Morphometric and Phytochemical Analysis of Crepis aspromontana Brullo, Scelsi & Spamp. (Asteraceae) for Applied Botany

Crepis aspromontana Brullo, Scelsi & Spamp. is a perennial herbaceous species endemic to Calabria (Southern Italy), growing in rocky and arid environments on the Ionian slope of the Aspromonte massif (Reggio Calabria) (Brullo et al. 1995). Following an ethnobotanical survey carried out in the Calabria region, it was discovered that this plant is highly valued by local populations for food use (Patti et al. 2025). Ethnobotany is a key tool to promote knowledge and conservation of native species, integrating traditional knowledge with scientific approaches for a sustainable use of local resources. (Leonti et al. 2006). Despite its food potential, however, the plant is little studied and rarely exploited. The main objective of this work was to understand how cultivation and environmental stress affect the quality and nutritional value of the species and its different sizes: indeed, this knowledge could ensure a possible cultivation of the species for food use and for potential use in Green Walls, typical green infrastructure in sustainable cities. This study analysed the morphometric and phytochemical characteristics of C. aspromontana, comparing wild and cultivated plants, as well as fresh and frozen samples, and evaluating the effect of heat stress (25 °C and 29 °C) on the growth of cultivated plants. The results showed significant differences between wild and cultivated samples, with greater vigour in cultivated plants and higher concentrations of bioactive compounds in wild plants. Heat stress increased antioxidant synthesis in cultivated plants, while reducing chlorophyll b levels. These data suggest that C. aspromontana may be a promising food resource due to its phytochemical composition and adaptability. Moreover, it can certainly be considered as a plant to be included in Green Walls due to its resistance characteristics as it lives in rocky habitats, and its morpho-metric characteristics. Integrating ethnobotanical knowledge with cultivation practices can contribute to the valorisation and conservation of the species, promoting its food use and potential inclusion in Green Walls as a strategy to protect local biodiversity.