Micropropagation and conservation of threatened endemic Tripleurospermum heterolepis (Freyn & Sint.) Bornm. and T. repens (Freyn & Sint.) Bornm. (Asteraceae) species

In this thesis, the endemic and endangered species Tripleurospermum heterolepis (Freyn & Sint.) Bornm. and Tripleurospermum repens (Freyn & Sint.) Bornm. were protected ex situ by micropropagation. The results of chromosome counting, flow cytometry and stomata analysis and stability tests of the plants propagated in vitro were carried out. Plantlets obtained by germinating the achenes of both species in vitro were used as explant sources. For shoot multiplication, MS medium containing a combinations of 0,25, 0,5 and 1,0 mg L−1 6-BA, 0,25, 0,5 and 1,0 mg L−1 KIN, 0,25, 0,5 and 1,0 mg L−1 2iP with 0,1 mg L−1 IBA and 0,1 mg L−1 NAA was used. In T. heterolepis, the highest average shoot number (5,25 ± 1,57) was obtained from MS medium containing 0,25 mg L−1 6-BA + 0,1 mg L−1 NAA. In T. repens, the highest average shoot number (3,80 ± 1,15) was obtained from MS medium containing 0,25 mg L−1 2iP + 0,1 mg L−1 IBA. For rooting, an MS medium individually containing combinations of 0,25, 0,5 and 1,0 mg L−1 IBA and 0,25, 0,5 and 1,0 mg L−1 NAA was used. In T. heterolepis, the highest average root number (2.19 ± 0.98) was obtained from MS medium containing 1,0 mg L−1 NAA. In T. repens, the highest average root number (4.95 ± 1.10) was obtained from MS medium containing 1,0 mg L−1 IBA. The genetic stability of in vitro propagated T. heterolepis and T. repens was tested by chromosome counting, flow cytometry and stomatal analysis. The nuclear DNA amounts of T. heterolepis and T. repens was determined as 8.38 pg/2C and 8.66 pg/2C, respectively, and the chromosome number was determined as 2n = 4x = 36, thus showing that both species were genetically stable. Similarly, it was observed that stomatal lengths of in vitro propagated plants and natural populations were similar. Acclimatization success rate was determined as 82% for T. heterolepis and 83% for T. repens. Two years after being transferred to the external environment, the plants flowered and formed achenes. With these data, contributions were made to the conservation biology of T. heterolepis and T. repens.