Biological and ecological traits of anthemis chrysantha J. Gay (Asteraceae), a critically endangered species
type: CreativeWork
description: [ENG] Anthemis chrysantha (Asteraceae) is a winter annual plant with erect habit which reaches a height of 30 cm. Its emergence period begins in autumn, flowering occurs from early March to late May, and fruits mature mostly in June, after that the plant dies. This species is endemic to North Africa and Cartagena (Murcia, southeast of Spain) and it is classified as Critically Endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories, and as En Peligro de Extinción in the Catálogo Regional de Flora Silvestre Protegida de la Región de Murcia. Due to this fact and the little prior knowledge about the species, the aim of this thesis is to study biological ad ecological traits of A. chrysantha in order to establish appropriate measures for its conservation. Thus, this work includes the study of: (1) morphology, anatomy and germination behavior of the heteromorphic achenes of A. chrysantha; (2) the spatial and temporal dispersal traits of the achenes and the implication of their dispersal strategy for the species; (3) the ability of the species to form a soil seed bank and the role that it can play in the maintenance of the population in an arid and unpredictable environment; (4) the level of genetic diversity, including the genetic variation within and between natural populations of the species, using ISSR markers; and (5) two different introduction methods, transplant of plants grown in a greenhouse and direct achene sowing, for testing them regarding to the survival and the establishment of the populations. According to the obtained results from the conducted tests, A. chrysantha produces two morphs of achenes: white and dark achenes which differ in size, weight, anatomy, and germination behavior. White achenes germinate in high percentages at different conditions, but dark achenes do not germinate. Dark achenes have dormancy due to the thickness of their pericarp, which makes difficult the entry of water and also prevents germination…
abstract: [ENG] Anthemis chrysantha (Asteraceae) is a winter annual plant with erect habit which reaches a height of 30 cm. Its emergence period begins in autumn, flowering occurs from early March to late May, and fruits mature mostly in June, after that the plant dies. This species is endemic to North Africa and Cartagena (Murcia, southeast of Spain) and it is classified as Critically Endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories, and as En Peligro de Extinción in the Catálogo Regional de Flora Silvestre Protegida de la Región de Murcia. Due to this fact and the little prior knowledge about the species, the aim of this thesis is to study biological ad ecological traits of A. chrysantha in order to establish appropriate measures for its conservation. Thus, this work includes the study of: (1) morphology, anatomy and germination behavior of the heteromorphic achenes of A. chrysantha; (2) the spatial and temporal dispersal traits of the achenes and the implication of their dispersal strategy for the species; (3) the ability of the species to form a soil seed bank and the role that it can play in the maintenance of the population in an arid and unpredictable environment; (4) the level of genetic diversity, including the genetic variation within and between natural populations of the species, using ISSR markers; and (5) two different introduction methods, transplant of plants grown in a greenhouse and direct achene sowing, for testing them regarding to the survival and the establishment of the populations. According to the obtained results from the conducted tests, A. chrysantha produces two morphs of achenes: white and dark achenes which differ in size, weight, anatomy, and germination behavior. White achenes germinate in high percentages at different conditions, but dark achenes do not germinate. Dark achenes have dormancy due to the thickness of their pericarp, which makes difficult the entry of water and also prevents germination…
author: Aguado López, Mayra
keywords: Anthemis chrysantha (Asteraceae), North Africa, Cartagena, Endangered species
date published: 2012-09-05
date modified: 2026-07-24T05:39:24Z
provider: Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.31428/10317/3117