Evaluation of spontaneous species for the innovation in floriculture: Pancratium maritimum L. as ornamental plant

Pancratium maritimum is a perennial geophyte which grows spontaneously on sandy dunes and beaches of Mediterranean coasts, where it plays an important role in preventing the dune erosion. However, in many coastal areas natural plant population are being drastically reduced, because of sea erosion and human activities. In order to evaluate the possibility of cultivation of Pancratium as ornamental plant, the aims of this study were: to investigate its behaviour in natural environment; to set up a protocol for bulb micropropagation; to evaluate the performances of potted plants in cold glasshouse