Flora-Fauna

Rhamnus punctata Boiss.

(Diagn. Pl. Orient. 2: 4, 1843; Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 2, p. 555; Pl. CCXL, nº 2–3; 1969)

• Life-form & habit: Evergreen, spiny shrub 1–2 m tall; branches entangled, rigid, pubescent when young, ending in sharp spines.

• Leaves: Persistent, coriaceous, 10–20 × 5–10 mm, ovate-orbicular to elliptic, often spatulate; margins entire or faintly crenulate, usually revolute-convolute; upper surface glabrous, light green; lower surface paler, often tomentose.

• Inflorescence & flowers: Axillary, solitary; pedicels tomentose, as long as the flowers. Sepals oblong, yellowish; petals small, lanceolate. Disk villous.

• Fruit: Drupe obovoid, sweet-tasting; seed pale, with groove closed by a cartilaginous margin.

• Phenology: Flowers in spring; fruiting follows shortly after.

• Habitat & elevation: Rocky and shrubby slopes, often in Mediterranean scrub and woodland edges; coastal and montane zones, from lowlands up to c. 1 600 m.

• Lebanese distribution: Recorded from Saïda, Nahr Ghadir, Choueifat, Beirut, Antélias, Nahr el-Kelb, Tripoli, Nahr Abou ‘Ali, Mar Roukhos, Kesrouan, ‘Araya, Qrayé, Jamhour, ‘Antoura, ‘Aley, Douma, Afqa, ‘Aïn Zehalta, Qannoubine, Bois de ‘Ammiq, Rachaya, Deir Mimas.

• Native range: Lebanon–Syria, Palestine, Turkey (POWO).

• Infraspecific variation:
 – Var. angustifolia Post: leaves narrower, strongly revolute, nearly linear; reported from northern Syria (Ouadi Qandil, Baghtché Caz)