Lavandula maroccana

Botanical Description

Lavandula maroccana is an evergreen perennial plant with stems that become woody near the base. It branches freely from the base with ascending stems 50 - 100cm long[ 2219 Title The Genus Lavendula Publication Author Upson T. & Andrews S. Publisher Timber Press; Portland, Oregon Year 2004 ISBN 0-88192-642-6 Description Very detailed study of the genus, its species and hybrids. An excellent work, very well illustrated ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and as a flavouring in tea and coffee. Lavandula maroccana is a very local species, with a varied abundance from very rare occurrences to occasional in some locations but most of the subpopulations are isolated. The number of mature individuals and the population density has been significantly reduced during the last decades and the species occurs often in small subpopulations. The species is under numerous threats, in particular due to overharvesting for domestic uses and for trade; unsustainable harvesting and collection practices; overgrazing; deforestation; erosion and drought, with an estimated continuing decline in the population size and the habitats quality on all the locations. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2020)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].