Zygophyllum Species Research Articles

Fadenia: A New Genus of Chenopodiaceae from Tropical Africa

Among numerous interesting plants recently collected in Kenya and sent to Kew by Mr. R. B. Faden was a member of the Chenopodiaceae in which Mr. Faden acutely expressed particular interest. At his request it was given special attention, and after due investigation the junior author (Townsend) decided that it represented not merely a new species to tropical Africa, as Mr. Faden had suspected, but in fact a new genus of the Suaedoideae. A portion of the material was sent to the senior author, who immediately concurred with this opinion, postulating Sevada Moq. as being the genus with the closest affinity. The new genus is here dedicated to the collector, the specific epithet referring to the longitudinally winged mature perianths which superficially resemble those of certain species of Zygophyllum.

Eco-physiological studies on desert plants : I. Autecology of Egyptian Zygophyllum species.

The Egyptian Zygophyllum species, though limited in number, contribute in considerable measure to the desert vegetation. They represent a group of succulent plants which are drought resistant or salt tolerant living under severe dry climatic conditions. Their abundance is attributed to these characteristics in addition to their unpalatibility.The distribution of the studied species is deduced from the data collected by the present authors and others working in the Egyptian desert. The growth and distribution of some Zygophyllum species are dependant on the chemical nature of the substratum. Z. occineum is a widespread species in the limestone territories of the Eastern desert. Z. decumbens is confined to a limited area within the borders of the area inhabited by Z. coccineum. Z. album is a salt tolerant plant with wide geographical range growing in dry littoral or inland salt marshes. Z. simplex, the only ephemeral species, has wide geographical and ecological ranges. The soil carbonate content does not exercise any significant effect on its distribution though it is more ecologically related to Z. occineum than the other species. Z. decumbens is ecologically related to Z. coccineum, while Z. album has its own ecological amplitude.