Micropropagation of Limonium cordatum (L.) Mill. for conservation purposes.

L. cordatum (L.) Mill. is a Ligurian endemism of the Northern Mediterranean area. Human use od the coast and seaside resorts has modified the areas where this plant has its habitat. Reviews of the literature and field investigations have enabled a progressive decrease in the population and in the number of specimens in the areas occupied by the species to be measured. Micropropagation tests pointed out the possibility of ex situ multiplication activities. The use of eplants from the basan part of the inflorescence stems was very successful in obtaining many new vegetative buds producing shoots with a normal appareance and development. In L. cordatum, low BA concentrations increase the rate of production of new shoot but had an inhibitory effect on rooting; on the contrary, the addition of auxin to the medium leads to increased root formation but inhibits shoot development. According to our experience, a micropropagation procedure based on the use of a simple MS medium without addition of growth regulators, is suggested for L. cordatum. In situ planting could be possible, with good results. Once young plants hadsurvived in vivo transplanting they incurred no further adaptation problems.