Dynamics of the anatomical variability of Artemisia herba-alba in Algeria

Abstract

In this work, the anatomical variability in Artemisia herba-alba Asso was studied based on 90 individuals taken from three different bioclimatic zones of Algeria (inferior semi arid, arid and Saharan) as well as the relationships of the dynamics of this variability with the distribution and adaptation of the species. The interpretation of the results of this study through the analysis of variance and the ascending hierarchical classification allowed us to detect a very high intra- and inter-specific anatomical variability, as well as the presence of a parenchyma of water reserves observed in individuals of each studied region. The existence of relationships between environmental conditions and the dynamics of anatomical variability have been established. The broad morphological structural variability thus determined and the genetic variability observed concur well with the results of our two other previous studies. This anatomical polymorphism could help in the selection of the most effective ecotypes to restore this species in degraded steppe ecosystems of Algeria and North Africa. Thus, this choice will allow us to keep their seeds in a bank of grains in order to preserve the species for possible future use.

Comparative anatomical investigation of five Artemisia L. (Anthemideae, Asteraceae) species in view of taxonomy

“…Metcalfe and Chalk (1957) mentioned some anatomical features of Artemisia: nonglandular trichomes, medullary canals, secretory cavities and clustered crystals. However, there are several studies on anatomy (Carlquist 1966;Botha and Evert 1981;Fahmy 1997;Marchese et al 2005;Rabie et al 2006;Noorbakhsh et al 2008;Bercu and Broască 2012;Konowalik and Kreitschitz 2012;Bakr 2014;Maghni et al 2018) and trichome morphology (Kelsey 1984;Ascensão and Pais 1987;Lodari et al 1989;Ferreira and Janick 1995;Hayat et al 2009Hayat et al , 2010 of the genus Artemisia.…”

Relationship between variations in ecological conditions and the dynamics of intra-specific morphological diversity of Artemisia herba-alba Asso in Algeria

“…The results obtained from this study were analysed and discussed in order to establish the different relationships between the evolution of the markers used and the ecological characteristics through the three different bioclimatic stages. The presented study was carried out in parallel with the anatomical study of variability of A. herba-alba in different bioclimatic stages and its relation to the distribution and adaptation of the species (Maghni et al, 2018).…”