Henophyton deserti (Coss. & Durieu) Coss. & Durieu
Oudneya africana R.Br.
Fre.: Oudneya d’Afrique. Ara.: hennet el bel, hennet el djmel, eulga, al alka. Tam.: Timarugt, alleg unmu
Shrub or subshrub, ± deciduous, hermaphrodite, erect, up to 1.5 m in height, with well defined trunk or promptly branched from the base. Bark white or whitish-greyish on old trunk and branches, green on young branchlets. Leaves alternate, linear-oblong, with obtuse tip and slightly attenuated base, usually entire but sometimes briefly dentate at the apex or pinnatilobed, sessile, slightly fleshy, glabrous and green on both sides; solitary but often in axillary fascicles. Inflorescence in ± corymbiform racemes, sparse, with 3-25 flowers, peduncle 4-8 mm long. Calyx tubular, with 4 sepals 5-6.5 mm long, oblong, ± acute, green at first and brown-greenish in full bloom, fused in its entirety except at the apex. Corolla with 4 petals 10-12 mm long, with the lower 3/4 parts included in the calyx and linear-oblong, and its terminal part suborbicular, free; violet-purpurescent. Stamens 6, unequal, 3 central stamens exserted, 3 lateral stamens approximately 2 mm shorter and almost inserted. Fruit an oblong-linear silique (2.5-5.5 × 0.5-0.6 cm) upright, finishing in a small obovate tip. Seeds 3-1, subglobose, slightly compressed, with 1 membranous wing that surrounds the seed in the shape of a disk.
Flowering:
February to May or, in very dry areas, after rainfall.
Fruiting:
Between 1-2 months after flowering.
Habitat:
Sandy-loamy terrains, sometimes somewhat rocky, in plains or depressions, in steppic or attenuated desert environment.
Distribution:
Endemic to the northern Sahara. From the SE steppic eastern Morocco to NW Libya.
Conservation status:
Rare but widely distributed species. Currently, it has not been assessed at a global level in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. In Algeria it is included in its List of protected non cultivated flora (Executive Decree 12-03 on 4-Jan-2012). In Tunisia it is included in its List of native species that are rare and threatened with extinction (Order of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, 19-July-2006).
