Initial Determination of Polymorphism and In Vitro Conservation of Some Ramonda Serbica and Ramonda Nathaliae Populations from Albania, Macedonia and Bulgaria

ABSTRACTThe “resurrection plant” Ramonda serbica is included in the Albanian and Bulgarian list of endangered plants as a rare, Balkanic-endemic species and tertiary relic species, while R. nathaliae is characteristic in the FYROM area. Our research groups have established national in vitro collections of R. serbica in Albania and Bulgaria and R. nathaliae in Macedonia. The aim of this joint study is (1) the choice of successful micropropagation methods as the basis for the in vitro collections and (2) the evaluation of polymorphism of some natural populations. In both collections, seeds were used as a convenient starting point for micropropagation in the nutrient medium JG-B. In the Bulgarian in vitro collection, a dry sterilization of seeds was applied for a first time for Gesneriaceae family. The micropropagation and conservation of Ramonda seeds and plantlets were similar in Albanian and Bulgarian collections. The plantlets in vitro as an explant material were developed in JG-B medium with different p...