Young plants of Ceratonia siliqua L., Myrtus communis L., Nerium oleander L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Ligustrum japonicum Thunb. and Pittosporum tobira (Thunb.) Aiton were grown in long tubes as well in rhizotrons. After a period of acclimation to the conditions of the experimental construction under normal watering conditions, some plants were watered whereas other plants remained unwatered for a period of one month. During the studying period the plants have been observed and regular measurements of roots and above ground parts development were taken. The results show the resistance of the Mediterranean plants (C. siliqua, M. communis, N. oleander) to water deficit in comparison to plants that are often used in parks and urban horticulture (L. japonicum, P. tobira), whereas R. officinalis shows an intermediate stage of endurance to drought.

Hypnerotomachia Poliphili” (HP) is a literary source of semi-natural and human-induced landscapes that centred on seductive environmental attributes, such as gardens, groves, pergolas and dispersed ancient ruins, which represent knowledge derived from the tradition and experience of ages. HP is the short title of one of the most influential books of the Renaissance (the first edition was published by Aldus Manutius in Venice, in 1499); it is the story of a man (Poliphilos), who falls asleep and dreams of traversing landscapes and gardens containing plants, ancient ruins and allegorical figures, in order to be reunited with his beloved (Polia). Interest in this novel has been revived, due to substantial influence on landscape and garden design. In this study, attention has been given to the botanical section preserved in the text. Paying attention to narratives provides a source for (re)considering conceptions of landscapes, nature and culture, wild and domesticated plant life. Arboreal and bush plants here quoted disclose aspects of plant diversity and ecophysiology; among a large number of plant taxa, roses, myrtle, pines, cypresses, laurels, acanthus, oaks, olive trees, juniper, ivy, thyme, oregano, violets, wormwood and cyclamens were the most frequently cited. Also, the seasonality of Mediterranean landscapes, indicated by flowering and fruit-bearing indigenous plants, can be traced through textual passages. Its wood-engraved illustrations of portrayed landscapes and botanic sketches (e.g. ferns, palms, oaks, cypresses, box trees and foliage of laurel, acanthus, grapevine and ivy) constitute evidence for both plant diversity and natural history, at the end of the fifteenth-century.

Somatic embryos of carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.) were induced from segments excised from immature seeds when cultured on Murashige and Skoog (M.S.) medium supplemented with a gradient of concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BA). Roots and shoots were also formed in the same media. Besides culture media composition, the developmental stage of the explants showed a strong influence on somatic embryogenesis, with embryos and cotyledons providing high levels of induction; thus, elevated frequencies of development occurred on culture media containing various concentrations of BA. The presence of morphologically normal and abnormal somatic embryos was also observed. Upon transfer into full- and half-strength M.S. medium supplemented with sucrose (3%), plantlets were coming through embryos. Attempts to induce embryogenic callus from immature seeds of carob tree were successful. The resulting outgrowths were very high in embryogenetic potential from green immature seeds of carob tree and expants transferred into M.S. enriched with B.A. developed a large number of somatic embryos.