Biography
Biography: Khalil ALMaarri
Abstract
Syria has a great diversity of wild and cultivated plants due to the varied geography and climate. It has been estimated that more than 3500 species of vascular plants grow in Syria. Iris plants in Syria are becoming increasingly rare due to both ongoing destruction of their natural habit, as well as over harvesting of wild species and the influencing factors of modernization; i.e., urbanization, migrations, detrimental climatic and environmental changes, adding the huge destruction of plant biodiversity by the hard war since 5 years. In this research, 22 wild iris species were identified and classified in different area of Syria. Morphological, geographical, ecological, chemical composition and genetic characterizations of this iris were studied. In this investigation, a vegetative micropropagation of Iris aurantica and Iris nigricans plants technique has been established, for the first time in Syria. Some growth hormones and media were experienced to determine the best conditions in multiplication and rooting stages. Research was conducted, to develop an in vitro technique for short-term conservation. Tissue of iris was conserved in the laboratory since 4 years. Cryoconservation by capsulation of iris was investigated and promise results were obtained for Iris aurantica and Iris nigricans.