Biological features of ornamental Poaceae cultivars introduced at the M. M. Hryshko National Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Abstract

Purpose. To analyze the varietal diversity of the ornamental Poaceae collection introduced in the M. M. Hryshko National Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, to determine its morphobiological potential. Methods. Introduction studies, phenological observations, morphometry, statistical processing. Results. The cultivars diversity of ornamental grasses in the M. M. Hrysh­ko National Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine has been studied. Groups of cultivars for the seasonal rhythm of development (spring growth beginning, flowering and the beginning of the fruiting phase) have been selected. The study of morphological parameters of ornamental grasses made it possible to distinguish low, medium and tall cultivars in height. Among the low grasses, cultivars groups with spring and summer flowering can be identified. Medium grasses are represented by cultivars with spring, summer and autumn flowering period. Flowering shoots of more than 200 cm produce tall varieties of the genus Miscanthus. Plants of Arundo donax ‘Versicolor’ produce shoots 220.6±6.5 cm in the conditions of introduction. Tall cultivars with a spring flowering period are absent in the collection of ornamental grasses. Conclusions. Cultivars with early (late March – early April) and medium (mid-April) period of growth are characterized by spring and early summer flowering period. Plants with late (late April – early May) period of growth are blooming in late August – early October. It was found that cultivars of genus: Festuca, Melica, Miscanthus, Molinia, Stipa, Panicum have a high ability to form shoots in the Forest-Steppe and Polissya of Ukraine. High flowering productivity was recorded for M. sinensis ‘Kleine Fontane’, M. sinensis ‘Kleine Silberspinne’, M. sinensis ‘Zebrinus’, M. sinensis ‘Apache’, Melica altissima ‘Atropurpurea’, M. altissima ‘Alba’, Molinia caerulea ‘Nana Variegata’, Stipa calamagrostis ‘Lemperg’. The selected assortment of low, medium and tall grasses with different periods of flowering and coloring of the leaves allows them to be recommended for various types of landscaping in the conditions of Ukraine.