Seed germination in five autochthonous campanula species of Northern Italy

The genus Campanula includes about 300 herbaceous species distributed exclusively in the boreal hemisphere, with their epicentre in the Mediterranean lands. In the past, several bellflowers were cultivated and appreciated for alimentary and officinal uses. From the 17th century, some Campanula species (C. carpatica Jacq., C. isophylla Moretti and C. persicifolia L.) have acquired a considerable interest as ornamental garden and potted plants and, more recently, as cut flowers (C. medium L.), mainly thanks to their typical colour ranging from a deep violet to the very pale milky blue. Anyway, despite the numerous species characterizing the genus, only a few are now available on the market. Wild bellflowers can represent therefore a very important genetic resource for finding new ornamental characteristics, diversifying plant and flower production. In the present study, at first we selected five autochthonous bellflower species of Northern Italy showing aesthetic traits potentially interesting for flower market as garden plant or cut flower. Subsequently, in order to propagate and evaluate this germplasm for selection and breeding activities, we collected their seeds in the wild and we carried out different experiments to evaluate and promote seed germination.