Article

The aim of this work is to determine the phenotypic variability of fruits of Chamaerops humilis (Arecaceae) according to the climatic conditions. Three hundred accessions were sampled from three climatically different regions of Northern Morocco: Sefrou, Fez, and El Hajeb. They were examined, in order to evaluate the morphological variability of C. humilis fruits and identify its morphotypes, in order to ensure a better valuation of the species and to maintain its sustainable development. Nine characters have been examined, including five quantitative characters and four qualitative. Comparison of means tests and principal component analysis were used to assess the variation in the morphological characters of dwarf palm fruits based on the regions. Hierarchical clustering was performed to identify C. humilis morphotypes. There was variability in dwarf palm fruit morphological characters in the three regions studied. The results revealed a great variation between individuals for the majority of the studied populations. The data collected from the field showed that the population originating from El hajeb presents fruits of large size, weight and shape that varied between oval and round-oblong, with an orange-brown color at maturity. On the other hand, the populations originating from the regions of Fez and Sefrou are characterized by less developed fruits, with smaller size, and a color generally red-brown and sometimes brown concerning the mature fruits.