Propagation of Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia Genotypes and Determination of Their Ornamental Traits Combined with a Genetic Analysis Using ISSR Markers

Abstract

Pistacia lentiscus L. is a dioecious shrub or small tree with high drought resistance, native in the entire Mediterranean basin. The variety ‘Chia’ (mastic tree) is cultivated for the production of mastic gum (a resin produced after wounding of the trunks and thick branches) in the Island of Chios (Greece), but it also has a significant ornamental value. In the present study, ten male and ten female genotypes of P. lentiscus var. Chia from the natural habitats of Chios were selected and examined with respect to the rooting efficiency of their shoot cuttings. The germination ability of the seeds was also tested. The 20 plants were morphologically described, mainly with respect to traits related to their ornamental value. Furthermore, leaves were collected from the 20 genotypes, from which genomic DNA (gDNA) was isolated, followed by amplification of gDNA fragments using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers. This was done aiming both at the determination of their genetic distance and the establishment of possible correlations between the amplified bands and certain morphological traits. The results of the study showed that there were differences among the genotypes for both methods of propagation. Regarding the rooting of the shoot cuttings, the best genotype was 8M (cv. ‘Psilophyllos’), achieving a rooting rate of 62.5% in winter with the application of indolebutyric acid (potassium salt of IBA), while regarding the seed germination capacity the genotype 2F exhibited the highest germination rate (57%). Genetic analysis using ISSRs separated the plants into four groups, one group consisting of male genotypes, one of the female genotypes, one consisting of members from both genders and a fourth containing a single male genotype. The genetic analysis of the male genotypes only produced a dendrogram showing the cultivars clustering in three different groups. Regardless of the genetic analysis, it seems that there were correlations between the ISSR markers and the leaf traits and also the gender and the asexual propagation. These correlations can assist future breeding programs of P. lentiscus var. Chia.

Asexual Propagation of Greek Salvia officinalis L. Populations Selected for Ornamental Use

“…In the present work, the problem of explant browning and necrosis noticed at this stage was eliminated by immersing plant material in an antioxidant solution (ascorbic acid and citric acid). The same practice was successfully followed for another member of the Lamiaceae family, Rosmarinus officinalis [11] and one of the Rosaceae, Pyrus spinosa [45]. It is known that ascorbic acid prevents the browning and hyperhydricity of explants and improves in vitro rooting and ex vitro survival of the plants [17,46,47].…”

“…The first step toward the improvement of a plant species by its desired traits is based on the analysis of the species morphology, mainly by assessing leaf, flower, fruit and plant shape variability [10], which is a useful tool for the selection of populations suitable as ornamentals [11,12]. However, the reliability of the evaluation by phenotypic characteristics is affected by environmental factors.…”

Vegetative Propagation and ISSR-Based Genetic Identification of Genotypes of Ilex aquifolium ‘Agrifoglio Commune’

“…It is also clear that repeated asexual propagation of I. aquifolium 'Agrifoglio Commune', as might have happened in these plants, did not result in genetic differentiation. Similar genetic analysis with ISSR molecular markers was used in other species to find the genetic profile of asexually propagated plant genotypes, e.g., Pistacia lentiscus [45], or to detect genetic variation in micropropagated plants such as Platanus acerifolia [46], Prunus amygdalus [47], Phoenix dactylifera [48] and Vanilla planifolia [49]. Moreover, ISSRs have been successfully employed to assess the genetic stability of regenerants from artificial seeds of Viburnum dentatum [50], Rauvolfia tetraphylla [19],…”

Genetic Characterization of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis Genotypes Derived from Seeds and Selection Based on Their Morphological Traits and Flower Aromatic Substances

“…Some desirable traits of G. jasminoides Ellis, which could be exploited for the selection of genotypes as pot plants, are plant robustness, large and numerous flowers with a pleasant aroma and attractive leaves. However, the desired traits may differ depending on the use of gardenia plants, e.g., pot plant or garden plant [23].…”