raetam (Forssk.) Webb (Forssk.) Webb. Leguminosae () raetam Forssk. Lygos raetam (Forssk.) Heyw. Retama: from the r’tam, small genus of Mediterranean shrub; raetam: similar derivation

Arabic: r’tam Berber: telit, telggit English: white weeping broom French: genêt du désert

Regional: North Africa. Global: The is native on maritime sands in the Mediterranean region and on sandy sites in the Sahara.

Ecology Retama raetam, grows on sandy soils (dune slope/dune base) and in dry conditions (rainfall around 100 mm. per year). Compiled by Dr. Salima Benhouhou Status According to the IUCN criteria this Saharo-Mediter- Morphological description ranean falls into the "C" category. An evergreen stem-assimilating desert plant, the The plant is not threatened and appears on the white weeping broom is a shrub that grows to floristic list of several protected sites listed by the about 3 m. and may be 6 m. across. The are UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. grey-green with slender, drooping branches; the young plants are wispy, with a single stem and Part used strong taproot. The leaves, which are very small The stems, leaves and flowers, collected in the (about 6-7 mm. long), simple, subsessile and spring and prepared as an infusion, a decoction and narrow (only 1 mm. wide), drop quickly and the mixed with other plants. It can be taken by mouth, plant remains leafless for most of the year. The or used externally as a poultice. flowers are 8-10 mm. long, white and pea-like, appearing close to the stem in clusters of 3-15. The Constituents hairless grape-shaped seed pod (10-15 mm. diam- Flavonoids, quinolizidine alkaloid. eter) contains one or two kidney-shaped seeds, which are about 6.5 mm. long and may be yellow, Pharmacological action and toxicity green, brown or black. The fruit is an indehiscent Diuretic activity and hypoglycaemic actitvity. pod with one seed of a dark colour, 12-15 mm. The fruits of Retama raetam are considered toxic long and 7-10 mm. wide. and thought to provoke hallucinations. Flowering takes place in the spring between March Ingesting the plant to produce an abortion has and May. sometimes led to poisoning and even death.

Geographical distribution Pharmacopeias Local: Northern Algerian Sahara. Not relevant for this species.

A Guide to Medicinal Plants in North Africa 225 Pharmaceutical products Amraoui, A., Haloui, M., Jouad, H. & Not relevant for this species. Eddouks, M., 2004. Effect of Retama raetam on lipid metabolism in normal and Traditional medicine and local recent onset diabetic rats. J Ethnopharmacol. Vol. knowledge 90 (2-3). pp. 323-9. It is used as an abortifacient, anthelmintic, anti- Maghrani M., Lemhadri A., Zeggwagh N.-A., Jouad septic, purgative, sedative, and vulnerary. H., Haloui M., L., Eddouks M., 2004. Acute diu- The flowers are an important source of fodder for retic effect of aqueous extract of Retama rae- dromedaries; when taken in excess this can lead to tam in normal rats. Poster at the dangerous urinary problems. When eaten during Phytopharmaka und Phytotherapie Congress, drought this can lead to abortion, and gives a Berlin. bitter taste to the milk. The plant is a valuable 2. General references legume shrub producing good fuel wood. It is also Batanouny, K. H., 1999. Wild Medicinal Plants in used to stabilise sand dunes. Egypt. The Palm Press. Cairo. 207 p. In Morocco, the stems and leaves are crushed and Bellakhdar, J., 1997. La pharmacopée marocaine mixed with honey and given orally as an emetic. A traditionnelle. Médecine arabe ancienne decoction of the leaves is given as a purgative and et savoirs populaires. IBIS Press. 764 p. anthelmintic. Benchelah, A.C., Bouziane, H., Maka, M. & Ouahes, In Tissint (Morocco), the powdered leaves and C., 2000. Fleurs du Sahara. Voyage et eth- flowers are used to heal circumcision wounds and nobotanique avec les touaregs du Tassili. as an antiseptic for wounds, skin rash and Ed.Ibis Press, Paris. 255 p. pruritus. Benhouhou, S.S. & Saadoun, N., 1986. Contribution In Marrakech the plant is crushed in either milk or à l'étude de la flore de la région de butter and used for the same purposes. The decoc- Béni-Abbès. Undergraduate thesis. University of tion is used as a massage for pruritus and scabies Algiers. 241 p. (human and animal). Boulos, L., 1983. Medicinal Plants of North Africa. The roots are used in fumigation as an abortifa- Reference Publication Algonac, cient. Likewise, an infusion of the leaves and Michigan. 286 p. flowers can help produce an abortion; it is used Maire, R., 1940. Etudes sur la flore et la végétation with great caution since it can lead to poisoning. du Sahara central. Mem. Soc. Hist. Nat. Afrique Nord, Alger 3. pp. 1-433. References Ozenda, P., 1991. Flore et végétation du Sahara. Ed. 1. Relevant to the plant and its uses CNRS, Paris. 662 p. El-Shazly, A., Ateya, A., Witte, L. & Wink M., 1996. Quézel, P. & Santa, S., 1962-1963. Nouvelle Flore Quinolizidine alkaloid profiles of de l'Algérie et des régions désertiques Retama raetam, R. sphaerocarpa and R. méridionales. CNRS, Paris, 2 vol. 1170 p. monosperma. Z. Naturforsch. Vol. 51. pp. 301- Sitouh, M., 1989. Les plantes utiles du Sahara. Ann. 308. Inst. Nat. Agro. El Harrach, Alger, Kassem, M., Mosharrafa, S.A., Saleh, N.A.M., Abdel- vol. 13, n°2. pp. 583-658. Wahab, S.M., 2000. Two new Trabut, L., 1935. Répertoires des noms indigènes flavonoids from Retama raetam. Fitoterapia Journal des plantes spontanées, cultivées et vol. 71 (6). pp. 649-654. utilisées dans le Nord de l'Afrique. Collection du Maghrani, M., Lemhadri, A., Jouad, H., Michel, JB. & Centenaire de l'Algérie, Eddouks, M., 2003. Alger. 355 p. Effect of the Desert plant Retama raetam on Glycaemia in Normal and Streptozotocin- References induced Diabetic Rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 87. pp. 21-25. Maghrani, M., Lemhadri, A., Zeggwagh, N.A., Al

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