The Biology of the Harmel, Ecology and Cultivation Technology

Abstract

Common frankincense (adraspan) — Peganum harmala L.;  It belongs to the Zygophyllaceae family. It is a perennial herb 20-60 cm tall.  A multi-headed tree with roots up to 2 m underground.  The stem is several, branched, hairless.  The leaf is simple, deeply divided into 4-5 parts, gray-green, the segments are sharp-pointed, lanceolate, 1-3.5 cm long.  The leaves in the lower part of the stem are short-banded, the upper ones are unbanded, they are located in a row on the stem.  Two additional leaves, lanceolate.  The flowers are located singly at the tips of the branches and opposite to the leaves.  The calyx is divided into 5 parts up to the base and remains with the fruit.  5 petals, white-yellow, 15 paternal petals, three-digit maternal node, located above.  The fruit is a spherical, three-lobed, multi-seeded capsule that opens when ripe.  The seed is small, three-sided, brown or brownish-gray, with small pits on the upper side. Frankincense blooms in May-June, the fruit ripens in August.