THE ORIGIN OF GARDEN PLANTS AND THE FSU CONTRIBUTION
Summary
In summary, preliminary geographical analysis shows that the most
widespread ornamentals are associated with thirteen centers. Six of
them are of prime importance as having provided the world's gardens with
about 75% of all ornamental species. The seven remaining centers
provided 22,5% of the total species, and are of secondary importance for
the garden flora. As can be seen, these two figures do not total 100%.
As a matter of fact, the remaining 125 species (2.5%), or perhaps more,
are from sites scattered throughout the world and outside the centers
described above. Although some of these plants are important to
gardening, their amount and concentration in any one location cannot be
considered enough to treat them as a separate center.
It is logical to suppose that the significance of any center should
reflect its floristic richness, which is true in most cases. For instance,
the flora of the Mediterranean is rich and history of its civilization
is old that it is not surprising that it has been played an important role.
The South African Center has also contributed many garden plants, which
reflect the uniquely rich flora of The Cape. In some cases the Center's
contribution to world gardening does not always coincide with the richness
of its flora. This is especially true with South America. It is also
true with FSU. Thus, its flora consists of about 20,000 species,
approximately equal to the number of species occurring in North America;
however, as shown above, the contributions of these two regions differ
greatly.
It is very difficult to assess how many plant species native to the FSU
have been involved in horticulture largely because this territory is
included in different centers. Four centers are of importance in this
respect. 1) The European Center (VII) covers the Carpathians, belonging
partly to the FSU territory, and the European part of Russia. 2.) The
Eastern Asiatic Center (VII) belongs partly to Russia. Altogether they
cover twelve Floristic Provinces, and two of them are situated in Russia
(Manchurian and Sakhalin-Hokkaido). 3) The Caucasian-Western Asiatic
Center (X) is mainly situated in the FSU. 4) The Central Asian Center
(XI) has major portion within the FSU. Some particularly interesting
regions among those described above, for example, the mountains of Siberia,
are not included in any centre of origin of the ornamentals. Actually, a
large portion of the territory is still remains uncovered. The areas which
are included are very rich indeed, but do not reflect the richness of the
whole flora. Moreover, even regions which are already included contain
much more ornamentals than have been appeared into world horticulture.
Thus the Central Asian Center, with its 8,000 species and 65 endemic genera,
has provided the world horticulture with only 130 ornamental species. The
Caucasian Range also has given only 130 ornamentals, whereas there are at
least 500 promising plants among its 5,000 species. Most of the territory
of the former Soviet Union is the subject for future exploration.
Russian plants can be seen in all the three different groups in world
horticulture. Thus, there are some species from the FSU flora in the
commercial stock: Tulipa gesneriana, the species which has created
"tulip industry," also Gypsophylla paniculata and Iris
sibirica. In the second group one can see many plants of Russian
origin, among them Colchicum speciosum, Primula juliae and Scabiosa
caucasica. Many Russian plants are among the plants of the third group.
These plants do not have a large number of varieties, and usually are used
in wild gardens.
For many years wild species were considered unfashionable, while the more
impressive, large double-flowered plants were considered much more desirable.
In the minds of most, wild plants were perceived to be synonymous with weeds
and largely ignored in the fields and forests outside cities. Now, at the
beginning of the 21th century, the situation and attitude have
changed to reflect new interest in wild plants in both natural settings and
urban areas. Due to the overall negative effect humans have on their
environment and wild flora, an increasing number of plant and animal species
are becoming rare and endangered. Sometimes the only way now to preserve
plants and protect them from extinction is to grow them in cultivation.
Another issue involves preferences in landscaping styles which have changed
to reflect a new appreciation of wild flowers and plants as a whole. In
many places, not only residential areas, trends in landscaping style are
shifting to reflect a new respect for the environment. Bringing this new
perspective into the parks and gardens, architects arrange them in wild
style, where natural ornamentals are desirable. Many of above recommended
species can be used in wild garden.
The flora of FSU can provide many species for future hybridization.
