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Plant Genetic Resources Newsletter, 2002, No. 132 45
and the 'gira' beet),stillgrowinsomehousegardens (Table1). No Cultivated and wild Brassicaceae in Sicily
traces were found of the typical'cavolo vecchio' landrace ('old The present collectingmission in Sicily has been monitored the
cabbage' B. oleracea var. acephala), ofwhichbothyoungleavesand regional status ofgenetic erosion ofcrops belonging to the genus
shoots are used as vegetables while the old leaves and stems are Brassica. This activity is one of the aims of the European Union
usedfor feeding animals. Unfortunately noseeds werecollected of ProjectBRASCO "Brassica collectionsfor broadeningagricultural
the wild 'cavolo marino' ('marine cabbage' Brassica macrocarpa) use'', a scientificcollaborationamong 16PartnerInstitutes (indud-
whichis veryrareonMarettimoand traditionallywas used to cure ingiG,IPKandOOFATA)fromninecountries(Laghettiinprep.).
contusionsand hernatomas (afterbeing pounded,itwas puton the
ailment). Many vestiges ofancient cultivated fields (e.g. terraces Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica P/enck)
and threshing places for pulses and cereals) were observed, to- The severallocal cultivars dispersed in Sicily are distinguished
gether withsome plants which had escaped from cultivation and mainlybythe harverst period. Thesecultivarsbelonged mainly to
become wild (Figure 6). Theagriculturalsituationis si.milarto that Calabreseand toSparaceddugroup (Branca andlapichino 1997).
observed in 1986 (Hammer et al. 1987), showing only a slight Theformer is cultivated and widespread mainly in eastern Sicily,
progressingenetic erosion. and is characterizedby apical dominance which determines the
development of a large principal head; only after its harvesting
lslands ofStagnone and neighbouring do the secondary heads develop. The lattergroup is widespresad
areas in westernSicilyand isdistinguished by the development of both
Today, on S. Pantaleo, only some small vineyards and family principaland secondary heads at thesame time (sprouting types)
gardens stili exist. Two traditionallandracesofbroadbean ('fave (Gray 1982; Boukema 1995).
di S. Pantaleo') and tornato ('pizzutello') were collected.
Cauliflower (B. oleracea var. botrytis [L.] Alef.)
Severa! sites dose to Ericeand Trapani werealso visited and InSicilythis erop is constituted mainly of!oca!cultivars, named
some populationsofwild species were gathered,induding Brassica in relationto harvesting time (Branca 2000).They belong to green
drepanensis, Avena sterilis, Hordeum bulbosum L. and Allium sp.. and violet cauliflowergroups; the former is diffused in western
areas while the latterin the eastern ones. Within theviolet group,
Southern Sicily there is a typical variety called 'Ciurietto' ('small flower') which
On Sicily, the collecting activity focussed on wild species, in could be considered an intermediate type between broccoli and
particular wild oats. The hexaploid species Avena sterilis is an cauliflower on the basis of curd grain (Branca and Iapichino
importantgenetic resource for oatbreeding (Figure 7). Recently, 1997). Violet cauliflowers show a great diversity, mainly for cold
the new species Avena insularis Ladizinsky was found in south requirement for flowering induction, curd size, colour and grain
Sicily (Ladizinsky 1998). The locus classicus for this species, south (Branca 1998b; 2000).
of the cityofCatania, was visited and germplasmwas collected.
Other wild species collected on Sicily belong to the genera Kale (B. oleracea va r. acephala [DC.] Alef.)
Hirschfeldia (with 'amareddi' H. incana (L.) Lagr.-Foss., a wild This crop is dispersed throughout Sicily and mallùy located in
relative of cultivated cabbages), Medicago, Vicia, Aegilops, and home gardens or in marginai areas characterized by poor soils
Secale. Mass populations of Secale strictum (Presl) Presi, a peren- and drought (Branca and Iapichino 1997). Plants are perennial
nial wild rye, was found at higher elevation dose to the top of the andforthis reason are called 'cavolo vecchio' in Etna areas or
volcano Etna. 'cavolo forte' in westernSicily. Inflorescences are verysmall and,
therefore, are harvestedand used as young shoots. Theold leaves
fed to animals.
Kohlrabi (B. oleracea var. gongylodes L.)
Thelocalcultivars produce both green and violet swollen stems;
the former are widespread throughout the island while the latter
are mallùy located in eastern areas, in particular, the Catania
district. Inthis area two cultivars are common and characterized
by cold requirement (vernalization) for flowering induction
(Branca and Iapichino 1997).
Figure 7. Shattered seeds of Avena sterilis, an important B. fruticulosa Cyr.
genetic resource for oat breeding, collected from the ground The species is widespread in all Sicily, but its area of concentra-
in the surroundings of Motta Sant' Anastasia (Catania). tion is around Etna where it is commonas weed in vineyards and
