الفهرس 
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION
The phytochemical investigations which were made on some desert plant species in the
recent decades revealed the occurrence of many active constituents. This encouraged
research work on desert flora hoping to find out some active constituents of medicinal
value in other species. The family Geraniaceae (Geranium family) is a large one, it includes II
genera and about 460 species, abundant in temperate and subtropical regions (Bailley, 1958).
Genus Erodium is a large widely distributed genus belonging to family Geraniaceae. It grows
mainly in temperate and subtropical regions, (Tiickholm, 1974).
Erodium compnses about 60 widespread species, one of them is Erodium arborescens (Desf.)
Willd. (=Erodium hussoni Boiss.), and is known as tommeyr, dahma, dahma-a (Tackholm, 1974)
or dahmch, qarna (Muschler, 1912).
As several Erodium species were used as pasture plants, (Ahrens,
1934) several works were carried out for evaluating their nutritive value
(Gurney, 1936; Moore, 1950 and Ozanne and Keay, 1969).
Geranium incanum is used as tea substitutes in South Africa
(Watt and Breyer-Brandaijk, 1962).
Introduction 2
Economically the family Geraniaceae is important primarily for the florist’s geranium
(Pelargonium zonate) and for other species and hybrids of the genus grown for aromatic
foliage with its aromatic oils and for flowers. A few species of Geranium (crane’s-bill) and
Erodium (Stork’s-bill) are cultivated as garden ornamentals (Lawrence, 1967).
The fleshy roots of the Northern African Erodium hirtum are used by the North
African peoples as food (Greenwood, 1972).
In 1975, Altsghul stated that Geranium seemannii, was heavily grazed by goats, Geranium
pilasum was very good fodder in Australia, while Erodium cicutarium was used as a
range forage plant in the United States, and Erodium deserti was eaten by all animals.
Heywood and Chant, in 1982 stated that Erodium hirtum and Erodium malacoides are
both used as food in North Africa, the former for its edible roots, the latter as a leaf-salad.
In 1982, Bilgir studied some wild plants used as foods for human nutrition in Western
Anatolia (Turkey). One of them, Erodium cicutarium which was grown and
marketed in Azmir. It contain ascorbic acid, f)-carotene, and its contents of ash, Ca,
P, Fe, proteins,