Essential oils, genetic relationships and in vitro establishment of Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don ssp italicum from wild Mediterranean germplasm

In this paper we describe the morphological, histological and chemical characters of 20 native Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don ssp. italicum genotypes collected from different locations in Italy and Corsica (France) and grown under similar edaphic and climatic conditions. An AFLP technique was used to examine the level of genetic variability among the genotypes with the aim to disclose a possible correlation between the genetic and chemical data. The chemical analysis recognizes at least three different chemotypes based on the major constituents in the essential oils. This was confirmed by the AFLP analysis resulting in a dendrogram divided into three main clades. Because of the polymorphic trait of Helichrysum species, an efficient micropropagation protocol was established for the 20 H. italicum (Roth) G. Don ssp. italicum genotypes to guarantee the availability of stable genetic material with defined chemical profiles for industrial applications. The genotypes were found to influence the in vitro performance and the chemical composition of the essential oils, but not the phenotypic traits of the plants.