Naoual Gharnit 1 , Noureddine El Mtili 2 , Abdeslam Ennabili 3* , Fouad Sayah 1

1 Laboratory of Applied Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, B.P. 416 Tangier, Morocco
2 Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, B.P. 2121 Tétouan 93002 Morocco
3 Institut National des Plantes Médicinales et Aromatiques, B.P. 8691 Fès 30100, Maroc.

 Abstract

A pomological survey of two types of carob tree from the Province of Chefchaouen, NW ofMorocco (productive “dkar” and “lanta”) shows that pods of productive “dkar” type(spontaneous type) present the high yield in seeds (20.5±7.74%) and are more straight thanpods of “lanta” type (grafted type) and pod curvature is inversely proportional to tree age.Trees of productive “dkar” type promote endosperm (carob bean gum) content of seeds (47.6±4.53%). The tegument and the embryo-cotyledons complex (carob germ) constitute respectively 22.7% and 19.9% of seed dry weight (dw). According to the provenance, these components would attain in aged grafted-type 23.0% and 21.0% in the same order. Other morphometric parameters of pods and seeds are commented in these carob tree types and especially compared to the Mediterranean cultivars or varieties.

 Key words: Ceratonia siliqua L., pod, seed, Province of Chefchaouen.