Species of globethistle (Echinops L., Asteraceae Juss.) in natural habitats and in the culture in Primorye Territory

Abstract

Globethistle (Echinops L.) is a large genus of perennial, rare annual or biennial, prickly herbaceous plants of family Asteraceae Dumort. It includes about 190 species common in Europe, Asia, Far East. Species of the genus have medicinal, ornamental properties and also are good melliferous plants. Seed decoctions and fruit tinctures are used in folk medicine - against headache, epilepsy, polio, as well as chronic radiation exposure. Globethistles have manifest decorative properties and widely used in gardening. In the Russian Far East grow two species of the genus - cutleaf globethistle (Echinops dissectus Kitag.) and great globethistle (Echinops sphaerocephalus L.). Cutleaf globethistle is a rare vulnerable species on the border of the area, it is included in the Red Data Book of Primorye Territory. In 2012 we find isolated population of the species which located by the east of main location. In 2014 we find isolated population of great globethistle (in Chernigovskiy District of Primorye Territory). The species earlier was reported only for Khabarovsk Territory. Attempt of culturing of cutleaf globethistle in the arboretum of Gornotaezhnaya station was made in 2012-2014. High seed germinative capacity, dimensions of adult plants which exceed natural ones show perspectives for culture of the economically useful species.