Perennial forage legumes endemic to the Canary Islands: collection and ex situ conservation

Several perennial legumes endemic to the Canary Islands have been recognized as forage resources for semi-arid zones. In the period 2008–2010, seed collecting missions focused on the genera Adenocarpus DC., Bituminaria Heist. ex Fabr., Chamaecytisus Link, Cicer L., Genista L., Teline Medik. and Vicia L. were carried out in the archipelago. Sixty-nine samples were gathered from 31 endemic taxa, eight of which are threatened. These accessions are conserved at the gene bank of the Instituto Canario de Investigaciones Agrarias for further characterization and evaluation. Collection and ex situ conservation contribute to preserve endemic legumes genetic resources for utilization in the Canary Islands and in other semi-arid regions of the world.