Selection of perspective forms within the cultivated heterogeneous population of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench)

Abstract

For the first time in the CBG of NAS of Belarus perspective Echinacea purpurea seedlings had been received from seeds, treated by chemical and physical mutagens. Then resistant forms were maintained, and from seeds, which were received from its free cross-pollination, the Purple Coneflower cultural population was created. It is characterized by morphological and biochemical heterogeneity with very high level of variation for such properties as number of generative shoots and hydroxy-cinnamic acid derivative content of leaves (90 and 38%, correspondently). The plant height and ray flower sizes varied in the high level (30 and 21%, correspondently). Stem leaf sizes, the head diameter and the number of ray flowers are in the average level of variety (14-17). Correlations between the head architectonic and amount of the leaf active medicinal substance have been revealed that made it possible for us to conduct selection of new perspective forms in two directions: decorative and medicinal.