Context: The ethnobotanical study of the plants used is of great interest in the medical field. In this perspective, we have carried out this ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological study, which is part of the development of plant resources traditionally used against anemia in a large region of Middle Atlantic Morocco (Mam-4): Al Haouz-Rehamna. Aims: To establish a catalog of medicinal plants used in traditional medicine against anemia disease. Methods: For this purpose, we carried out an ethnobotanical survey using 1700 questionnaire cards during five campaigns (from 2012 to 2017) in the studied field. In addition, the information sought was about the plant including its local name, its part used, its toxicity and, medical practices related. Ethnobotanical indices, such as Use Value (UV), Family Use Value (FUV) and, Plant Part Value (PPV), were determined. Results: The results allowed us to identify 48 medicinal plants of which 12 were toxic. The inventoried species were distributed in 45 genera and belong to 27 botanical families, of which four predominated in the number of species: Apiaceae, Amaranthaceae, Fabaceae, and Asteraceae. Also, 11 species were traditionally more used as effective plants against anemia: Rubia peregrina, Lens culinaris, Malva sylvestris, Beta vulgaris, Spinacia oleracea, Mercurialis annua, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Corrigiola telephiifolia, Nasturtium officinale, Cistus laurifolius and Armeria mauritanica. The leafy stems were the most used part (PPV = 0.28%) followed by the seed (PPV = 0.26%). These parts were usually used steamed, decocted, and rarely triturated in honey or infused in water. The recipes were administered orally until cured. Conclusions: The present study established the importance of documenting traditional knowledge about the species of medicinal plants that are used to correct many chronic diseases such as anemia. Analysis of this knowledge has shown that several of the listed plants promoted anti-anemia activity and could become the basis for in-depth scientific investigations.

Rumex is one of about 50 genera in the knotweed family, Polygonaceae. The genus comprises about 200 species with bisexual, or more commonly, unisexual flowers, with the species displaying monoecious, dioecious, synoecious (hermaphroditic) or polygamous reproductive systems. Some of the dioecious species have heteromorphic sex chromosomes, which is rare amongst angiosperms. We here present a plastid phylogeny of 67 species, representing all four subgenera. For this study, we used three chloroplast markers, rbcL, trnH-psbA, trnL-F and dense taxon sampling to reconstruct the most comprehensive molecular phylogeny of Rumex to date. The reconstructed phylogeny for this work resolves six major clades and one large grade in Rumex subg. Rumex. In addition, the species with known dioecious reproductive systems are resolved within a broader clade we term “the dioecious clade”. These results suggest that the species with divergent reproductive systems are more closely related to each other than to other species comprising the rest of the Rumex genus.

Verbascum ifranensis Khamar H. & al. is described as a new endemic species from the Middle Atlas Mountains in Morocco, based on morphology of vegetative and reproductive organs. We provide notes on its delimitation from closely related species, especially V. dentifolium Delile and V. lychnitis L. Comparison of ITS sequences and a distance matrix analysis is provided for V. ifranensis and the two closely related species to add molecular evidence to the morphological findings. In addition the geographical distribution and the conservation status are assessed.

Cladanthus scariosus (Ball) Oberpr. & Vogt is endemic to Moroccan High Atlas. It is known under the vernacular names Irezghi or Irezgui. Three essential oil samples have been isolated from aerial parts and analyzed by combination of chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques [gas chromatography (GC) in combination with retention indices (RI), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and 13 C-NMR spectroscopy]. The compositions of oil samples were dominated by monoterpenes: α-pinene sabinene, and terpinen-4-ol. Chamazulene and dihydrochamazulene isomers as well as various hemiterpene esters and analogs have been identified. To evidence a chemical variability, statistical analysis performed on 13 oil sample compositions allowed partitioning into three groups, mainly differentiated by their contents of sabinene, camphor, borneol, terpinen-4-ol, and germacrene D.

We report the herbaceous plant Phyllanthus tenellus Roxb., a species native to tropical regions, from Morocco. This is the first time that the genus and species are reported from Morocco and continental North Africa. We found this species to be naturalising in several localities in north-western Morocco. A morphological description, the geographic distribution, and notes on the ecology of this species are provided. We present for the first time photographs of P. tenellus from continental North Africa.