0000000000340445
AUTHOR
Scialabba A.
Plant Conservation Centres in Sicily: The ‘Valle Maria’ Regional Centre (Godrano, Palermo) and the case study of the rare Centaurea erycina (Asteraceae).
The role of the ‘Valle Maria’ Regional Centre and its activity in plant conservation thank to the collaboration with the University of Palermo, Dept. STEBICEF is discussed. The case study on propagation of Centaurea erycina, a narrow Sicilian endemic is presented.
Seed germination in Abies nebrodensis (Pinaceae)
Abies nebrodensis is a strict Sicilian endemic species, listed as “Critically Endangered” in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Seed production highly varies annually and among specimens. The species is affected by a very low seed germination rate, mainly depending on the large number of empty seeds (from 68 to 96%). The embryo presence in seeds increases with increasing seed size and weight. Optimal germination rate (61%) was achieved at constant 5°C in the darkness. The low proportion of embryos in seeds is a relevant threat for A. nebrodensis conservation, as it affects the intrapopulation genetic diversity and reduces the potential genetic variability of seed accessions preserved …