Launaea arborescens (Batt.) Maire Launaea arborescens (Batt.) Maire Compositae (Asteraceae) Zollikoferia arborescens Murb. arborescens: tree-like Arabic: moulbina, bou chlaba Berber: iferskel English: arborescent launaea French: launaea arborée I Part used Compiled by Dr. Salima Benhouhou The latex; the stems and leaves, and the roots (diabetes). These are collected in the spring and prepared as an infusion, taken by mouth, an oint- I Morphological description ment, or mixed with other plants. A perennial spiny shrub, 40-120 cm. high, with typical zig-zag shaped stems. The young stems are I Constituent green, glabrous and erect. The older ones become No data found on the constituents of this plant. tough spines. The leaves are narrow and dissected in small lobes, I Pharmacological action and evergreen at the base but shed after flowering from toxicity the stems. The leaves and stems have a white latex. No data is available in the literature regarding its A small involucre of 1-2 cm., with bright yellow pharmacological action. The plant is considered by ligules. The fruits are small achenes (4 x 1 mm.). nomads as slightly toxic (due to its latex) to humans It flowers from March to May. as well as animals. When eaten in great quantities by nomads’ herds, these have serious gastro-intes- I Geographical distribution tinal troubles due to inflammation of the mucus. Local: The northern and western Algerian Sahara. Regional: Morocco and Algeria. I Pharmacopeias Global: Ibero-Mauretanean (reaching Almeria in Not relevant for this species. south-eastern Spain) and the western Sahara. I Pharmaceutical products Not relevant for this species. I Ecology A common xerophytic shrub growing on gravelly- I Traditional medicine and local sandy soils in non-saline wadi beds. It can be found knowledge in areas where the rainfall is under 300 mm. It is used for diabetes and nausea (particularly in (south-eastern Spain) and in truly desert climates young children). with an annual rainfall of no more than 100 mm. Honey from bees that have been on the flowers is per year. considered fortifying. In Tissint (Morocco) the latex is applied locally to I Status cure sore throats and is also applied to furuncles According to the IUCN criteria this Saharo-Mediter- and to the skin to extract spines. A light infusion ranean species falls into the "C" category. of this plant is given to children as a vermifuge. In It is not threatened and appears on the floristic list the region of Marrakech, the powdered root of several protected sites listed by the UNEP World mixed with Artemisia herba-alba is taken for Conservation Monitoring Centre. diabetes. A Guide to Medicinal Plants in North Africa 165 I References Quézel, P. & Santa, S., 1962-1963. Nouvelle Flore Bellakhdar, J., 1997. La pharmacopée marocaine de l'Algérie et des régions désertiques méri- traditionnelle. Médecine arabe ancienne et dionales. CNRS, Paris, 2 vol. 1170 p. savoirs populaires. IBIS Press. 764 p. Sitouh, M., 1989. Les plantes utiles du Sahara. Benhouhou, S.S. & Saadoun, N., 1986. Ann. Inst. Nat. Agro. El Harrach, Alger, vol. 13, Contribution à l'étude de la flore de la région n°2. pp. 583-658. de Béni-Abbès. Undergraduate thesis. Trabut, L., 1935. Répertoires des noms indigènes University of Algiers. 241 p. des plantes spontanées, cultivées et utilisées Ozenda, P., 1991. Flore et végétation du Sahara. dans le Nord de l'Afrique. Collection du Ed. CNRS, Paris. 662 p. Centenaire de l'Algérie, Alger. 355 p. 166 A Guide to Medicinal Plants in North Africa.