Cultivar selection from spontaneous populations of Atriplex halimus L.

Atriplex halimus L. is a shrub spontaneously growing in the coastal areas of the Sardinia island. In the last years a specific research program was performed with the aim to localize the areas where the species grows spontaneously. Subsequently, individual shrubs were sampled to describe the main accessions of the species and to propagate the most significant natural phenotypic variability. In May of 2005 a survey was made throughout the littoral of Sardinia, which led to the collection and characterization of 30 accessions of A. halimus mainly from the areas South, West and North of the island. The clones were characterized by morphological description of the mother plant and then propagated by softwood cuttings taken from spring branches, a field collection of different accessions was also maintained as dry culture. Factors relating to the propagation of different clones, the general characteristics of plants and the phenotypic variability of clones, such as plant habit, leaf size and morphology, and time of flowering were recorded. Data analysis were useful to indicate, for each clone, the potential use as an ornamental cultivar or for other purposes. Comparative analysis of descriptor lists showed a relative low variability for the plant habit, while plant vigour and size, flowering abundance and fruit yield, as well as leaf size showed a strong variability among the described clones. The phenological behaviour showed variability associated to the different areas of origin of accessions.