This method, although it originated long ago, first began to play a more
significant role in the 19th century, and has been predominant
since the 1930's, a time of rapid growth in the science of genetics.
Historians dealing with plant introduction call our time the "epoch
of hybrids." In other words, the current stock of ornamental plants
is based primarily on cultivated varieties. That very time the FSU was
isolated from the rest of the World, that is why only a few well-known
Russian plants were involved in hybridization. Many promising species
were unavailable to Western gardeners and that is why they were not used
for hybridization. Some results were achieved in the FSU itself, but they
remain mostly unknown in the West. There are many ornamental species to
be found in Russia which are ideal for breeding, they should be introduced
to world horticulture. For example, almost all horticultural classes of
tulips are derived from wild species native to the FSU, and there are
other species that could initiate new classes of wonderful varietes.
Tulipa vvedenskyi, T. korolkovii, T. kuschkensis and a dozen others
have never been used for hybridization with other species. Beautiful
yellow peonies are represented by four species in the Caucasus. They are
highly desirable for hybridization. Lilium ledebourii, one of the
most beautiful species of the genus, is unknown in the West and could be
involved in hybridization. Lilium monadelphum is extremely cold
resistant and can grow in zones 3 and 4. The same recommendation can be
made for Hemerocallis middendorfii, a very attractive species
native to the Far East, it has never been involved in hybridization. Wild
Gladiolus species from the Caucasus are new for horticulture and
very promising. Species of Eremurus and their natural hybrids
can beautify gardens, and can produce new hybrids. Juno
(Iris) are numerous in Central Asia, new to cultivation and very
good material for hybridization. Many other examples can be added to
prove the statement that flora of the FSU merit special attention. Thus,
Russian plants are desirable for both introductionwith future selection
and hybridization. The main conclusion is that the contribution of the
flora of the FSU does not reflect its richeness so far.
If we review the garden assortment from another point of view, namely,
the kinds of life forms we have in gardens, we can see that the plants in
the ornamental trade consists of trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals.
Trees and shrubs used in the Temperate zone are mainly native to North
America and Eurasia. Herbs, unlike trees, are able to survive in
unfavorable weather conditions. Therefore, their original geographic
distribution is much more extensive than that of woody plants, and thus
their introduction can be conducted on a larger scale. Perennials are
used in the Northern Hemisphere mostly . Numerous perennial species
have been introduced into cultivation from North America, many are native
to Eurasia and fewer still are indigenous to the Cape Region, South America
and Australia. Annual species come primarily from the Mediterranean,
followed by South America. North America, Central America and East Asia
have each given approximately equal numbers of species. The Cape Region,
Anatolia and Middle East yielded many annual species, and many annuals
originate in Australia. From the territory of the FSU, gardeners can
obtain new trees and shrubs (mostly from the Far East, Central Asia and
the Caucasus), new perennials from all over and new annuals (mostly from
Central Asia and the Caucasus). Some of these species can be used in
unusual areas where extreme environmental conditions prevail, such as
very cold winters, very hot summers, or a small amount of precipitation,
very dry areas. As is known new species for such conditions are of
special importance.
Taxonomic analysis shows that ornamental plants belong to three
Divisions: Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms, Angiosperms, about six
classes, and a large number of families. For example, 100 families
and 1000 genera are represented among the herbaceous species alone.
The richest families are the Asteraceae, Liliaceae, Iridaceae,
Ranunculaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Caryophyllaceae, and
Saxifragaceae. The most numerous species in general cultivation
belong predominantly to the genera rockfoil (Saxifraga), primrose
(Primula), bellflower (Campanula) and carnation
(Dianthus). All these families and genera are very rich in the
flora of the FSU, and, therefore, new discoveries can be expected among
the common genera as well. Besides, this is a very rich flora, with
many taxa that are found nowhere else, with 100 endemic genera and 150
almost endemic (their distributions are almost confined to the FSU) and
this flora is in a position to bring many excellent plants into
horticulture.
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