Taverniera aegyptiaca
| Taverniera aegyptiaca | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Taverniera |
| Species: | T. aegyptiaca
|
| Binomial name | |
| Taverniera aegyptiaca | |
Taverniera aegyptiaca is a subshrub or shrub in the legume family, native to arid regions from Egypt and Eritrea through the Arabian Peninsula to Sudan and South Sudan.[1]
Description
Taverniera aegyptiaca is a small, well-branched shrub ranging from 30 to 75 cm tall, with a generally green appearance. It commonly flowers between March and April.[2] The plant is characterized by its small, deciduous leaves, and its dark purple flowers, which become paper-like in texture and enclose the segmented fruit. The fruit is a small, tuberculous pod that is segmented.[3]
Distribution and habitat
Taverniera aegyptiaca occurs naturally in Egypt, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and across the Arabian Peninsula, thriving in desert and dry shrubland biomes.[1] In Qatar, it is locally frequent in the northeast in sandy and compact soils, typically near the coast.[2] It is adapted to sub-saline, sandy-clayey soils.[3]
Ecology
It is commonly used as fodder,[3] and is noted for its year‑round palatability to sheep and goats.[4]
References
- ^ a b c "Taverniera aegyptiaca Boiss". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Taverniera aegyptiaca". Qatar e-Nature. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ a b c Abdel Bary, Ekhlas M.M. (November 2012). The Flora of Qatar (The Dicotyledons) (PDF). Vol. 1. Doha: Qatar University. p. 429.
- ^ El-Shaer, Hassan M (2010). "Potential of the ecosystem natural resources of the Red Sea region, Egypt". In El-Beltagy, Adel; Saxena, Mohan C (eds.). Sustainable development in drylands - meeting the challenge of global climate change, Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Development of Drylands, 7-10 November 2008, Alexandria, Egypt (PDF). pp. 1035–1043.
Further reading
- Hassan, Ahmed R.; Amer, Khadiga F.; El-Toumy, Sayed A.; Nielsen, John; Christensen, Søren Brøgger (18 April 2019). "A new flavonol glycoside and other flavonoids from the aerial parts of Taverniera aegyptiaca". Natural Product Research. 33 (8): 1135–1139. doi:10.1080/14786419.2018.1460834. PMID 29663839.
- Ibraheim, Zedan Z; Hassanean, Hashem A; Bishay, Daoud W (April 2003). "Further saponins from Taverniera aegyptiaca". Phytochemistry. 62 (8): 1201–1205. Bibcode:2003PChem..62.1201I. doi:10.1016/S0031-9422(02)00620-9. PMID 12648536.
- Hassanean, H.A. (June 1998). "Saikosaponins from Taverniera aegyptiaca". Phytochemistry. 48 (4): 693–697. Bibcode:1998PChem..48..693H. doi:10.1016/S0031-9422(98)00066-1.