, India, and Australia. Notes: A richly branched stiff annual with narrow, convolute leaves. Fruits glossy and spiny. Family : Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) The family consists mostly of herbaceous plants with annual, biennial or perennial lifespans. The leaves are alternate (rarely opposite), sometimes organized in basal rosettes. It is a cosmopolitan family, most diverse in the Mediterranean region, southwest Asia and western North America. This family comprises about 365 genera and 3200 species all over the world. Name: Carrichtera annua (L.)DC. English name: Cress rocket. Arabic name: Garba ( ‫)ج‬. Part used: all plant. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: plateau, desert wadis and plains. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast, Oases and Eastern desert) Global: North Africa, Middle East, India, and Australia. Notes: Small hispid herb with finely dissected leaves. Flower minute, cream coloured, dark – veined, later turning violet. Name: Farsetia aegyptia Turra English name: Arabic name: Garba ( ‫)ج‬. Part used: Leaves. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: plateau, desert wadis and plains. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast, Oases and Eastern desert) Global: North Africa, Middle East, India, and Australia. Notes: Woody gray subshrub covered with fine smooth fine hairs. Flower pink to almost grey or yellowish. Name: Lepidium draba L. English name: Arabic name: Lislis (‫)لس س‬. Part used: all above ground parts. Palatability: High. Other uses: Eaten, and Medicinal. Habitat: plateau, waste ground and roadsides Ecology: Local (Sinai and Mediterranean Coast) Global: North Africa, Middle East, India, and Australia. Notes: Small plant with white flowers, small cordate pods in dense corymbose inflorescences. Name: Moricandia nitens (Viv.) Durand & Barratte. English name: Arabic name: Rhkham ( ‫(رخ‬. Part used: Leaves. Palatability: High. Other uses: Eaten, and Medicinal. Habitat: plateau, road sites and wadis. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast, Nile region and desert) Global: North Africa, Middle East, India, and Australia. Notes: Perennial plant with fleshy, glabrous, entire or few- toothed leaves. Flower pink or violet with acute anther and long pod. Family : Caryophyllaceae Caryophyllaceae, the pink, or carnation, family of flowering plants (order Caryophyllales), comprising some 86 genera and 2,200 species of herbaceous annuals and perennials, mainly of north temperate distribution. The members are diverse in appearance and habitat; most of them have swollen leaf and stem joints. They have five sepals and five petals. e ovules are borne in the centre of the ovary. Name: Gymnocarpos decandrus Forssk. English name: Garad. Arabic name: Gard ( ‫)ج‬. Part used: Leaves and flowering parts. Palatability: High. Other uses: Unkwon Habitat: stony wadis and slopes. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast and desert) Global: North Africa, Middle East, and Mediterranean basin. Notes: shrub with whitish- grey bark and spinescent twings. Leaves opposite, fleshy and terete. Family : Chenopodiaceae Herbs annual, subshrubs, or shrubs, rarely perennial herbs or small trees. Stems and branches sometimes jointed (articulate). Probably about 100 genera and 1400 species. Mainly in arid areas, deserts, and coastal and saline habitats of N and S Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. In Egypt there are about 81 species and subspecies. Name: Atriplex nummularia Lindl. English name: Blue green salt bush. Arabic name: Qataf (‫)قطف‬. Part used: leaves. Palatability: High. Other uses: Landscape. Habitat: margins of cultivation, sandy soils. Ecology: Local (Nile region, Mediterranean Coast, and Oases) Global: North Africa, Middle East, India, and Australia. Notes:Small shrub up to 2 m high, leaves large rounded. This species is introduced from Australia as a forage plant and becomes a naturalized plant. Name: Noaea mucronata (Forssk.) Asch. &Schweinf. English name: Thorny salt wort. Arabic name: Shoak el- Hanash (‫)شوك الح ش‬. Part used: all above ground parts. Palatability: High. Other uses: Eaten, and Medicinal. Habitat: plateau. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast, and Eastern desert) Global: North Africa, Middle East, India, and Australia. Notes: Glabrous leafy shrub with continuous stem and twings transformed into thorns. Name: Salsola tetrandra Forssk. English name: Salt worth. Arabic name: Damraan ( ‫ا‬ ). Part used: all above ground parts. