**2. Argan stands in southwestern Morocco**

Argan tree forest covers an area of 3,976,000 ha, spanning from the city of Safi in northeastern Morocco to the Saharan fringe in the south, where the argan tree

#### **Figure 1.**

*Distribution area of the argan tree in Morocco [23].*

**Figure 2.** *Argan tree from Tamanar (a) and Oulad Teima (b) regions.*

**Figure 3.**

*Fruits of the argan trees of southwestern Morocco (A) Smimou, (B) Ait Baha, (C) Tiznit, and (D) Bouizakarne.*

occupies about 70% of the woodland area [23]. The most important stands extend mainly from the Northeast of Essaouira to the valley of Souss (**Figure 1**).

This locality constitutes the central area of the argan grove and this is because of the state of development and the exceptional vigor that this species presents as shown in 15 sites covering areas of Lakhssas, Smimou, Ait Baha, Tamanar, Essaouira, Taroudant, Irherm, Guelmim, Imsouane, Anzi, Tiznit, Taghazoute, Ait Melloul, Bouizakrane, and Oulad Teima (**Figures 2** and **3**).
