Status of medicinal and aromatic plants in - Inia

PRESENTED PAPERS 77
• The collecting of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi raw material increased in former military areas
where populations of high vitality have been observed. In other locations the collecting
of raw material seriously damages the stands of this plant.
• Centaurium erythraea is native to oceanic Europe and the Mediterranean, western Asia
and northern Africa, and naturalized in North America. It is one of the traditional
panaceas. Wild populations of centaury fluctuate greatly in size and are short-lived.
They are greatly endangered by collecting and destruction of natural habitats. The
fluctuations are due to the limited competitive ability of the plant and depend highly
upon the environment (Radušienė 1995). Several attempts have been made to cultivate
centaury, but the results were unsatisfactory.
• It was revealed recently that sources of the widespread species Menyanthes trifoliata
have decreased significantly of late. The vitality of this plant in most stands is moderate
or low. This fact indicates changes in moist habitat conditions that threaten the
populations of Menyanthes trifoliata.
• Origanum vulgare, in spite of its economic importance, is often referred to as an
underutilized taxon, in the sense that its genetic resources and variability have not yet
been fully explored (Padulosi 1997). The research on germplasm conservation is very
limited outside the Mediterranean region where most resources of oregano are
concentrated. The whole genepool of oregano should be conserved to have a
representation of the diversity of this species. The populations of oregano in Lithuania
are characterized by a limited distribution and low sources of raw material. The majority
of populations are concentrated in southeast and east Lithuania (Fig. 4). The initial step
of conservation of oregano consisted in identification of growing sites, gathering of wild
accessions, their characterization and introduction into the field, further evaluation and
multiplication of the selected material.
Fig. 4. Distribution of Origanum vulgare L. indigenous populations in Lithuania.