Rhamnus alaternus
Encyclopedia
Rhamnus alaternus is a species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family
known by the common name of Italian Buckthorn or Mediterranean Buckthorn.
The small fragrant flowers are gathered in a short axillary yellow-green raceme
. Flowering period extends from February to April. Fruits are obovoidal red-brownish drupe
s of about 3–4 mm (0.118110236220472–0.15748031496063 ), containing from 2 to 4 seeds. The drupe
s darken to black when ripe. Fruits have medicinal properties and can be used with caution as a laxative.
Rhamnaceae
Rhamnaceae, the Buckthorn family, is a large family of flowering plants, mostly trees, shrubs and some vines.The family contains 50-60 genera and approximately 870-900 species. The Rhamnaceae have a worldwide distribution, but are more common in the subtropical and tropical regions...
known by the common name of Italian Buckthorn or Mediterranean Buckthorn.
Etymology
The genus name derives from the Greek "rabdos", or “stick” with reference to the presence in many species of woody spine on the end of each twig. The specific Latin name alaternus, assonant with "alternus" or “alternate”, refers to the alternate leaves.Description
Rhamnus alaternus is a evergreen shrub 1–5 m (3.3–16.4 ) high. The stems have reddish bark and pubescent young branches, rounded and compact foliage with alternating leaves, about {convert|2|-|6|cm}} long, sometimes nearly opposite, oval or lanceolate, leathery, shiny green, yellowish-green underneath.The small fragrant flowers are gathered in a short axillary yellow-green raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
. Flowering period extends from February to April. Fruits are obovoidal red-brownish drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
s of about 3–4 mm (0.118110236220472–0.15748031496063 ), containing from 2 to 4 seeds. The drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
s darken to black when ripe. Fruits have medicinal properties and can be used with caution as a laxative.
Habitat
It is widespread in thermophilic evergreen bush and scrubland of the Mediterranean climate regions, from sea level up to 700 m above sea level.Subspecies
- Rhamnus alaternus L. subsp. alaternus
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- Rhamnus alaternus L. subsp. pendula (Pamp.) JafriJafriJafri is a surname commonly associated with Shia Muslims who are the descendants of the 6th Imam, Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, who was a direct descendant of Imam Ali and the prophet Muhammad. Since the Jafri clan trace their lineage to Fatima Az-Zehra, they often use the prefix Syed in front of their...