Italy's Solento region could become a center for sea fennel seed production

Wild halophytes have been traditionally used since ancient times in various fields. In recent years, growing interest in these plants has been driven by the identification of many metabolites that have health and nutritional properties. Thus, a number of studies are devoted to the biology and origin of the “sea fennel” Crithmum maritimum, cultivation and benefits for human nutrition. Traditionally, this plant was included in the Mediterranean diet, in addition to some wild vegetables, as evidenced by ethnobotanical studies. Sea fennel, a member of the Apiacae family, is a perennial halophyte that grows on rocky sea cliffs and less commonly on sands and gravels. It has a very wide distribution, occurring along the European Atlantic coast, the Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts and in North-West Africa, where plants are exposed to several abiotic stresses such as soil salinity and drought. In response, C. maritimum has evolved morphological, physiological and biochemical adaptations ...