جمع آوری و حفظ ژرم پلاسم گیاهان دارویی استان اصفهان

The identification and conservation of the medicinal plants of each region are the first steps for the development and the extension of the medicinal plants cultivation. The first phase of the collection and conservation of Esfahan Province medicinal plants germ-plasms began in the year of 2000 and lasted till 2004. In this research, after the identification of Esfahan Province medicinal plants and their uses, the reproductive organs of 213 accessions of them were gathered and planted in a collection in Shahid Fozveh Research Station. This station is located 20 km far from Esfahan City and has the altitude of 1612 m, a slight semi-desert climate and the clay loam soil. The non-saline soil has a PH of 7.7. During the years, the phenological stages of 145 species of these medicinal plants which grew for a minimum of 3 years in the collection were recorded. These stages were the beginning of the growth, the vegetative growth period, the appearance of flower buds and flowers, the end of the flowering; the formation, ripening and falling down of the seeds or fruits and the winter dormancy. The pests and diseases of these plants were determined by other two research groups too. The 290 accessions of the seeds of these plants were also collected which have been conserved in the Gene Bank of Esfahan Research Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources. The following plants are the highly valuable and economical ones in Esfahan Province: Achillea filipendula, Allium hirtifolium, Bunium persicum, Clematis ispahanica, Dracocephallum kotschyi, Echium amoenum, Ferula gumosa, Marrubium vulgar, Mentha piperita, Myrtus communis, Salvia spp., Thymus spp., Ziziphora spp., Valeriana sisymbriifolia. Key words: medicinal plants, germ plasms, Esfahan, collection, conservation.