Department of Plant Sciences, Tel Aviv University, and The Ne'we Ya'ar Research Center, Israel.
The three phytogeographical territories (Mediterranean, Irano-Turanian and Saharo-Arabian), associated with the extreme gradient of annual rainfall (<100 - 1000 mm) in Israel, are characterized by a unique richness of plant species. Although, variability among indigenous populations, ancestors of domesticated cereals (wheat, barley and oats), have already been approached, that of wild spices, e.g. bitter fennel, coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) was much less studied. At present, exceeding development activities, in Israel, e.g. new roads, or new settlements, treaten natural habitats. To preserve selected populations of bitter fenel , ecological versus genetic variability of oleoresin composition of bitter fennel was determined. Fruits (metricarps) of F. vulgare were collected in natural habitats and simultaneously also from plants, representatives of each wild population cultivated in one area. Chemical composition of hexane extracted fruits, was determined by GC-MS. Based mainly on the phenylpropane derivatives i.e. anethole-estragole ratio, the studied natural populations were classified into 4 different groups. When representatives of the natural populations were cultivated, chemical composition of oleoresins of some populations exhibited orthodoxy, i.e. similar to that of their 'mother' natural populations; Nevertheless, chemical composition of representatives of other populations, deviated from their mother natural populations, suggesting non-orthodoxy, or low levels of heritability. In situ conservation of unique orthodox populations had been approached.