Abstract
The caper plant (Capparis spinosaL., Capparaceae) from Morocco is described differently, and shows a very variable morphology. In this work, two provenances of caper plant, spontaneous and cultivated, from the North-Central Morocco, are characterized on the basis of morphological and productive criteria. Quantitative and qualitative parameters reveal significant differences between the two origins. Thecultivated provenance corresponds to C. spinosasubsp. spinosa, whereas the spontaneous origin is mainly composed of this subspecies and secondarily C. orientalis. Small capers are abundant in the two origins, but their aesthetic quality is more observed in the cultivated one. Caper berries of spontaneous provenance display a longer peduncle and gynophore and those of cultivated provenance are more numerous and thicker. The spontaneous caper genotypes produce capers and caper berries over a longer period and generate less income for the local population.
Subject
Complementary and alternative medicine,Plant Science,Drug Discovery,Pharmacology