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Eragrostis Wolf is considered one of the largest genera of family Gramineae (Poaceae). It is a cosmopolitan genus and represented in Egypt by 14 taxa. The species limits are often overlapping due to the wide range in variation within this genus. So, it is difficult to establish specific boundaries and diagnostic characters. The main goal of this work is to establish the limits and the diagnostic characters in the Egyptian taxa, using cluster analysis and principal coordinates analysis based on morphological characters. Interactive keys have been designed as an aid for online identification and looking for diagnostic characters. The morphological characters of Inflorescence, spikelets, panicle, glumes, palea keels and caryopsis are very important and necessary in the identification of the studied species. The results of coordinate analysis as well as UPGMA dendogram revealed that Egyptian Eragrostis species can be divided into 3 groups: group (A) includes: E. minor and E. cilianensis; group (B) includes E. tef, E. tenuifolia, E. sarmentosa, E. barrelieri, E. aegyptiaca and E. pilosa while group (C) includes E. aspera, E. ciliaris, E. japonica, E. lepida, E. tenella, and E. tremula. More research is needed to confirm the occurrence of several taxa in Egypt, such as Eragrostis purpurascens and E. nitida, which have been reported in some publications but are uncertain.

Papilionoideae is the most species-rich subfamily of Fabaceae. Within Papilionoideae, the “core genistoids” comprise many genera of the tribes Podalyrieae, Thermopsideae, Euchresteae, Crotalarieae, Genisteae, and part of Sophoreae. Seed macro- and micro-morphological characters and seed storage proteins of 12 Egyptian species belonging to three tribes of the core genistoides (Sophoreae, Crotalarieae, and Genisteae) were examined using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. Seed shape, size, surface topography, hilum characteristics, epidermal cell patterns, periclinal cell walls, and anticlinal cell boundaries are described here. Seed protein profiles show variable banding patterns with molecular weights ranging from approximately 5 to 270 kDa. Multivariate analyses based on seed morphology and storage proteins elucidate the phenetic relationships among the investigated species at both the tribal and intrageneric levels. The taxonomic and phylogenetic implications of multivariate analyses are compared with previous and current systematic treatments of the genera within the three tribes. Our results confirm the high taxonomic importance of seed morphology in distinguishing among the investigated species. A key to the species using seed macro- and micro-morphological characters is presented.

A key for identifying 284 native and naturalized Egyptian grass species belonging to 103 genera in 22 tribes and 7 subfamilies is presented. The key is principally based on floral characters of the inflorescence and spikelet. A list and classification of all known species of Egyptian grasses is provided.

Jebel Marra, a volcanic complex in western Sudan, is an important site of early settled agriculture, with high plant diversity, supported by orographic rainfall. Vegetation types were examined in r...

Egeria densa Planch. is reported for the first time for the aquatic flora of Egypt. This species is a South American aquatic plant species considered highly invasive outside of its original range. In Egypt, the species may have been introduced as an aquarium plant and has long been wrongly identified as Elodea canadensis. However, it was collected from wild habitat at the northern lake of Egypt (Idku Lake). The article presents data on the comprehensive morphological and palynological features, distribution, ecological notes and conservation status in Egypt of the newly recorded taxon, as well as photographs of herbarium samples, were also provided. This species has not been reported yet in North Africa, except for Algeria. The new record of its presence in Egypt fills the gap in its general distribution in the warm temperate region of the world. Based on the present study Hydrocharitaceae in Egypt, are now represented by 7 genera viz. Halophila, Thalassia, Ottelia, Vallisneria, Elodea, Najas and Egeria. The present data indicate that there are insufficient collections of Egeria densa in Egypt considering that the aquatic flora of Egypt is poorly known.

