The collection of herbaceous perennials in the Botanical Garden of Bila Tserkva NAU: current state and prospects for enrichment

Abstract

Aims. In order to find out the current state of the collection of herbaceous perennials of the Botanical Garden of the Bila Tserkva NAU of Sciences, to analyze their taxonomic composition, bioecological features, sozological value, placement in exhibitions, and to propose ways to enrich the collection new species and intraspecific taxa. Methods. The taxonomic composition of perennials was studied according to the directory of the collection fund of flower and ornamental plants of the NBS named after M. M. Hryshka of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kolektsijnyj…, 2008), the catalog of plants of the Botanical Garden of NUBiP Ukrainy (Kataloh roslyn…, 2011), the Catalog of Bruns Pflanzen 2018/2019 (Bruns…, 2018). The names of species and varieties are given according to the checklist of S. Mosyakin, M. Fedoronchuk (Mosyakin & Fedoronchuk, 1999) and electronic resources World Flora Online (WFO, 2021) and Plant A to Z (2023). The analysis of the spatial placement of perennials in flower gardens for various functional purposes was carried out according to the works of V. P. Bessonova (Bessonova, 2010), K. Amann (Amann, 2012), N. J. Ondra (2014), U. Leyhe (2014), E. Rönnblom (2019), L. P. Ishchuk (2012), Ishchuk and others (Ishchuk et al., 2014). The rare component of the collection was analyzed according to the Catalog of rare plants of botanical gardens and arboretums of Ukraine (Kataloh rarytetnykh…, 2011), a reference book by A. A. Kuzemko and others. (Kuzemko et al., 2015) and the Red Book of Ukraine (Chervona…, 2009). Results. The formation of the collection of perennial herbaceous plants began at the biostation on an area of 1.9 hectares in 2007. The taxonomic composition of the collection is 200 species and 367 intraspecific taxa belonging to two divisions: Magnoliophyta (Angiospermae) and Pteridophyta, up to 49 families and 127 genera. 71.4 % of the families belong to the Magnoliopsida class, 24.5 % to the Liliopsida class, and only 4.1 % of the families belong to the Polypodiopsida class. The largest number of species is represented by the family Asteraceae Bercht. & J. Presl. — 42, Lamiacea Martinov, — 19, Crassulaceae J.St.-Hil. — 13, Caprifoliaceae Juss. — 10, Poaceae Barnhart — 9, Amaryllidaceae Juss. — 8 species. 22 families are represented by only one taxon. The greatest varietal diversity is characteristic of the families Asteraceae — 152, Iridaceae Juss.— 56, Asphodelaceae Juss.— 23, Liliaceae Juss. — 15, Asparagaceae Juss.— 14, Crassulaceae — 12, Lamiaceae — 11, Amaryllidaceae, Cannaceae Juss. and Polemoniaceae Juss. — 10 each, Saxifragaceae Juss. — 9 intraspecific taxa. Among the plants in the collection, root perennials make up 44.2 %, rhizomes — 16.2 %, bulbs — 14.3 %, and tubers — 20.3 %. tuber bulbus only 5 %. 86.0 % of the plants in the collection belong to decorative-flowering plants, 8.8 % are decorative-leafy, and only 5.2 % are ground-cover plants. The collection is dominated by summer-autumn (42 %) and spring-summer (35 %) flowering perennials. Heliophytes, heliophytes make up 69 %, sciophytes — only 11 %. Eutrophs make up 46 % of the collection, mesotrophs — 42 % and oligotrophs — 12 %. Only varieties Chrysanthemum × koreanum hort need winter shelter. and Opuntia fragilis (Nutt.) Haw. Canna L. rhizomes, Dahlia cultorum Thorsrud & Reisaeter tubers, and Gladiolus L. bulbs require digging for the winter and subsequent storage in the basement. Conclusions. The collection of herbaceous perennials performs educational, research, production, and ecological and educational functions and has sozological value. Replenishment of the collection of herbaceous perennials in the Botanical Garden of the Bila Tserkva NAU of Science and Technology should be carried out through cooperation with neighboring botanical institutions, work with dilectus and seed catalogs of leading flower companies, and by attracting highly decorative species of local flora to the collection.