Study of the Floristic Diversity of Jbel Zerhoun, Morocco

The Zerhoun massif culminates at 978 m altitude in a series of mountains perpendicular to the Atlantic Ocean. The rugged relief of the dition would be a refuge for a remarkable plant biodiversity that the present study aims to evaluate. The sampling follows an altitudinal gradient. The plant material collected and identified shows the presence of 209 taxa affiliated to 156 genera and 49 families of which the best represented are: the Fabaceae (27), Asteraceae (23 taxa), Poaceae (22), followed by the Lamiaceae (16), Caryophyllaceae (11) and Apiaceae (11). The area hosts to 13 endemic taxa and could be considered a biodiversity hot spot.