Vascular Plants of the Gila Wilderness

Presented in Association with the
Western New Mexico University Department of Natural Sciences

Peganum harmala Linnaeus
(African Rue)

Family: Nitrariaceae, formerly Zygophyllaceae

Status: Exotic

Synonyms:
None

Peganum harmala smells foul when crushed. It is a much branched suffrutescent perennial. The leaves are pinnatifid with linear, glabrous segments. There are four or five white petals that have greenish veins visible and 8-10 stamens with filaments that are dilated at the base. The fruit is a nearly globose capsule that contains many seeds. Peganum harmala is found in dry waste areas.
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Peganum harmala, photo Russ Kleinman, Hwy 180 at Ridge Road (Grant County Airport Road), July 12, 2009



Peganum harmala, photo Russ Kleinman, Hwy 180 at Ridge Road (Grant County Airport Road), July 12, 2009



Peganum harmala, fruit, photo Russ Kleinman, Hwy 180 at Ridge Road (Grant County Airport Road), July 12, 2009



Peganum harmala, seeds, photo Russ Kleinman, Hwy 180 at Ridge Road (Grant County Airport Road), July 12, 2009


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