Analysis of Morphological Traits in Herbarium of Historical Specimens from Maghreb: Morphological Characteristics of Landrace Kif.

Exploring the morphological traits of historical populations from the Maghreb can provide invaluable information about the characteristics of the Maghreb Landrace Kif and contribute to the preservation of this vulnerable resource. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the morphological characteristics of specimens collected before worldwide introgressive hybridization and summarize the morphological traits of the Maghreb Landrace Kif. Despite the limited number of specimens collected in the Maghreb, this study identified distinct types of in the herbaria, including the Maghreb Landrace Kif, European hemp, and potentially East Asian hemp. By examining the morphological traits of kif specimens and reviewing the relevant literature, the study identifies the morphological traits that tend to characterize Maghreb Landrace Kif. Morphologically, Kif is different from drug-type ("Sativa" and "Indica"). It resembles European hemp , but has female inflorescence characteristics that allow it to be distinguished from the latter, even when the growing conditions are optimal. These are the density of pistillate inflorescences (perigonal bract-to-leaf index), and the capitate stalked glandular trichomes cover density on the perigonal bracts. The characteristics of pistillate inflorescences identified in this study can be used to distinguish and select plants before phytochemical and genetic analysis, thus facilitating the identification of the Maghreb Landrace Kif.