The present study aims to update the list of the alien species in the Egyptian flora, which prepared from literature reviewing, field trips and herbaria consultation. The recent list includes 250 taxa (11.7% of the Egyptian flora); including 5 subspecies and two varieties; related to 161 genera and 41 families. Three states of alien species are recognized: causals (114 taxa), naturalized (129 taxa) and, invasive (7 taxa). The most represented life form is the therophytes. On the other hand, four geophytes-helophytes and three hydrophytes. Four major habitats supporting the distribution of these species: cultivated land, wetland, ruderal and natural habitats. The cultivated lands are the most represented. These alien taxa belong to 16 origins: 12 in the Old World (with 156 taxa) and four origin belong to New World (with 117 taxa), Pantropic (with four taxa) and palaeotropics (with 11 taxa). The same taxon may have more than origin. The most represented taxa were from South and Tropical America (58 taxa = 23.2 %), South Asia (51 taxa = 20.4 %) followed by Europe (38 = 15.2 %). The highest taxa were recorded in family Poaceae (74), Amaranthaceae s.l. (25), Fabaceae (23), Asteraceae (20), Solanaceae (16) followed Euphorbiaceae (10 taxa).

Rosa arabica is endemic to the high mountain area of the St. Catherine Protectorate, Southern Sinai, Egypt. It has been listed as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red Plant List. The present study aimed to provide detailed morphological and anatomical characters of the endemic Rosa arabica by using light and scanning electron microscopy in order to expand knowledge of its taxonomy. The present study revealed the presence of three types of trichomes: simple unicellular, glandular unicellular stalked and glandular multicellular multiseriate. Anomocytic stomata, occasionally hemiparacytic and actinocytic were observed mostly on abaxial surface. Epidermal cells were smooth, with dispersed wax granules and stomata slightly raised with outer stomatal rim. Druses were also reported in pith and cortex of stem and petiole. Achene micromorphology showed scalariform pattern with anastomosed raised anticlinal walls and depressed periclinal walls. These data are presented here for the first time and their taxonomic values are discussed.

Macro- and micro-morphological features of seeds and pollen grains of 12 endemic taxa belonging to seven families collected from Saint Catherine area, South Sinai, Egypt were examined by light microscope (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Macro- and micro-morphological characters, of seeds including shape, colour, size, brightness, seed surface, epidermal cell shape, anticlinal boundaries, and periclinal cell wall are presented. Pollen description includes shape, size, apertures and exine ornamentation. This study presents. Seeds of eight taxa and pollen of three taxa have been described for the first time in this study.

This study was designed to examine the subtle effects of habitat, aspect and altitude on plant diversity and the timing of phenological stages. In this increasingly arid region, within-species differences would cause more reproductive isolation of local populations, making species more vulnerable to regional extinction. Fifty-two sites in the Jebel Marra region of the Central Darfur state of Sudan were compared in terms of species diversity and local variation in the phenology of plant communities. Five habitat types were compared: sandy plains, clay plains, wadis, north-facing slopes and south-facing slopes. Sites were classified into five altitudinal zones ranging from 750 m to > 1,150 m above sea level, and the phenology of three categories of plant life form (phanerophytes, chamaephytes and therophytes) was tracked in terms of the duration of each phenophase (vegetative, reproductive and dormant). Overall, most plants were dormant from December to April. Peak vegetative growth was in July, coinciding with peak rainfall in all study sites in the region (July-August). This was followed by peak reproduction in October. Life form and habitat type significantly affected the length of all phenological phases; altitude significantly affected all stages except the duration of dormancy. Some of the interactions between these factors were also statistically significant, indicating subtle regulation of the duration of phenophases. The possible impacts of overgrazing and ongoing climate change are discussed, with the concern that initiation of vegetative growth in most habitats (except the clay plains) appears to be triggered by day length, ‘anticipating’ the beginning of the rainy season. Further climate change may uncouple this signal and the beginning of the rainy season, impacting plant survival.

