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RUTACEAE Juss.

Rutaceae is composed of 158 genera and about 1,730 species, particularly abundant in tropical and warm-temperate zones. In North Africa it is represented by 2 genera, Ruta and Haplophyllum, although lately, based on molecular studies, the species of Haplophyllum tend to be included in Ruta. The leaves of these 2 genera are very different, but they have their strong pungent odour in common. In North Africa Haplophyllum A.Juss. have 2 species, herbaceous but with the basal part of the stems somewhat lignified in the older specimens.

H. linifolium (L.) G.Don (R. linifolia L., H. hispanicum Spach), with stems up to 0.5 m; it differs of Ruta by its entire leaves, not pinnate, narrow and elongated; flowers also yellow, with entire petals, glabrous, and fruit a dried capsule. There are several differentiated subspecies, with only subsp. africanum C.C.Towns. in North Africa.

H. tuberculatum (Forssk.) A.Juss. (Tamahaq: Tufiskan), since it sometimes reaches up to 0.5 m in height and the base of the stems is somewhat lignified; it is characterised by being covered by large cup-shaped gland that contain an essence with a very strong and unpleasant odour; it is found in dry and even desert areas of the eastern Mediterranean, reaching towards the E to Pakistan. In North Africa it is found almost throughout the entire northern Sahara and the Sinai Peninsula.

Common and widespread species. Currently, none of the species have been assessed at a global level in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

This family is of considerable interest in agriculture because it includes citrus fruit trees, such as the orange, the mandarin or lemon trees, which originated in the East.

Updated by: J. Charco.