Malta's test tube Tulips

Tulips from Amsterdam, goes the ditty. But actually, Malta has its own indigenous variety, which goes by the technical name of Tulip Sylvestris.

These Maltese tulips are endangered species and their sparse locality is only known to MEPA. However, the Plant Biotechnology Centre of the Agriculture Department is currently involved in a project aimed to promote their conservation.

Maureen Delia, Principal Pharmacist at the Micro-Propagation Unit of the Centre said that the project has been going on for the past six years, constantly striving to cultivate and grow these tulips with the final target of re-introducing them in the wild.

She explained how a sample is taken from the wild variety of the plant - in the case of the tulips, a seed. "The seed is then taken to the laboratory, under sterilized conditions and from there placed in a medium - which is a jelly-like bed of nutrients," said Ms Delia.

From then on the seeds are monitored constantly to ensure that they have optimum conditions. "We keep it in the laboratory till it grows, from there we move it to the greenhouse for the acclimatisation stage."

Ms Delia said that unfortunately the tulips are still at an experimentation stage and so far have not made it to the greenhouse: "It's all trial and error with projects like these," she said, while confirming that the indigenous Maltese orchids (Opyris italica and lutea) have proved to be more of a success and are already at the acclimatisation stage in the greenhouse.

Maybe one day in the near future, when it's Spring again, we'll be able to bring again tulips from Malta.