Five Oxalis L. plants belonging to three different sections were collected and subjected to GC-MS analysis to evaluate and understand the relationship between them from the chemosystematic point of view. The GC-MS analysis revealed the identification and characterization of thirty seven compounds belonging to different non-polar chemical classes of which nine compounds (two aliphatic hydrocarbons, one diterpene, one fatty acid, four fatty acid esters and one fatty alcohol) were identified before from the genus while, the rest compounds were identified for the first time. The GC-MS results were chemosystematically significant among Oxalis species and were found to be a good parameter in finding a tangible demarcation between O. corniculata and O. corniculata var. repens, on the other hand it is difficult to differentiate between Oxalis sections by the obtained data.

THIS STUDY aimed to characterize the external morphology of achenes of the 74 taxa belonging to 51 genera and four subfamilies of Asteraceae from the Northwestern Mediterranean coast of Egypt. By using light microscopy, 26 quantitative and qualitative morphological characters were recorded. Among the studied taxa, achene symmetry, hairiness, surface topography, hilum position, presence or absence of pappus and pappus type were found significant diagnostic characters for delimiting the taxa. Two main groups were identified based on the presence or absence of hardened fruiting involucre. Four types and four subtypes were recognized: (1) Achene di- or trimorphic per capitulum, (2) Achene monomorphic and lacking pappus, (3) Achene monomorphic, with coroniform or auriculate pappus, (4) Achene monomorphic, with pappus. A description, photographs and identification keys were provided to assist in identification. Despite the taxonomic significance of achene exomorphology characters on the generic and specific level for the recognition of the different studied taxa of Asteraceae, no mutual link was shown between the taxonomic division of the family into subfamilies and tribes except for few cases.

Background: The lives of the “Fur”, indigenous people of Darfur, Sudan are intimately connected to local wild plants, but the traditional uses of these plants are, so far, poorly documented. Many species are indigenous to the region, but others are introduced, and have naturalized over millennia. Methods: For a month each summer from 2014-2016, using questionnaire interviews, direct observation of practices, and a literature review, 58 species were identified. An “importance value” for each was determined, based on the intensity and season(s) of use, in eight use categories. For each species, a “concordance ratio” characterized the degree of agreement between indigenous knowledge and our current “scientific understanding” of their value. Results: All species were multi-use; animal forage, “other functional uses”, traditional medicine, and construction predominated. Some species are declining due to overharvesting by the growing local population, exacerbated by conflict and refugee encampments. Most of the species are used in traditional medicines, but active ingredients have been scientifically confirmed for only half of them. Surprisingly, several species with known medicinal ingredients are not used locally. Conclusions: The “Fur” people have long combined agriculture with pastoralism and wildcrafting. For this to be sustainable, it is critical to understand cultural contexts and recognize multi-use species. This can help identify new medicines, and guide sustainable development of local resources, adapted to local conditions. Naturalized wild fruit trees may have evolved drought resistance in this increasingly dry savanna climate; such genes might usefully be incorporated in crop strains elsewhere as climate change proceeds. Key words: Ethnobotany, Multipurpose-Use Plants, Importance Value, Indigenous Knowledge Index, Scientific Knowledge Index, Concordance Value, Plant Diversity, Climate Change

THE CARYOPHYLLACEAE are one of the most represented families with endemic species in Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. rbcl-based DNA barcoding sequences for three species of Caryophyllaceae endemic to Sinai Peninsula (Bufonia multiceps, Silene leucophylla and S. oreosinaica) were developed for the first time. BLASTN for these sequences reflected 100% Caryophyllaceae hits for rbcl sequences. Phylogenetic tree constructed using the the newly developed and mined sequences showed an ambiguous classification at both generic and tribal levels. Results reflected that such species were introduced into Sinai Peninsula through two colonization events. The first introduced S. leucophylla while the second introduced a common ancestor for the remaining two species.

