PRESENTED PAPERS 97 Sixteen other MAP species are partly protected (Cetraria isl<strong>and</strong>ica, Ribes nigrum, Ononis sp<strong>in</strong>osa, Frangula alnus, Ledum palustre, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Viburnum opulus, Polypodium vulgare, Asarum europaeum, Primula elatior <strong>and</strong> P. <strong>of</strong>fic<strong>in</strong>alis, Asperula odorata, Centaurium umbellatum, Gentiana asclepiadea, Helichrysum arenarium, Convallaria maialis, <strong>and</strong> Hierochloe australis). Their harvest<strong>in</strong>g is possible <strong>in</strong> specified amounts <strong>and</strong> time limits, with the permission <strong>of</strong> the Prov<strong>in</strong>cial Conservatories <strong>of</strong> Nature. Wild-grow<strong>in</strong>g MAPs <strong>in</strong> Pol<strong>and</strong> There is no detailed documentation so far concern<strong>in</strong>g the distribution <strong>of</strong> wild-grow<strong>in</strong>g MAP species <strong>in</strong> Pol<strong>and</strong>. The <strong>in</strong>vestigations on natural habitats have been made only for some species (e.g. Achillea sp., Centaurium umbellatum, Hypericum sp., Euphrasia sp., Adonis vernalis, Atropa belladonna, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) <strong>and</strong> for chosen areas. More thorough studies are currently underway <strong>in</strong> the Research Institute <strong>of</strong> Medic<strong>in</strong>al Plants <strong>in</strong> Poznań <strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong> the Department <strong>of</strong> Vegetable <strong>and</strong> Medic<strong>in</strong>al Plants, Warsaw Agricultural University (SGGW) (Table 1). They concern geographic location, number <strong>of</strong> sites, population size, morphological, developmental <strong>and</strong> chemical traits. For chosen species molecular research is also carried out. Table 1. MAP species studied <strong>in</strong> situ Species No. <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong> situ sites studied Frequency <strong>of</strong> population size (no. <strong>of</strong> sites x most frequent population size*) No. <strong>of</strong> accessions transferred to the Polish Gene Bank Under strict or partial protection Adonis vernalis 29 2 x b, 10 x c, 14 x d, 3 x e 26 Archangelica <strong>of</strong>fic<strong>in</strong>alis 1 1 x c 6 Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 26 4 x a, 8 x b, 10 x c, 3 x d, 1 x e 12 Arnica montana 15 7 x b, 6 x c, 2 x d 21 Asarum europaeum 21 2 x b, 8 x c, 9 x d, 2 x e 13 Centaurium umbellatum 13 1 x a, 4 x b, 7 x c, 1 x d 15 Colchicum autumnale 23 2 x a, 1 x b, 6 x c, 11 x d, 3 x e 19 Convallaria majalis 26 1 x b, 6 x c, 11 x d, 8 x e 13 Hierochloe australis 3 1 x a, 2 x b 3 Others Hypericum maculatum 4 3 x b, 1 x c 2 Hypericum perforatum 51 6 x a, 19 x b, 11 x c, 9 x d, 6 x e 20 Thymus pulegioides 2 1 x a, 1 x b Thymus serpyllum 20 8 x a, 10 x b, 2 x c 9 * Population size: a = one to several <strong>in</strong>dividuals b = a dozen or so <strong>in</strong>dividuals c = dozens <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividuals d = hundreds <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividuals e = thous<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividuals Figures 1-4 illustrate the chemical variability with<strong>in</strong> two <strong>in</strong>vestigated species (Osińska <strong>and</strong> Węglarz 2000; Osińska et al. 2002). In the last few years more than 100 samples <strong>of</strong> seeds <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>vestigated accessions were transferred to the Polish Gene Bank <strong>in</strong> Radzików.
98 WORKING GROUP ON MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS: FIRST MEETING 0.3 0.2 % 0.1 H. perforatum H. maculatum 0.0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546474849505152535455 Accessions Fig. 1. Hyperic<strong>in</strong> content <strong>in</strong> the herb <strong>of</strong> Hypericum sp. accessions studied <strong>in</strong> situ. 5.0 4.0 3.0 % 2.0 1.0 H. perforatum H. maculatum 0.0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546474849505152535455 Accessions Fig. 2. Flavonoid content <strong>in</strong> the herb <strong>of</strong> Hypericum sp. accessions studied <strong>in</strong> situ. 0.6 0.5 0.4 % 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 H. perforatum 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 H. maculatum Accessions Fig. 3. Essential oil content <strong>in</strong> the herb <strong>of</strong> Hypericum sp. accessions studied <strong>in</strong> situ.