Features of growth and development of species of the genus Echinacea Moench under the conditions of the Southern Coast of the Crimea

The results of an introduction study of five species of the genus Echinacea Moench ( Echinacea angustifolia DC., E. pallida (Nutt.) Nutt., E. paradoxa (Nort.) Britt., E. tennesseensis (Breadle) Small and E. purpurea (L.). Moench) are presented in the collection of aromatic and medicinal plants of the Nikitsky Botanical Gardens. The features of the passage of phenophases, heat supply, economically important features (productivity, raw material structure) were studied. It has been established that under the conditions of introduction, the studied species go through all phases of development and form complete seeds. The sums of active temperatures (≥10˚С) necessary for the species to pass through the phenophases are revealed and it is shown that the minimum limit values are characteristic for different species at different stages of growth and development. The minimum heat threshold for entering the flowering phase is set for E. tennesseensis , and in the phase of fruiting and seed maturation for E. pallida . The required sum of active temperatures for the mass budding phase of E. purpurea is 1021 ˚С, and mass flowering is 1749 ˚С. The longest flowering period under the conditions of the Southern Coast is characterized by E. tennesseensis - 65 days, the shortest E. pallida - 38 days. According to the flowering rhythm, the studied species are subdivided into late spring-early summer ( E. pallida , E. tennesseensis , E. angustifolia ) and mid-late summer ( E. paradoxa and E. purpurea ). The most full-bodied seeds are formed by E. paradoxa (1000 seeds weight 5.48 ± 0.05 g). The most promising species for productivity of aerial mass is E. purpurea (2.06 kg / m²). E. tennesseensis , occupying the second place in productivity, has the most valuable structural composition of medicinal raw materials, in which stems account for only 65% of the permissible norm (55.0%).