In vitro germination of four herbaceous species endemic to the Azores archipelago

Pereira, Maria João; Dias, Elisabete; Ramos, Saioa

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/1436

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Authors

Pereira, Maria João

Dias, Elisabete

Ramos, Saioa

Abstract(s)

Current projects aimed at the conservation of endemic species and restorations of native habitats require information about seed viability, held in a germplasm bank, and ex situ seed and plant production. In this study, we investigated: a) the viability of Spergularia azorica Lebel seeds after 18 years of storage, and the ability of the developed plants to produce viable seeds in ex situ conditions; b) the viability of Leontodon filii (Hochst. ex Seub.) Paiva & Ormonde seeds after seven years of storage; c) the germination characteristics of in situ harvested seeds of Luzula purpureo-splendens Seub.; and d) the feasibility of harvesting seeds from transplanted flowering Bellis azorica Hochst. plants to initiate in vitro cultures on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium. For each of these four species, we estimated the percentage of germination, the number of days for radicle emergence, and the mean time to germination in different experimental conditions. The best germination percentages obtained were: a) 81.6 % for Spergularia azorica 18 year-old seeds and 97 % for the next generation of ex situ-produced seeds; b) 91% for Leontodon filii after seven years’ storage; c) 73% for in situ harvested seeds of Luzula purpureo-splendens; and d) 81% for Bellis azorica ex situ-produced seeds. Also, in vitro cultures of Bellis azorica were initiated on MS medium.