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Zizyphus spina-christi (L.) (Rhamnaceae family) is a subtropical plant known as 'Nabq' or 'Sidr' which is used for various medicinal purposes. It has used in folk medicine in pain related ailments throughout these regions. Aim of our work is to phytochemically investigate the plant's bark in our laboratory with Chromatographic approach. The crude ethanol extract of dried bark of Z. spina-christi (L.) was fractionated by diethyl ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and finally with n-butanol. Finally the fractions were investigated for the chemical constituents by using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Thirty six compounds from the four fractions of the stem bark of Z. spina-christi (L.) have been identified and recognized, especially betulin, quercetin, stigmasterol, sitosterol, ethyl oleate and phytol by means of GC-MS analyses.

1The pod morphological and anatomical characters of 20 species, one sub-species and five varieties of Astragalus out of the 32 species growing in Egypt were investigated by light and scanning eletron microscopy, and numerically analysed to show the inter-as well as the infra-specific relationships. It was concluded that both A. trimestris and A. corrugatus show marked affinity to other species investigated in the present work.

The type and the distribution of calcium oxalate and calcium carbonate crystals were investigated in the leaves of 33 taxa of Ficus belonging to the three subgenera Urostigma, Ficus and Sycomorus for a speculation to the inter‐subgeneric affinity. Numerical analysis of 55 characters grouped the taxa under 13 groups. The sizes of the latter with respect to the number of taxa they contain were calculated. Some resultant groups comprised taxa from different subgenera. So far as the present data are concerned and in agreement with previous workers, the var. decora of Ficus elastica and var. comosa of Ficus benjamina are better raised to the specific levels F. decora Hort and F. comosa Roxb. respectively. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

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