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Nitraria Retusa
''Nitraria retusa'', commonly known as Nitre bush, is a salt-tolerant and drought-resistant shrub in the family Nitrariaceae. It can grow to heights of , although it seldom exceeds more than 1 m in height. It produces small white/green coloured flowers and small edible red fruit. The plant is native to desert areas of northern Africa, where it grows in primary succession on barren sand dunes, and in areas with high salinities such as salt marshes. Description ''Nitraria retusa'' is a bush growing to a maximum height of about . The twigs are furry when young, with the bluish-grey fleshy leaves being alternate, wedge or sickle-shaped, with entire margins and measuring by . The small, sweetly-scented, whitish or greenish flowers have short pedicels and parts in fives. The fruit is a triangular drupe, in diameter. Distribution and habitat This plant is native to North and East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East. It typically grows in salt marshes and semi-arid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vegetation Der Erde
Heinrich Gustav Adolf Engler (25 March 1844 – 10 October 1930) was a German botanist. He is notable for his work on plant taxonomy and phytogeography, such as ''Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien'' (''The Natural Plant Families''), edited with Karl A. E. von Prantl. Even now, his system of plant classification, the Engler system, is still used by many herbaria and is followed by writers of many manuals and floras. It is still the only system that treats all 'plants' (in the wider sense, algae to flowering plants) in such depth. Engler published a prodigious number of taxonomic works. He used various artists to illustrate his books, notably Joseph Pohl (1864–1939), an illustrator who had served an apprenticeship as a wood-engraver. Pohl's skill drew Engler's attention, starting a collaboration of some 40 years. Pohl produced more than 33 000 drawings in 6 000 plates for ''Die naturlichen Pflanzenfamilien''. He also illustrated ''Das Pflanzenreich'' (1900–1953), ''Die Pflan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nabkha
A nabkha, nebkha or nebka is a type of sand dune. Other terms used include coppice dune and dune hummock or hummocky dune, but these more accurately refer to similar, but different, sand dune types.Langford, R. P. (2000)Nabkha (coppice dune) fields of south-central New Mexico, USA. ''Journal of Arid Environments'' 46(1) 25-41. Authors have also used the terms phytogenic hillock,El-Sheikh, M. A., et al. (2010)Vegetation ecology of phytogenic hillocks (nabkhas) in coastal habitats of Jal Az-Zor National Park, Kuwait: Role of patches and edaphic factors.''Flora'' 205(12) 832-40. bush-mound, shrub-coppice dune, knob dune, dune tumulus, rebdou, nebbe, and takouit.Khalaf, F. I., et al. (1995)Sedimentological and morphological characteristics of some nabkha deposits in the northern coastal plain of Kuwait, Arabia. ''Journal of Arid Environments'' 29(3) 267-92. In simplest terms, a nabkha is a sand dune that forms around vegetation. It is an aeolian landform, a structure built and shape ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taxa Named By Paul Friedrich August Ascherson
In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular name and given a particular ranking, especially if and when it is accepted or becomes established. It is very common, however, for taxonomists to remain at odds over what belongs to a taxon and the criteria used for inclusion. If a taxon is given a formal scientific name, its use is then governed by one of the nomenclature codes specifying which scientific name is correct for a particular grouping. Initial attempts at classifying and ordering organisms (plants and animals) were set forth in Carl Linnaeus's system in '' Systema Naturae'', 10th edition (1758), as well as an unpublished work by Bernard and Antoine Laurent de Jussieu. The idea of a unit-based system of biological classification was first made widely available in 1805 in the i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Flora Of North Africa
Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. Etymology The word "flora" comes from the Latin name of Flora, the goddess of plants, flowers, and fertility in Roman mythology. The technical term "flora" is then derived from a metonymy of this goddess at the end of the sixteenth century. It was first used in poetry to denote the natural vegetation of an area, but soon also assumed the meaning of a work cataloguing such vegetation. Moreover, "Flora" was used to refer to the flowers of an artificial garden in the seventeenth century. The distinction between vegetation (the general appearance of a community) and flora (the taxonomic composition of a community) was first made by Jules Thurmann (1849). Prior to this, the two terms were used indiscriminately.Thurmann, J. (1849). ''Essai de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Desert Flora
A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the land surface of the Earth is arid or semi-arid. This includes much of the polar regions, where little precipitation occurs, and which are sometimes called polar deserts or "cold deserts". Deserts can be classified by the amount of precipitation that falls, by the temperature that prevails, by the causes of desertification or by their geographical location. Deserts are formed by weathering processes as large variations in temperature between day and night put strains on the rocks, which consequently break in pieces. Although rain seldom occurs in deserts, there are occasional downpours that can result in flash floods. Rain falling on hot rocks can cause them to shatter, and the resulting fragments and rubble strewn over the de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tamarix Nilotica
''Tamarix nilotica'', the Nile tamarisk is a species of shrub or small tree in the tamarisk family. It is found in arid parts of North Africa and the Middle East, particularly areas with high salinity. It forms part of the dune stabilisation process. Description ''Tamarix nilotica'' is a much-branched shrub or small tree up to high. The twigs are slender and are half-clasped by the tiny, narrow, lanceolate leaves, up to long. The inflorescence is a raceme long, with many small white or pink flowers, each with a short pedicel, five sepals, five petals and five stamens. Distribution and habitat ''Tamarix nilotica'' is found in Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. In the Nile Valley in Egypt, this tree grows beside the river and the irrigation channels. It can form dense thickets in suitable locations. It is also found as part of a salt-tolerant community in saline depressions in the Western Desert, and on coastal dunes where its deep roots are able to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zygophyllum Album
