American-Eurasian J. Agric. & Environ. Sci., 16 (5): 998-1003, 2016 ISSN 1818-6769 © IDOSI Publications, 2016 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.aejaes.2016.16.5.12920 Corresponding Author: Sana Gammoudi, Arid and Oases Cropping Laboratory, Arid Lands Institute, Medenine 4119, Tunisia. 998 Phenological and Architectural Study of the Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Female Inflorescence Sana Gammoudi, Mohamed Ben Salah, Ali Ferchichi and Hervé Rey 1 1 2 3 Arid and Oases Cropping Laboratory, Arid Lands Institute, Medenine 4119, Tunisia 1 National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia, Rue Charles Nicolle, 43, 1082 Tunis, Mahrajene, Tunisia 2 UMR AMAP CIRAD-BIOS-Boulevard de la Lironde TA A5/PS2,Montpellier cedex 5-France 3 Abstract: The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is the main element upon which the sustainable biophysical and socio-economic organizations of the oasis ecosystem are based. The present study was carried to understand the phenology and the architecture of the date palm female inflorescence. The vegetal material was composed of two Tunisians cultivars of Phoenix dactylifera L. ‘Kenta’ and ‘Rochdi’. The observations are taken place in Gabes. Generally the inflorescence development is acrotone. The opening of date palm spathes follows a 4-steps gradient during 3 to 6 weeks after the beginning of his emergence. The inflorescence rachis is bilateralized with one ramification order corresponding to the spikelets which are organized in pseudo- verticils. The measurement of the descriptive parameters shows some differences between the two varieties and allows executing realistic models. Key words: Phoenix dactylifera L. Cultivar Inflorescence Architecture Models INTRODUCTION understand the phenology and the architecture of the Date palm, Phoenix dactylifera L. (Arecaceae), is a parameters on the level of the reproductive organs will be dioecious monocotyledon; its vegetative propagation used to compare and model the morphological through shoot cuttings is widely practiced. Belonging to characteristics of the two studied cultivars ‘Rochdi’ and the Phoeniceae tribe [1] classified in the model of Corner ‘Kenta’. [2], the date palm is built with one vegetative axis with apical continues growth and a massive crown of leaves MATERIALS AND METHODS with thorny base, the inflorescence are produced laterally to the palm leaves. It is widely planted for its numerous Vegetal Material: The mature measured inflorescences of uses and its ecosystem services, particularly for its the two cultivars ‘Rochdi’ and ‘Kenta’ were taken in the edible fruits of which thousands of varieties were date palm plantation of Nahal Gabes in south Tunisia and selected [3]. In Tunisia, there are over 250 cultivars that in total 64 inflorescences were used for this study. are considerably differed in their vegetative growth and The work began with the identification of the date palm yield characteristics.The unisexual flowers are borne in a trees and their phyllotaxy using the parastichies 8 and 5. big cluster (inflorescence) called spadix or spike, which Locate the spire (the first incompletely deployed palm) consists of central stem called rachis and several strands considered No. 1, then numbering the palms to the base or spikelets (usually 50-150 lateral branches). The of the crown and each inflorescence took the rank of the inflorescence, also called flower cluster, in its early stages palm which axile (Fig. 1 (a)). is enclosed in a hard covering/envelope known as spathe Metric measurements:Metric measurement relate to which splits open as the flower mature exposing the entire the length of the spathe and the stalk measured with one inflorescence for pollination purposes [4]. Within the tape meter and the height and width measured by means study present framework, the main purpose is to of a digital caliper at different check-points (Fig. 1 (b)). date palm female inflorescence. The knowledge of these