2007-2010: Coltivazione sperimentale di Artemisia umbelliformis subsp. eriantha (genepì appenninico) ottenuta da micropropagazione, nelle aiuole del Giardino Alpino di Campo Imperatore

The Alpine Botanical Garden of Campo Imperatore (Fig. 1), located at 2117 m a.s.l. in the Gran Sasso massif, accommodates the main peculiar species of the regional mountainous flora and belongs to the “Gran Sasso - Monti della Laga” National Park. It represents a living museum specialised in biological education and regional flora conservation. From 2007 to 2010, 120 plants of Artemisia umbelliformis ssp. eriantha, obtained by in vitro micropropagation (1), were transplanted into purpose-made flower-beds in the Garden (2), trying to reproduce their natural habitat (Fig. 2). Over this period, it was possible to assess the mortality and vegetative growth rates and the responses of clones to environmental stresses (Fig. 3 e 4). The results were encouraging, as very low mortality rates, high asexual propagation and remarkable flowering of the specimens were observed.