The influence of origin of Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench individuals on their inflorescence yield and germination ability

Abstract

Helichrysum arenarium (L.) Moench is a perennial of the Asteraceae family. The species is partially protected in Poland. Its inflorescence is a source of valuable herbal material. The amount of fresh and dry mass of inflorescences collected from plants growing in natural stands and those obtained from experimental plantations was analyzed. The plants growing in the plantation were obtained from in vitro cultures. Germination ability of achenes was also tested. The number of flowering shoots per plant, the number of plants per area unit as well as the fresh and dry mass of inflorescences depended significantly on the soil conditions and precipitation. Cultivation of H. arenarium gives a significantly higher fresh and dry mass of inflorescences per plant and a higher yield per area unit. The yield of herbal material from a plantation can vastly exceed that from the natural stands. Stratification of achenes prior to their germination resulted in an increase in the number of seedlings by 9.6%. Germination ability markedly decreased with time. Therefore, it is likely that the achenes form a transient seed bank. Achenes from plants obtained by in vitro method exhibited the lowest germination ability, so they should not be used as seed material.