Hortus Botanicus Panormitanus Seed Bank

[automatically translated] Hortus Botanicus Panornitanus Seed Bank Scialabba * Anna & Francis M. RAYMOND Department of Environmental Biology and Biodiversity, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 38, 90123 Palermo, Italy E-mail the Author for correspondence: germas@unipa.it SUMMARY - Horlus Bolanicus Panormitanus seed Bank - the Bank of semi Hortus Botanicus Panormitanus (HPB) has implemented the project of ex situ conservation of wild plants of the Mediterranean, set in the context of the activities and functions of the botanical Gardens of Palermo. The bank aims to preserve plant genetic resources, paying particular attention to rare or endangered species and wild plants of cultivated plants ancestors. The main activities of the germplasm bank are ex situ conservation in the long (-20 ° C) and short term (5 ° C) of the seeds, their exchange and use for the reintroduction of species in nature, monitoring of endangered populations, the research on the biology of conservation of seeds and genotypic characterization of risk or potential economic interest entities. The sequence of the seed conservation process in the bank begins with the collection in the field and continues in the laboratory with the taxonomic identification, cleaning, quality control, dehydration, storage at low humidity and low temperature. The bank is supported by the "Laboratory for the Madonie System"