S05 - Session P4 - Rescue, micropropagation and morphological characterization of a wild population of chocolate cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus)

Authors: Bulmaro Morales Vázquez *, María Teresa Colinas León, José Merced Mejía Muñoz , María Teresa Martínez Damián, Diana Erika Gómez Pedraza , Juan Martínez Solís , María de Jesús Juárez Hernández

Cosmos atrosanguineus is an ornamental species which is almost extinct from its natural environment. In 2015 a scarce wild population was found in Mexico and material was collected. In order to conserve and characterize this population, seeds obtained from micropropagated plants were planted. Thereto, explants of wild plants were introduced into in vitro culture. The micropropagated plants were cultivated in a greenhouse and seeds were obtained. Subsequently, the seeds were planted and the germination rate was evaluated. The morphological characterization of the plants was carried out when flowering began. The tuberous roots were evaluated at the end of flowering. The main results showed that micropropagation was achieved from explants of nodal segments and MS medium. Most of the seeds germinated between 13 and 15 days after sowing. The length of the flower peduncle varied between 35 and 55 cm, the average plant height was 9 cm, after 4 to 5 pairs of compound leaves the flower bud appears. Dark and light tones were observed in the flowers and the chocolate fragrance was perceived in all plants and 4 to 5 tuberous roots per plant were observed. In conclusion, morphological variation of the plants was observed within the population and with the variation in the colors of flowers and the presence of the fragrance, there is the potential to derive improved materials for use as an ornamental plant through the cloning of outstanding individuals.