A GLANCE at the WILD FLORA of MOUNT HERMON LEBANON - Beirut Arab University - Research Center for Environment and Development
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Beirut Arab University Digital Commons @ BAU University Books Book Gallery 2017 A GLANCE AT THE WILD FLORA OF MOUNT HERMON LEBANON - Beirut Arab University - Research Center for Environment and Development Safaa Baydoun Beirut Arab University, Lebanon, [email protected] Nelly Apostolides Arnold Beirut Arab University, Holy Spirit of Kaslik, Saint Joseph University, Lebanon, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.bau.edu.lb/university_books Part of the Biosecurity Commons, and the Plant Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Baydoun, Safaa and Arnold, Nelly Apostolides, "A GLANCE AT THE WILD FLORA OF MOUNT HERMON LEBANON - Beirut Arab University - Research Center for Environment and Development" (2017). University Books. 2. https://digitalcommons.bau.edu.lb/university_books/2 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Book Gallery at Digital Commons @ BAU. It has been accepted for inclusion in University Books by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ BAU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A GLANCE AT THE Authors Nelly Arnold Safaa Baydoun WILD FLORA Editing and Organizing OF Technical Office Research Center for Environment and Development MOUNT Designing Meralda M. Hamdan HERMON Publisher LEBANON Beirut Arab University, 2017 www.bau.edu.lb TABLE OF CONTENTS Forward 9 Authors 11 Acknowledgment 13 Mount Hermon 15 Lithology 15 Vegetation 17 Ecosystem Services 19 Epigraphy, Archaeology and Religious Heritage 19 Abbreviations 19 Floristic Species 21 S alvia rubifolia Boiss. Findings and Recommendations 145 References 149 A E I P S V Acer hermoneum 23 Eryngium creticum 51 Iris histrio 73 Phlomis chrysophylla 91 Salvia indica 115 Vicia tenuifolia 141 Achillea falcata 25 Polygonum cognatum 93 Salvia pinardii 117 Astragalus coluteoides 27 F L Prangos asperula 95 Salvia rubifolia 119 Z Astragalus hermoneus 29 Ferulago frigida 53 Linum sulphureum 75 Prunus prostrata 97 Scorzonera phaeopappa 121 Ziziphora canescens 143 Lotus gebelia libanoticus 77 Psoralea bituminosa 99 Scutellaria utriculata 123 C G Pyrus syriaca 101 Serratula pusilla 125 Centaurea drabifolia libanotica 33 Stachys libanotica 127 Galium incanum 57 M Centranthus longiflorus latifolius 35 Marrubium libanoticum hermonis 81 Geranium libani 59 Q Chenopodium foliosum 37 Gundelia tournefortii 61 Quercus calliprinos 105 T Cotoneaster nummularia 39 N Tanacetum densum densum 131 Crataegus azarolus 41 H Nepeta cilicica 83 R Teucrium orientale orientale 133 Crocus aleppicus 43 Teucrium polium 135 Himanthoglossum affine 65 Rhus coriaria 107 Cyclamen coum coum 45 Teucrium pruinosum 137 Hyoscyamus reticulatus 67 O Rosa canina 109 Hypericum libanoticum 69 Orchis anatolica 85 Rosa dumetorum 111 D Ornithogalum libanoticum 87 Delphinium peregrinum 49 7 FORWARD This preview is about a few of the fabulous flora and heritage of ount ermon, Lebanon. It is one of the deliverables of the Beirut Arab University’s project “Assessment of Flora Biodiversity of Hermon Mountain, Lebanon” that offers a glance of the botanical excursions of the authors and their collaborators over the last three years. This preview shows only a few species of the flora identified during the work to give an idea about a few fascinating and rare species of Hermon Mountain in Lebanon (see Arnold et al., 2015). ach species is briefly described and accompanied by its distribution in the country, habitat and altitudinal level where it was observed in the mountain, flowering time and use. All photos have been taken by the research team. Plant identification and nomenclature were based on the ew Flora of Lebanon and Syria” (Mouterde 1966, 1970, 1983). Synonyms and plant family delimitation followed Euro+Med (2006-) as far as published, and Greuter & al. (1984, 1986, 1989, 2008), with Compositae (reuter al. 2008) adapted to Asteraceae, and family classification of Angiosperm Phylogeny Group 2009 (APG III, 2009) given if deviating. Botanical description was supplemented with details from the Flora of Cyprus (Meikle,1977 and 1985), Flora of Syria, Palestine and Sinai (Post,1838-1909), Illustrated Flora of Lebanon (Tohme and Tohme, 2014), Flora Palaestina (Zohary, 1966-1986), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands (Davis, 1965-1985). H yoscyamus albus L. L inum pubescens Banks & Sol. It is hoped that this preview will inspire the continuation of the project towards the development of a complete illustrated checklist of this Lebanese patrimony. 