''Tetraena alba'' (synonym ''Zygophyllum album'') is a species of plant in the family Zygophyllaceae which is found in arid regions of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It is a salt tolerant plant and dominates many of the plant communities in which it grows. Description ''Tetraena alba'' is a low, much-branched shrub. The leaves have paired obovoid, fleshy leaflets which are whitish with mealy pubescence. The small flowers are solitary and grow in the axils of the leaves; they have white, clawed petals. The fruit is a five-lobed, pear-shaped capsule containing elliptical seeds with wart-like projections. Distribution This species is found in Spain, Crete, Northern and Northeast Africa, Mauritania, Western Asia (including southern Cyprus, the Eastern Aegean Islands and the Sinai Peninsula) and the Arabian Peninsula. Ecology ''Tetraena alba'' is a salt-tolerant plant; it does not have glands to secrete the excess salt it takes up, instead it concentrates the salt in its leaves ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sporobolus Spicatus
''Sporobolus spicatus'', also known as salt grass, is a halophyte. Distribution This bunchgrass is distributed: *in dryer parts of Africa such as Namibia, as a well known common plant in the western desert of Egypt *from the Mediterranean coast to South Africa *from the Middle East southwest to Pakistan and India. Description ''Sporobolus spicatus'' is a perennial bunchgrass Tussock grasses or bunch grasses are a group of grass species in the family Poaceae. They usually grow as singular plants in clumps, tufts, hummocks, or bunches, rather than forming a sod or lawn, in meadows, grasslands, and prairies. As perennial ... forming turfs near water and which has short, pointed flat blade leaves. It grows up to a maximum height of 40 cm and is distinguishable by a dark green colour. References spicatus Halophytes Bunchgrasses of Africa Bunchgrasses of Asia Flora of South Africa Flora of North Africa Flora of Western Asia Grasses of India Grasses of Pakista ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phragmites
''Phragmites'' () is a genus of four species of large perennial reed grasses found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Taxonomy The World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, maintained by Kew Garden in London, accepts the following four species: * ''Phragmites australis'' ( Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. – cosmopolitan * ''Phragmites japonicus'' Steud. – Japan, Korea, Ryukyu Islands, Russian Far East * ''Phragmites karka'' ( Retz.) Trin. ex Steud. – tropical Africa, southern Asia, Australia, some Pacific Islands, invasive in New Zealand * ''Phragmites mauritianus'' Kunth – central + southern Africa, Madagascar, Mauritius The cosmopolitan common reed has the generally accepted botanical name ''Phragmites australis''. (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. About 130 other synonyms have been proposed. Examples include ''Phragmites communis'' Trin., ''Arundo phragmites'' L., and ''Phragmites vulgaris'' (Lam.) Crép. (illegitimate name). Wildlife in reed beds ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Juncus Rigidus
''Juncus rigidus'' is a species of rush known by the common name sea rush. It is native to much of Africa and parts of western Asia. It is found inland and by the sea in sandy saline habitats. Distribution and habitat ''Juncus rigidus'' is native to much of Africa, Mediterranean Europe, the Arabian Peninsula and western Asia, as far east as Pakistan. It grows in sandy, saline areas on the coast and inland, in deserts and in steppes. Its typical habitat is on the fringes of salt marshes, around pools, in seasonally wet depressions and near wells. Ecology In Egypt, ''Juncus rigidus'' grows in association with other salt-tolerant plants such as ''Halocnemum strobilaceum'', golden samphire (''Limbarda crithmoides''), ''Arthrocnemum macrostachyum'', shrubby seablight (''Suaeda vera'') and sea purslane (''Halimione portulacoides''). Uses In Ancient Egypt, ''Juncus rigidus'' was used to make pens for writing on papyrus Papyrus ( ) is a material similar to thick paper that was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soil Salinity
Soil salinity is the salt content in the soil; the process of increasing the salt content is known as salinization. Salts occur naturally within soils and water. Salination can be caused by natural processes such as mineral weathering or by the gradual withdrawal of an ocean. It can also come about through artificial processes such as irrigation and road salt. Natural occurrence Salts are a natural component in soils and water. The ions responsible for salination are: Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Cl−. Over long periods of time, as soil minerals weather and release salts, these salts are flushed or leached out of the soil by drainage water in areas with sufficient precipitation. In addition to mineral weathering, salts are also deposited via dust and precipitation. Salts may accumulate in dry regions, leading to naturally saline soils. This is the case, for example, in large parts of Australia. Human practices can increase the salinity of soils by the addition of salts in i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Moghra Oasis
The Moghra Oasis is an uninhabited oasis in the northeastern part of the Qattara Depression in the Western Desert (Egypt), Western Desert of Egypt. It has a lake containing brackish water, salt marshes and a swamp with Phragmites, reeds. Geography The Qattara Depression is about below sea level and is shaped like a teardrop, with Moghra Oasis in its northeastern corner. The floor of the Depression consists of salt marshes and dry lake beds that flood occasionally and there are also large areas of windblown sand. Moghra Oasis consists of a lake containing brackish water some below sea level. Adjoining it are salt marshes and some ''Phragmites'' swamps. To the south and west there are sand dunes near the lake and extensive sheets of sand beyond. Geology The water rises to the surface from an aquifer in the Nubian Sandstone, Nubian sandstone, but its precise source is unclear as the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System is at great depths in this area. Just to the north of the oasis is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
