▁as ▁an ▁orn amental ▁plant ▁and ▁medic inal ▁plant . ▁ ▁Hab itat ▁ ▁This ▁plant ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁Al ger ia , ▁Ch ad , ▁Lib ya , ▁Maur it ania , ▁Mor oc co , ▁Spain , ▁Tun is ia , ▁and ▁the ▁western ▁Sah ara . ▁It ▁can ▁be ▁viewed ▁at ▁elev ations ▁between ▁ 1 0 ▁meters ▁to ▁ 7 0 0 ▁meters ▁above ▁sea ▁level . ▁ ▁Character istics ▁ ▁This ▁plant ▁is ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁green , ▁dio e cious ▁shr ub . ▁Each ▁flower ▁is ▁either ▁male ▁or ▁female ▁need ing ▁two ▁different ▁for ▁seed ▁formation . ▁It ▁pre fers ▁well ▁dra ined , ▁lo amy ▁soil ▁in ▁an ▁area ▁with ▁direct ▁sun light . ▁Once ▁established ▁the ▁plant ▁is ▁hard y , ▁ ▁resist ant ▁to ▁dr ought ▁and ▁l ime . ▁The ▁leaves ▁bud ▁in ▁an ▁opposite ▁fashion ▁with ▁the ▁plant ▁being ▁green ▁all ▁year . ▁A ▁shr ub ▁often ▁found ▁on ▁rock y ▁cal care ous ▁s lop es . ▁Flow ering ▁time ▁is ▁between ▁February – May . ▁F ruit ing ▁time ▁is ▁between ▁April – May . ▁The ▁ri pe ▁female ▁cone ▁is ▁e aten ▁by ▁animals . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁It ▁was ▁originally ▁described ▁by ▁René ▁Lou iche ▁Des font aines ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 9 ▁and ▁placed ▁in ▁section ▁Pseud ob acc ata e ▁(= sect . ▁E ph ed ra ), ▁" tri be " ▁Sc and entes . ▁This ▁being ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁similarity ▁in ▁stem