DISTRIBUTION, HABITATS, CHARACTERIZATION AND PROPAGATION OF SICILIAN ROSE SPECIES

In the present work distribution, habitat, morphology and propagation characteristics of wild roses native to Sicily were studied in order to define ecological value and ornamental potential. Among the species studied, Rosa canina L. was the most widespread in this region, followed by R. sempervirens L. while R. sicula Tratt. was the least common. Sicilian roses showed high morphological variability: R. sempervirens was the only evergreen species, with a crawling habit and long internodes; R. sicula Tratt. had a dwarf habit as well as the shortest blooming and fruit ripening periods. Molecular “DNA barcode” analysis (rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA) was able to discriminate R. sempervirens and R. sicula from other closely related species. By contrast, no genetic variation was found between R. canina and R. corymbifera. All collected species were propagated in vivo by placing semi-hardwood cuttings on rooting substrates (peat, perlite, peat:perlite 1:1 v/v) with or without 0.4% naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) treatment. Rooting rates were affected by genotype, rooting substrate and NAA treatment, with the highest values recorded for R. sempervirens cuttings rooted in peat:perlite and treated with NAA.