Germination and early seedling development of Helichrysum microphyllum Cambess. subsp. tyrrhenicum Bacch., Brullo & Giusso in the presence of arsenates and arsenites
Maria Enrica Boi,
Marco Sanna Angotzi,
Marco Porceddu,
Elodia Musu,
Valentina Mameli,
Gianluigi Bacchetta,
Carla Cannas
Affiliations
Maria Enrica Boi
Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, S. S. 554 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy; Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (CCB), University of Cagliari, Viale Sant’Ignazio da Laconi 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy; Sardinian Germplasm Bank (BG-SAR), Hortus Botanicus Karalitanus (HBK), University of Cagliari, Viale Sant’Ignazio da Laconi, 9-11, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Marco Sanna Angotzi
Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, S. S. 554 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy; Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali (INSTM), Via Giuseppe Giusti 9, 50121 Firenze, FI, Italy
Marco Porceddu
Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (CCB), University of Cagliari, Viale Sant’Ignazio da Laconi 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy; Sardinian Germplasm Bank (BG-SAR), Hortus Botanicus Karalitanus (HBK), University of Cagliari, Viale Sant’Ignazio da Laconi, 9-11, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Elodia Musu
Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, S. S. 554 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy; Consorzio Ausi, Palazzo Bellavista, 09016 Monteponi Iglesias, CI, Italy
Valentina Mameli
Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, S. S. 554 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy; Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali (INSTM), Via Giuseppe Giusti 9, 50121 Firenze, FI, Italy
Gianluigi Bacchetta
Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (CCB), University of Cagliari, Viale Sant’Ignazio da Laconi 13, 09123 Cagliari, Italy; Sardinian Germplasm Bank (BG-SAR), Hortus Botanicus Karalitanus (HBK), University of Cagliari, Viale Sant’Ignazio da Laconi, 9-11, 09123 Cagliari, Italy
Carla Cannas
Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, S. S. 554 Bivio per Sestu, 09042 Monserrato, CA, Italy; Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali (INSTM), Via Giuseppe Giusti 9, 50121 Firenze, FI, Italy; Corresponding author.
Arsenate, As(V), and arsenite, As(III), are the most available arsenicals present in the soil solutions, in particular in mine polluted substrates, and cause several symptoms of toxicity in plants (like inhibition of seed germination and reduction of seedling development). For these reasons, seeds germination studies are essential for the design of phytoremediation activities of mine sites. Seed germination and seedling development of Helichrysum microphyllum subsp. tyrrhenicum, were evaluated at 15 °C using various concentrations of As(V) and As(III) (0–500 mg/L and 0–200 mg/L, respectively). Seeds were harvested (I) into a mine dump contaminated in As, (II) nearby this site, and (III) faraway the As contaminated area and without mine activities. Seed germination, cotyledons emergence, and seedling mortality were evaluated for 90 days. As(V) and As(III) acted differently, showing a much higher toxicity when arsenite was added than arsenate. The taxon was able to germinate, develop cotyledons, and survive under all arsenate concentrations, whereas arsenite acted on these steps already at 2.5 mg/L. Moreover, a linear decrease in cotyledons emergence was assessed with the increase of both arsenicals’ concentrations, as well as a linear decrease of seedling survival under arsenite. The taxon showed great adaptability to As pollution, giving an important contribution in phytoremediation of mining sites.