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: Salt marshes, depression and stony desert. Ecology: Local ( Mediterranean Coast, Sinai and Oases) Global: North Africa, Mediterranean and Asia. Notes: Intricately branched shrublet with thick woody roots and stem. Sometimes imbricated with hairs. Family : Cistaceae Species of this family are usually shrubs or subshrubs, and some are annual or perennial herbs. The leaves are oppositely arranged, but some plants may have alternately arranged leaves along the upper stems. The flowers are solitary or borne in an array of inflorescence types, such as panicles, racemes, or head like clusters. The flower has three inner sepals and two smaller outer sepals. It has five petals usually in shades of yellow, orange, or pink. The style at the center is tipped with a large stigma. The fruit is a capsule containing many seeds. Name: Helianthemum lippii (L.) Dum. Cours. English name: rock rose. Arabic name: Qoseib ( ‫)ق ي‬. Part used: Leaves. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: plateau, desert wadis and plains. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast, Oases and Eastern desert) Global: North Africa, Middle East, and Mediterranean basin. Notes: Shrublet with slender intricate branches and small sessile yellow flowers. Family : Convolvulaceae Convolvulaceae can be recognized by their funnel-shaped, radially symmetrical corolla; the floral formula for the family has five sepals, five fused petals, five epipetalous stamens (stamens fused to the petals), and a two-part syncarpous and superior gynoecium. The stems of these plants are usually winding, hence their Latin name (from convolvere, "to wind"). The leaves are simple and alternate, without stipules. The fruit can be a capsule, berry, or nut, all containing only two seeds per one locule (one ovule/ovary). Name: Convolvulus lanatus Vahl. English name: Bindweed. Arabic name: Bayaad ( ‫) ي‬. Part used: Leaves. Palatability: High. Other uses: unkwon. Habitat: sand dunes and desert plains. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast, and desert) Global: North Africa, Middle East, and Mediterranean basin. Notes: Spiny shrub with woolly shoots. Leaves longer, upper one lanceolate. Corolla large pink or white. Family: Ephedraceae One of the smallest angiospermae families (Carpels not so infolded or united as to form an ovary round the ovules). It represent in Egypt with 5 species only. They mainly distributed in Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea. Most of species are woody climber, leafless or dioecious shrubs. Name: Ephedra aphylla Forssk. English name: Ephedra Arabic name: Algam ( ‫)ع‬ Part used: all a above ground parts Palatability: medium. Other uses: Medicinal plant. Habitat: Calcareous slopes and wadi bed Ecology: Regional (Mediterranean coast, Red Sea and Sinai) Global (Semiarid and arid areas in North America, Mexico, South America, Europe, Asia, and N and E Africa. Notes: Erect shrub up to 1.5m high. Stems usually rough. Leaves small (3mm long). Male cones in dense axillary clusters or on side branches. Female cones axillary or on side branches. Ripe cones fleshy and redcolored. Seeds 1 or 2 per fruit. Family: Fabaceae (Leguminosaea) The Fabaceae, Leguminosae or Papilionaceae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and economically important family of flowering plants. It includes trees, shrubs, and perennial or annual herbaceous plants, which are easily recognized by their fruit (legume) and their compound, stipulated leaves. The group is widely distributed and is the third-largest land plant family in terms of number of species, behind only the Orchidaceae and Asteraceae, with 630 genera and over 18,860 species. Legumes are a significant component of nearly all terrestrial biomes, on all continents (except Antarctica). Some are fresh-water aquatics, but there are no truly marine species. The species within the family range from dwarf herbs of arctic and alpine vegetation to massive trees of tropical forest. Name: Astragalus spinosus (Forssk.) Muschl. English name: milk vetch. Arabic name: Qataad ( ‫)ق ا‬. Part used: Leaves and flowering parts. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: plateau, desert wadis and plains. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast and desert) Global: North America, North Africa, Middle East, and Mediterranean basin. Notes: spiny subshrub, leaves paired two types long one forming long spines. Legume small included within the inflated calyx. Name: Ebenus armitagei Schweinf. &Taub. English name: Thorny salt wort. Arabic name: Part used: Leaves. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: stony coastal ground. Ecology: Local (Mediterranean Coast) Global: North Africa, Middle East, and Mediterranean basin. Notes: Small silky shrublet. Leaves 3- foliate, small short petioled. Flower rose- coloured in head like spike. Name: Hippocrepis cyclocarpa Murb. English name: Arabic name: Garba ( ‫)ج‬. Part used: Leaves. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: Sandy soil and edge of cultivated plots. Ecology: Local (Mediterranean Coast) Global: North Africa, Middle East, and Mediterranean basin. Notes: Annuals with imparipinnate many paired leaflets. Flower yellow. Legume ribbon-like, usually curved. Name: Medicago intertexta (L.) Mill. var. ciliaris (L.) Heyn. English name: Arabic name: Nafal (‫) فل‬. Part used: all plant. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: plateau, desert wadis and plains. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast, Oases and Nile) Global: North Africa, Middle East, Mediterranean basin Notes: Leaves 3- foliolate with dentate. Plant glabrous. Legume very large rounded ovoid. Name: Trigonella stellata Forssk. English name: Star fenugreek Arabic name: Shetn el- khaadem ( ‫)شط ال‬. Part used: all plant. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: plateau, desert wadis and sandy plains. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast, Nile and Eastern desert) Global: North Africa, Middle East. Notes: Annual herb. Leaves 3 –foliolate with dentate leaflets. Flower yellow. Legumes narrow linear. Family: Lamiaceae (Labiatae) The original family name is Labiatae, so given because the flowers typically have petals fused into an upper lip and a lower lip (labia in Latin). The flowers are bilaterally symmetrical with 5 united petals, 5 united sepals. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution. The enlarged Lamiaceae contains about 236 genera and more than 7000species. plants are frequently aromatic in all parts and include many widely used culinary herbs. Many members of the family are widely cultivated, owing not only to their aromatic qualities but also their ease of cultivation: these plants are among the easiest plants to propagate by stem cuttings Besides those grown for their edible leaves, some are grown for decorative foliage. Name: Salvia aegyptiaca L. English name: Egyptian sage. Arabic name: Zaeta (‫) يته‬. Part used: all plant. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: slopes, desert wadis and plains. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast, Red sea, gebel Elba and desert) Global: Cape Verde Islands, Canary Islands, NW and N. Africa, Sudan, Ethiopia, Arabian peninsula, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Notes: Green dwarf shrub with small pedicelled bluish flowers. Leaves lanceolate toothed. Name: Salvia lanigera Poir English name: wooly Arabian sage. Arabic name: Shagaret el- gamal (‫ال ل‬ ‫)ش‬. Part used: all plant. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: desert wadis and sandy plains. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast, and desert) Global: Middle East, and Mediterranean basin. Notes: small plant. Leaves deeply pinnatisect into 1-3mm. narrow lobes. Calyx white hispid. Corolla purple- blue. Family Plantaginaceae Plantaginaceae are a diverse, cosmopolitan family, occurring mostly in temperate zones. The group consists of herbs, shrubs and also a few aquatic plants with roots (such as the genus Callitriche). Being so diverse, the circumscription of this family is difficult to establish. The leaves are spiral to opposite and simple to compound. Unusual in Lamiales is the absence of vertical partitions in the heads of the glandular hairs. The structure and form of the flowers is variable. Name: Plantago albicans L. English name: Egyptian sage. Arabic name: Yanam ( ‫)ي‬. Part used: all plant. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: sandy fields, depression and plains. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast) Global: Cape Verde Islands, Canary Islands, NW and N. Africa, Sudan, Ethiopia, Arabian peninsula, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Notes: Densely villous small perennial herb. Petals are broad concave. Name: Plantago notata Lag. English name: Egyptian sage. Arabic name: Yanam ( ‫)ي‬. Part used: all plant. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: desert wadis and plains. Ecology: Local (Sinai and Mediterranean Coast) Global: North Africa, middle east and middle Asia Notes: Leaves pinnatifid with narrow acute lobes. Spike woolly of long crisped white hairs. Petals rounded with brown base. Family Poaceae (Gramineae) The Poaceae (also called Gramineae or true grasses) are a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants. With more than 10,000 domesticated and wild species, the Poaceae are the fifth-largest plant family, following the Asteraceae Orchidaceae, Fabaceae, and Rubiaceae. Whereas, it is the biggest family in the Egyptian flora with hollow stems called culms plugged 285 at species. intervals Poaceae by solid have leaf- bearing nodes. Grass leaves are nearly always alternate and distichous (in one plane), and have parallel veins. Each leaf is differentiated into a lower sheath hugging the stem and a blade with entire (i.e., smooth) margins. The leaf blades of many grasses are hardened with silica phytoliths, which discourage grazing animals; some, such as sword grass, are sharp enough to cut human skin. A membranous appendage or fringe of hairs called the ligule lies at the junction between sheath and blade, preventing water or insects from penetrating into the sheath. Name: Cynodon dactylon (L.)Pers English name: Bermuda grass. Arabic name: Nigeel (‫) يل‬. Part used: above ground parts. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal and lawn grass. Habitat: slopes, desert wadis and plains. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast, Red sea, gebel Elba, Oases and desert) Global: East and north Africa, North America. Notes: perennial herb with extensively creeping rhizomes or stolons producing rows of leafy culms. Name: Lolium perenne L. English name: ryegrass. Arabic name: Gazoon ( ‫)ج و‬. Part used: all plant. Palatability: High. Other uses: Unkwon Habitat: Cultivated ground. Ecology: Local (Mediterranean Coast, Oases and Nile region) Global: Notes: perennial herb, culms tufted, unbranched, smooth. Spikelets awnless. Name: Stipa lagascae Roem.& Schult. English name: Bunch grass. Arabic name: Gawther ( ‫)جوث‬. Part used: all plant. Palatability: High. Other uses: unkwon. Habitat: sandy soil. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean Coast, Nile region and desert) Global: Cape Verde Islands, Canary Islands, NW and N. Africa, Sudan, Ethiopia, Arabian peninsula, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Notes: small perennial grass. Spikelets few in a narrow contracted panicle. Family: Ranunculaceae Ranunculaceae or Buttercup family is comprised of around 60 genera around the world which contain over 2,000 species. It consists mainly of annual or perennial herbs, or, rarely, woody plants. The leaves are usually alternately arranged and palmately compound, and lack stipules. The flowers are usually bisexual, radially symmetric (actinomorphic), arranged in solitary fashion, or in racemes or cymes. A buttercup family is typically elongate. The perianth consists of separate sepals and petals that are often not differentiated from one another, and petals are often lacking. The androecium is typically of numerous stamens, spirally inserted on the receptacle. The gynoecium is typically apocarpous, composed of many spirally inserted carpels. The fruit is a follicle, achene, berry, or a capsule. Name: Adonis dentata Delile English name: Toothed pheasant's eye . Arabic name: Na, ab el-gamal (‫ال ل‬ ). Part used: all plant. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: plateau, desert wadis and plains. Ecology: Local (Sinai, Mediterranean and desert) Global: North Africa, Middle East, and Mediterranean basin. Notes: small plant, richly branched from the base. Flower small yellow or sometimes red. Family : Solanaceae This family ranges from annual and perennial herbs to vines, lianas, epiphytes, shrubs, and trees, and includes a number of important agricultural crops, medicinal plants, spices, weeds, and ornamentals. The Solanaceae consists of about 98 genera and some 2,700 species with a great diversity of habitats, morphology and ecology. Name: Lycium europaeum L. English name: box -thorn. Arabic name: Awseeg (‫)عوسج‬. Part used: Leaves. Palatability: High. Other uses: Medicinal. Habitat: sand dunes, desert wadis and plains. Ecology: Local (Sinai and Mediterranean Coast) Global: temperate and subtropical region. Notes: Thorny shrub with entire narrow spathulate leaves. Flowers short – peduncled, calyx minute, cup- shaped.