The present study aims to determine the alien and invasive species in the Egyptian flora, their origin and lags between the time of the first record and that of rapid growth. A list of alien species was prepared from literature, field trips and herbaria. The national distribution was gathered from the literature, while the global distribution was assessed according to the system of Good who divided the globe into six kingdoms, three subkingdoms and thirty nine floristic regions. The year of the first record was detected by searching in the references, and sometimes by checking herbarium sheets deposited in national herbaria. The final list included 136 species classified into three categories: 49 casuals, 81 naturalized and 6 invasive species. Most of these species occur in the Nile region (108 species = 79%) mainly due to the increasing human activities. Four natural and eight anthropogenic habitats were supporting the distribution of these species. Many of these species belong to the Boreal and Palaeotropical Kingdoms. Forty nine species matched with each of the periods of 1850–1900 and 1950–2000. Time lags of the invasive species ranged between 15 ( Azolla filiculoides ) and 181 years ( Dalbergia sissoo ). The dynamic patterns of alien species over a long period (≥ 500 years) as well as the role of hybridization in their spreading will be assessed in a future study.

The present study aims to assess the relation between the floristic composition and the different habitats charcterizing the western Mediterranean region of Egypt, determine the community types that dominate the study area; and evaluating the rarity of the recorded species. Nine hundred and sixty eight species (belonged to 429 genera and 97 family) were recorded; 363 species were restricted to one habitat, while only one species occured in all the 13 habitats. Asteraceae had the highest contribution, followed by Fabaceae, Poaceae and Brassicaceae. The most represented life form was therophytes, while parasites were the least. Six habitat groups were resulted after the application of 1WINSPAN and DCA. Mediterranean elements were the most represented, followed by Irano-Turanian, but Sudano­ Zambezian elements were the least. Twenty endemics and 21 near endemic species were recorded. Species which had small geographical distribution, narrow habitat specificity and were non-abundant (SNN) were the most represented, while species had large geographical distribution, wide habitat specificity and non-abundant (LWN) were the least. Forty one species were recorded as introduced species in the study area. Therecent land use led to the emergence of new invasive species, which may severely affect the plant diversity and community structure of the study area.

A vegetative key, descriptions, and illustrations for the identification of 199 native and naturalized grasses that occur in Mali are presented. In addition, we provide a modern classification, glossary of terms, and indexes to scientific and common names. The key is based on vegetative characters to allow identification of specimens that do not have flowering structures (inflorescences and spikelets). Two new combinations are made, Urochloa orthostachys and Urochloa stigmatisata , and we lectotypify Panicum orthostachys . Smithsonian Contributions to Botany , Number 108 , x + 146 pages, 208 figures, 2018.

A taxonomic revision of the family Tamaricaceae in Egypt is presented. Twelve species belonging to two generaare reported among which Tamarix chinensis Lour. is a cultivated species.Key to the genera, sections and species based on macroscopical and microscopical characters isgiven. Representative specimens as well as geographical distribution and habitat for each species are alsoprovided. Tamarix nilotica var. arabica (Bunge) H. Hosni is a new combination while Tamarix arborea (Sieb.ex Ehrenb.) Bunge and T. mannifera (Ehrenb.) Bunge are treated as distinct species.

The pollen grains of 22 species bolonging to 10 genera of Malvaceae which are represented in the flora of Egyptwere studied using light microscope (LM). The pollen grains are spheroidal, relatively large with numerouspores scattered irregularly all over the grain, sculpturing is echinate. Pollen morphological differences werefound useful when combined with other gross morphological characters to distinguish between certain taxa.

Ibrahim, Kamal M., Hasnaa A. Hosni, and Paul M. Peterson. Grasses of Egypt. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, number 103, x + 201 pages, 292 figures, 1 table, 2016.—A vegetative key, descriptions, and illustrations for the identification of 284 native and naturalized grasses that occur in Egypt are presented. In addition, we provide a modern classification, glossary of terms, and indexes to scientific and common names. The key is based on vegetative characters to allow identification of specimens that do not have flowering structures (inflorescences and spikelets).

Thirty-six species belonging to 27 genera of the sub-family Apioideae, family Umbelliferae, were investigated for their leaf and stem flavonoids. Fourteen flavonoid glycosides of the aglycones kaempferol, quercetin, isorhamnetin, apigenin and luteolin were identified. Chemosystematic relationships are discussed.