MORPHOMETRIC AND BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A NEW NON-SPINY VARIETY OF ARGAN TREE (Argania spinosa L. SKEELS) SOUHAYL WITH DUAL PURPOSE: OIL PRODUCTION AND ORNAMENTAL USE

The argan tree (Argania spinosa L. SKEELS) is a species recognized for its ecological, economic, and cultural importance. This article discusses the multifunctional value of the argan tree and highlights the possibility of selecting certain genotypes in addition to oil-producing capacity for ornamental uses. This is the Souhayl variety, one of the first varieties officially listed in the catalog of the National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA) on list C of species and varieties of plants that can be cultivated in Morocco. Selected at the Faculty of Sciences in Oujda (FSO), this new dual-purpose variety can be grown as a productive fruit tree with a particularly high oil content (47.6%), or as an ornamental tree suitable for urban green spaces in arid and semi-arid areas thanks to its hardiness, morphological and aesthetic qualities (weeping habit, absence of thorns) that are appreciated in landscape design.