Features of the growth and development of <i>Lycopus americanus</i> Muhlenberg. in the Moscow region
Authors: Babenko L. V. 
Published: October 2020

One of the main tasks of botanical gardens is to create and maintain biological collections. There are 5 types of Lycopus in the biological collection of «All-Russian research Institute of medicinal and aromatic plants». One of them is the Lycopus americanus Muhlenberg ex W. P. C. Bart., was the object of this work, as the most difficult in cultivation. In nursery 1-4 years of vegetation researches of growth and development of a Lycopus americanus were carried out. Seeds of Lycopus americanus were received by the exchange Fund from Canada. Sowing was carried out in May 2016 inthe conditions of protected soil in pallets 7×7 cm. Seedlings were grown for two months at a temperature of +18+20 °С and illumination of 1000-1200 lux. In the first decade of July, the nursery was laid with 60-day seedlings according to the scheme 20×60 cm. The area of the plot is 0.8 m2, the repetition is fourfold. Accounting of indicators and processing of results were carried out according to standard methods. Experience in vegetative propagation of Lycopus americanus (2018-2019) got them out from the mother plant and according to the scheme experience, after dividing and planting these divided roots once watered with a solution of homeopathic preparation "Arnica C200" in a concentration of one granule/5 l of water, a flow rate of 5 l/ m2(experiment 1). Of experiment 2, plants after transplantation were once watered with a solution of lactose (milk sugar), the granules of which are filler for homeopathic preparations. The concentration of the solution in option 2 is 1 granule /5 lof water. Control plants were watered with water in the same volume. In the course of the studies it was revealed that the most significant increase in height have plants of the 2nd year of vegetation. The growth decreases with age and in 4-year-old plants reaches minimum. During the season, the greatest increase in height occurs in July and August (in the stalk stage). Watering with a solution of the homeopathic drug "Arnica C200" (experiment 1) during vegetative reproduction of Lycopus americanus causes an increase in height in the first year of vegetation (from 60 days from transplantation) by 30% - 36%. The number of axillary shoots in treated plants by the end of the growing season exceeded the control by 1.6-1.8 times. The dry land mass of treated plants (experiment 1) increased by 34% relative to control group. The treated plants showed an increase in the size of tubers with buds of renewal relative to the control group. The dry mass of the underground part of the treated plants of Lycopus americanus (experiment 1) us by the end of the growing season exceeded that of the control plants by 21%. The average dry mass of 1 tuber at the end of the growing season was 0.63±0.061 gin control plants and 1.17±0.112 gin experimental samples. It is possible to grow Lycopus americanus as a long-term culture in theMoscowregion. The largest increase in biomass of the grain falls on the second year of vegetation. Starting from the third year of vegetation, it is advisable to propagate the plant by dividing the rhizomes in the spring. The homeopathic preparation "Arnica C200" as growth regulator well proved at vegetative reproduction of a Lycopus americanus . Its use causes excessive buildup of Lycopus americanus - storing tubers with the buds of renewal