Regeneration of Picea omorika and Pinus heldreichii by tissue culture methods

Serbian spruce, Picea omorika (Panc.) Purk. And whitebark pine, Pinus heldreichii (Christ.) are Tertiary relic and endemic species. Picea omorika is endemic to the Balkan Peninsula and is restricted to small localities in Serbia and Bosnia. As a decorative tree it is frequently planted in parks and gardens of many European countries. Pinus heldreichii is endemic to the Balkan Peninsula and Southern Italy. This conifer species grows on limestone cliffs and slopes of high mountain regions up to 2200 m, even under most severe conditions. Traditional methods of vegetative propagation for both conifer species have been only partially successful. Therefore in vitro methods could be used for preservation and propagation of these two relic and endemic species.