In vitro culture of sempre-vivas species (Comanthera): a review

Abstract

The term “sempre-viva” denotes plants whose structures retain their natural form and color after being cut and dried. For these reasons, they are commercially valuable for ornamental purposes. However, due to extractive overexploitation of their inflorescences, some of these species are considered endangered. The genus Comanthera includes the sempre-vivas species with greatest economic importance in Brazil. Previous studies have shown that tissue culture is a workable strategy for in vitro propagation and conservation of species of this genus. However, these studies are still incipient. Therefore, the objective of this review is to summarize the findings on the in vitro cultivation of species of the Comanthera genus, to serve as the basis for future research. The text is structured in two main topics: micropropagation and in vitro conservation.