9 AUTHORS Prof. Emerita elly Apostolides Arnold Doctorate in Pharmacy, Descartes University, France; C.E.S. in Drug Biological Control, France; Diploma in Pharmacy, Saint Joseph University, Lebanon. Has been teaching and supervising MS and Ph.D students in several universities in Lebanon and Europe. Has received several awards, mainly; awards of the Lebanese Association for the Advancement of Science, Lebanon, 2015; “Monnaies de Paris” Medal of Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacology, 1985; and Robert Prize in Botany and Cryptogamy, 1985. Research interests are mainly focused on flora biodiversity and medicinal plants of ast Mediterranean region. Dr. Safaa Baydoun Ph.D in Photobiology, London University, 1990. Currently is the Director of Research Center for Environment and Development, Beirut Arab University, Lebanon. Served as the Chair of University Research Council and Dean of Arts and Sciences at the Lebanese International University, Lebanon (2004-2011) and as a faculty member in several universities in Lebanon. Current research interests are focused on flora biodiversity and medicinal plants. Prof. Emerita elly Apostolides Arnold Dr. Safaa Baydoun 11 ACKNOWLEDGMENT This work would have never been seen if it was not for the continuous support of Beirut Arab University’s President, Prof. Amr Galal El Adawi who inspired this work and facilitated all necessary means for its accomplishment. The authors would like to pay sincere tribute to the departed soul of the former Secretary General Mr. Issam Houri for his encouragement and passion to the Lebanese flora. The authors would also like to extend their gratitude to Dr. Lamis Chalak, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Lebanese University and Dr. Mounir Mhanna, Center of Developmental Services at Rachaiya, for their generous contributions. Thanks are also due to the team of the Research Center for Environment and Development, particularly Ms. Helena Dalleh and Mr. Ousama Halablab, for their continued enthusiasm and dedication. Deepest and sincere gratitude should also be extended to the Secrete Services of the Lebanese Army at Rachaiya for escorting the research team during field excursions in the restricted areas of Mount Hermon and to the Municipality of Rachaiya for all the precious information and guidance. Finally, warm thanks must go to all colleagues at Beirut Arab University and authors’ families for their understanding and support. Sno capping ermon summits December 0 1 3 . 13 -is a mountain cluster in the Anti “ﺟﺒــﻞ اﻟﺸــﻴﺦ“ or “ﺟﺒــﻞ ﺣﺮﻣــﻮن“ M ount ermon Lebanon mountain range recognized as a key biodiversity area in the Mediterranean Basin hotspot and as one of the Important Plant Areas of the South and the East editerranean Region (Radford et. al., 2011). ith its three magnificent summits, it spans across the border between Syria and Lebanon reaching a height of 2840 meters above the Mediterranean Sea. As one of the most prominent geographic resources in the east coast area of the Mediterranean Sea, Mount Hermon captures a great deal of rain and snow falls during Winter and Spring with snow capping its peaks till mid Summer. It distributes rainfall and snow melts into main watershed across Lebanon, Syria and occupied Palestine. The three spring-fed headwater rising at the Hermon foot; Hasbani, Banias and Leddan, converge to form the Jordan River. In parallel, the astern slopes feed the springs of the Awa River, which flows eastwards into Damascus Basin (http://waterinventory.org/sites/waterinventory.org/files/chapters/Chapter-18- Anti-Lebanon-web.pdf). Geographical location of Mount ermon L ithology of M ount ermon is dominated by Jurassic limestone and occasional veins http / / w w w .free orldmaps.net asia leba- non map.html of basalt that are broken by faults and solution channels to form a karst topography. As most soils in Lebanon, the soil of Hermon is young and characterized by fragility, poor http / / w w w .mountain forecast.com peaks consistency and shallowness (especially on sloping terrains). Mount H ermon 15 V egetation of ount ermon is characterized by three main belts spanning across the different elevational gradients between 1000 up to the highest summit at 2840 meters above the Mediterranean Sea (Zohary, 1973, Arnold et al., 2015). The elevations below 1300 m are greatly affected by human settlements and agricultural activities dating back to the beginning of the last century including vines, legumes, fruit trees, olives and wheat. Overgrazing and habitat loss through urbanization and deforestation are clearly noted. Richness of the herbaceous and grass associations of Malva, Cichorium, Eryngium, Bromus, Tragopogon, Triticum, Aegilops, Trifolium, Vicia, Onopordum, Centaurea, Echinops is most dominant. Scattered presence of trees Prunus ursina, Crataegus azarolus, Pyrus syriaca, Quercus calliprinos is an apparent characteristic of this vegetation zone. Reforestation efforts of Cedrus libani and Cupressus sempervirens by the Municipality of Rachaiya and local community at several hills are evident.