| Plantago afra L., it is an annual herb, 11-30 cm tall, stems erect, simple or thyrsoid-branchcd with a mixture of rigid hairs and minute glandular hairs. Leaves opposite, linear-lanceolate, 1.8-4 cm x 2-3 mm, entire or with a few teeth, narrowed at both ends, glabrescent or with short or long hairs mixed, sometimes villous near the base. Inflorescence arises from upper axils, scapes 1-5 cm long; spikes ovate-spherical (0.5-)-0.7-1.5 cm long, glandular hairy. Bracts ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate 3.5-5-(8) mm long, all similar, acute or acuminate with wide scarious margin below, without lateral veins. Sepals 3-4 mm long, hairy and glandular, equal, oblanceolate. Corolla cream to yellow, ± 4 mm long, lobes narrow ovate, acute, 2 mm long. Seeds 2. 2-3 mm long, narrow-elliptic, reddish-brown, shining. Life Form: Th, Flowering in: Mar-May, Vern: Bizr Qotoona, Phytochoria: MED+SA+SZ+IT, The native range of this species is Macaronesia, Medit. to Pakistan and Arabian Peninsula Sahara to Tanzania. Notes: Wild in Libya.
For more information: https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:684830-1, https://www.ipni.org/n/684830-1, https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000478117, https://www.gbif.org/species/7303104, https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/150750/plantago-afra-l, https://www.atlasdesemillasdecanarias.org/atlas/ficha.php?ID=268 , https://www.maltawildplants.com/PLNT/Plantago_afra.php, https://www.preservons-la-nature.fr/flore/taxon/3229.html, https://www.florealpes.com/fiche_plantagoafra.php, https://botany.cz/en/plantago-afra/, https://hoseito.com/producto/plantago-afra-l/ |
| Distribution in Libya | |
| Al-Jafarah Plain | Jabal Nafusa |
| Wadi (Elmaiet) El-Hai Project 1974 (15 km) from Bengashir 1976 | Tagma, (6 km) from Yefren to Gharian 1974 Msallata (Shaafeen) 2008 Msallata National Park (Shaafeen) 2013 Msallata-Garaboulli Province 2020 |
| Bibliographic references: | |
| First: Encyclopedia Flora of Libyan: | |
| Jafri, S.M.H. & El-Gadi, A. (1979) Flora of Libya, Plantaginaceae Vol. (67) Department of Botany, Al-Faateh Univ., Tripoli, Libya. | |
| Second: Researches and PhD theses, master theses, Sorted by Newest: | pdf files |
| 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. Journal homepage: http://scienceq.org/Journals/JABZ.php, https://bit.ly/3LgL0KQ, https://scienceq.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/JABZV7I304.pdf | Msallata-Garaboulli Province in Libya 2020 |
| 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) |
