Floristic features of Damietta area in the north east Nile Delta, Egypt.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Egypt

Abstract

Floristic features of three habitat types in the Damietta Governorate namely: field crops, orchards and canal banks are
described. The study habitats include 171 species related to 128 genera, grouped under 44 families with Gramineae
attaining 36 species (21.05%), Compositae 21 species (12.28%) and Chenopodiaceae 15 species (8.77%), these are
the main families. The recorded species comprise 98 annual species (57.31%), 8 biennial species (4.68%) and 65
perennial species (38.01%). The annual species are classified under three categories as follows: a) all year active
annuals (14 species, b) winter-spring active annuals (64 species) and c) summer-autumn active annuals (20 species).
According to the life-form spectrum the recorded species are classified into: therophytes (60.23%),
cryptophytes (22.22%), chamaeophytes (7.60%), hemicryptophytes (7.02%), nanophanerophytes (1.75%) and
parasites (1.17%).
The floristic analysis of the study area reveals that, the Mediterranean elements (mono, bi - pluriregional)
include 81 taxa (47.36%), Cosmopolitan element 28 species (16.37%), Palaeotropical 22 species (12.68%) and
Pantropical 21 species (12.28%). These represent the major chorotypes. The other floristic categories are poorly
represented. This indicates that, the study area is obviously belong to the Mediterranean Territory with the enterance
of other elements to the area.

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