Back to Contents

FREE FULL TEXT PDF

The StatuS of Asteraceae in the Arid and Saharan Flora OF NORTH AFRICAN REGION: CASE of Tunisia

Zouheir Noumi^*, Saad Ouled Dhaou, Salma DERBEL AND Mohamed Chaieb

Abstract: In North Africa, mainly in Tunisia, the family of Asteraceae is largely represented by a number of species, since in the center and in the south of the country, the number of species is more than 172 species with 13.5% of the whole of the flora of Phanerogames in the center and the south of country. This study consists of an analysis of the botanical importance of the Asteraceae family in the southern Tunisia flora, in particular its generic composition, the biological types and the phytochoric status, which characterize this flora. The analysis shows that the Therophytes are the most abundant in Tunisia. On the other hand, the Geophytes are represented within the family of Asteraceae. The relation between Asteraceae present in Tunisia and their phytogeographical origin shows that the origin of the totality of the species is the Mediterranean circumference region. The taxons with North African origin are on the other hand slightly represented. Moreover, in spite of the abundance of the species within the family of Asteraceae, 10 genera most representative of Asteraceae are inventoried in the south of Tunisia. The genus Centaurea includes only 8% of the Asteraceae present in the South of Tunisia, followed by the genera of Atractylis and Senecio with 5% of species. The Launaea and Chrysanthemum genus add up each one 4% of the species located in the zone of study. Lastly, the genus of Ormenis, Calendula, Onopordum, Crepis and Leontodon are the least rich of all taxon, with approximately 2% of species.
 

Department of Biology, U.R. Biology & Ecophysiology of Plants, Science Faculty of Sfax Tunisia 3018, BP 802.