Conservation and sustainable use of threatened medicinal plant Sideritis scardica in Bulgaria
2012
Evstatieva, L.N. | Alipieva, K.I.
Sideritis scardica (Mountain tee, Pirin tea, Mursalitza tee) is endemic to the Balkan Peninsula and included as critically endangered in the Red Book of Bulgaria. Its collection and trade from nature are prohibited. The species occurs in Pirin, Slavjanka and the Rhodopes mountains from 1000 to 2200 m a.s.l. Sideritis scardica is a very popular medicinal plant that is used for the treatment of bronchitis and bronchial asthma, as well as against common cold, lung emphysema, etc. There is a big threat for the wild populations of S. scardica which are almost degraded on the basis of anthropogenic factors and habitat loss. Limitations, implemented by the National Protection Law were not adequate to stop this process. Field cultivation is one of the most efficient measures for conservation and sustainable use of the natural habitats of plant species. Sideritis scardica, originating from the Pirin Mountain, was selected as the most prospective wild population and further cultivated in eight different agro cultural floristic regions in Bulgaria, from 100 to 1500 m a.s.l. The selected plants grew and developed well in the new areas and gave economic yield of about 30 kg/100(2) m dry mass annually. Chemical variation of total phenolics and flavonoids of S. scardica in cultural conditions is discussed in the present work. Economically perspective habitats for the species are also recommended for its cultivation in the country.
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