Searching for seeds of the Carniolan spikerush (𝘌𝘭𝘦𝘰𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢), Groane park, near Milan

𝘌𝘭𝘦𝘰𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢 is a perennial hemicryptophyte from central and eastern Europe listed in Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive. Flowering is sequential, occurs during summer and can, exceptionally, be prolonged until October. Under favourable conditions, plants established from seed can flower within a year. The species can have viviparous behaviour: plants can develop single small seedlings at the base of the inflorescence; these seedlings, once detached and rooted, can establish a new individual.
The Native Flora Centre (CFA), managed by Parco Regionale del Monte Barro (www.parcobarro...), is a partner of a Life Project (Life SeedForce; lifeseedforce....) which aims to improve the conservation status of 29 Annex II species with an Unfavourable-Inadequate (19) or Unfavourable-Bad (10) conservation status occurring in 76 Natura 2000 SCI/SACs. Since 𝘌𝘭𝘦𝘰𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢 is one of the target species for this project, researchers at the CFA are collecting seeds in order to produce new plants for the reinforcement of wild populations.
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱.
𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲:
Trotta, G., Ceriani, R.M., Casolo, V., Bellingardi, J. et al. 2024. Vernalization affects the germination performance of the wetland endangered species 𝘌𝘭𝘦𝘰𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢. Biologia 79, 729-738. doi.org/10.100...