''Searsia pentaphylla'', the tazat tree in local Amazigh language, is a sumac shrub or small tree species in the genus '' Searsia'' found in North Africa, especially in Morocco and Algeria, the Levant, and Sicily.

Description

''Searsia pentaphylla'' is typically a thorny shrub or small tree. It is frost resistant.

Range and habitat

''Searsia pentaphylla'' is native to northwestern Africa, including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Western Sahara, and to Sicily, Israel, and Palestine. In Sicily it is found between

Sampieri Sampieri () is a southern Italian fishing village and hamlet (''frazione'') of Scicli, a municipality in the Province of Ragusa, Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the cent ...

and

Cava d'Aliga Cava d'Aliga is a southern Italian village and marine hamlet (''frazione'') of Scicli, a municipality part of the Province of Ragusa, Sicily. It has a population of 1600 circa. Geography Cava d'Aliga is located by the Mediterranean Sea coast of t ...

. Its typical habitat is coastal shrubland in regions with a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

Conservation and threats

The shrub is locally abundant in northwestern Africa, and its subpopulations there are considered stable. There are also multiple populations in coastal Israel and Palestine. The conservation status of the species is assessed as

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been evaluated and categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as not being a focus of wildlife conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wil ...

. The species has a limited distribution in Sicily, and is considered vulnerable there. Fewer than 1,000 mature individuals are known in Sicily. It had been found in Palermo, Sciacca, Linosa, San Vito Lo Capo, but may no longer be present there.

Uses

Its roots and heartwood are used to produce tannin of the condensed type.Tizra on cool.conservation-us.org
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References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15525300 pentaphylla Plants described in 1798 Flora of the Mediterranean basin Flora of North Africa Flora of Israel Flora of Palestine (region) Flora of Sicily