Zanthoxylum L. 1753 belongs to the family Rutaceae. The plant, with its forest green color and with its distinctive fragrance attracted the attention of the study, specially it was an exotic to the environment of Iraq. Zanthoxylum is an exotic plant produced to Iraq and planted in gardens as an ever-green aromatic plant named (BUKHUR HINDI), as it is known among sellers and farmers in Iraq, because of the aromatic smell that emanated from the leaves and resembles Indian incense. The plant adapted to environmental conditions and succeeded in growing and blooming. It was examined and diagnosed for the first time in Iraq as Zanthoxylum beechyanum K. Koch. (Chinese pepper tree). Morphological characteristics and anatomical characteristi

A shocking third species emerged from a family of coronaviruses (CoV) in late 2019 following viruses causing SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-CoV) in 2003 and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-CoV) in 2012; it’s a novel coronavirus now called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; formerly called 2019-nCoV). First emerging in China, it has spread rapidly across the globe, giving rise to significant social and economic costs and imposing severe strain on healthcare systems. Since many attempts to control viral spread has been futile, the only old practice of containment including city lockdown and social distancing are working to some extent. Unfortunately, specific antiviral drugs and vaccines remain u

Silver nanoparticles synthesized by different species

The predatory bush crickets Saga ephippigera Fischer Von Waldheim, 1846 is the largest Iraqi orthopterans and one of the most active and successful predators in the Kurdistan region. The nymphs and adults prey on all the stages of various species of insects. Twelve adult specimens were collected from Erbil Province during May 2018 and June 2021. Morphological structures of the adult insects were described and illustrated in details; important taxonomic characteristics of body regions with their appendages were chosen; and the results indicated the importance of morphological characteristics which confirmed the identification of this species correctly.

In this study, a total of 209 individuals of leeches were collected from Al-Hindyia River / Babil Province. 116 individuals were identified as Erpobdella octaculata (Linnaeus, 1758), 50 individuals as Erpobdella punctata (Leidy,1870) and  43 individuals as Hemiclepsis marginata (Müller, 1774).  Four samples were collected monthly during a period from February to June 2018. Some physical and chemical water properties were also examined, including air and water temperature, potential of hydrogen pH, Electrical Conductivity EC, Total Dissolved Solid TDS, Dissolved Oxygen DO, and the Biological Oxygen Demand BOD₅.  Air and water temperature were r

This article investigates Iraq wars presentation in literature and media. The first section investigates the case of the returnees from the war and their experience, their trauma and final presentation of that experience. The article also investigates how trauma and fear is depicted to create an optimized image and state of fear that could in turn show Iraqi society as a traumatized society. Critics such as Suzie Grogan believes that the concept of trauma could expand to influence societies rather than one individual after exposure to trauma of being involved in wars and different major conflicts. This is reflected in Iraq as a country that was subjected to six comprehensive conflicts in its recent history, i.e. less than half a century; th

The species Spongilla lacustris was identified for the first time in Iraq, it was found during winter 1998 in an irrigation canal within the campus of the University of Baghdad (Jadiriah), water is drawn from Tigris river. The specimens were found in water samples of sizes ranging between 5-50 cm with yellowish color . It was found in two habitats , one as attached on submerged aquatic plant Ceratophyllum sp., and the other on the canal bottom (concret material). Some physico- chemical characters were determined including conductivity ,salinity , pH, total alkalinity, total hardness, Ca ,Mg ,anddissolved oxygen. Water quality was fresh , alkaline, hard and well aerated.

A total of 352 freshwater fishes, belonging to three species of the family Cyprinidae were collected from the Greater Zab river in north of Iraq during the period from November 2000 to the end of November 2001. The inspection of their gills revealed the infection of these fishes with three species of monogenetic trematodes belonging to the genus Dogielius. These species included D. mokhayeri from Aspius vorax with a percentage incidence of 37.5%; D. molnari from Cyprinion macrostomum (33.3%) and D. persicus from Barbus luteus (41.2%). The record of this genus and its three above-named species of the present study are considered as the first record on fishes of Iraq.