Taxonomic and botanical retrospective review of Pistacia atlantica Desf. (Anacardiaceae)

Abstract

Pistacia atlantica, an Irano-Touranian member of the Anacardiaceae family, is known for its distinctive ecological plasticity. Both ecological plasticity and phenotypic plasticity are closely related. This latter concept is defined as the variability of phenotypic expression of one genotype exposed to different environmental conditions and producing a large phenotypic range. It is likely that phenotypic plasticity plays an important role in diversification. The morphological features are very important for species characterization. They have mono or a polygenic determinism but they can be influenced by the environmental factors. In the current review, a taxonomic retrospection of Pistaciaatlanticais exposed focusing essentially on its taxonomic status evolution, followed by a botanical characterization of Pistaciaatlantica subsp. atlantica, the only observed representative of the species in North Africa.

Keywords

• pistacia atlantica
• ecological plasticity
• diversification
• taxonomy
• botanical characterization