Economic and biological classification of subtropic fruit crops collection in Khorol botanical garden

Abstract

The analysis of the scientific sources on the definition of economic and biological features of fruit cultures is carried out. The different opinions of scientists on the division of the fruit plants on certain grounds into groups have been revealed. Scientists count from two to eight groups. It is believed that one of these groups is the production grouping. The basis of production grouping is the peculiarities of the type of fruit. According to this classification, the fruit crops are divided into the grain, stone, nut, berry. Separately the subtropical and tropical plants are distinguished. In the group of the subtropical crops, a subgroup of citrus plants is distinguished. However, among the subtropical crops there are grain, stone, berry and nut plants. Therefore, the question arises as to the need to improve the classification, taking into the account the biological and economic component of the plants. On the basis of the collection of the subtropical fruit plants of Khorol Botanical Garden the development of economic and biological classification of the southern species was carried out. The collection consists of the woody, shrubby and perennial herbaceous plants of 25 species belonging to 22 genera of 15 families. From the given literature proposals to the economic and biological classification of the subtropical fruit crops, we consider that it is reasonable to classify the fruit plants according to the improved scheme. The scheme foresees the combination of all fruit the fruit plants into four groups: berry, seed, stone and nut. In the collection of Khorol Botanical Garden we have our own observations. We offer the following definition of the fruit type and the plant group. The group of berries includes plants with the fruit types: the berry, the stone fruit, the olive fruit, the achene in the cotyledon, the pomegranate, the orange. In the collection of Khorol Botanical Garden, 12 species belong to this group, namely: Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal — a type of berry fruit; Laurus nobilis L. — drupe; Elaeagnus multiflora Thunb. — olive grove; Elaeagnus umbellate Thunb. — olive grove; Maclura tricuspidata (Carrière) Bureau — achenes in the offspring; Ficuscarica L. — achenes in the cotyledon; Passiflora incarnata L. — berry; Punica granatum L. — granatina; Feijoa sellowiana O. Berg — berry; Actinidia chinensis Planch. — berry; Diospyros virginiana L. — berry; Citrus trifoliata L. — orange. The seeds include plants with apple fruit types. In the collection of the institution this group includes 6 species such as Cydonia oblonga Mill.; Chaenomeles × californica Clarke ex Weber; Cormus domestica L.; Mespilus germanica L.; Crataegus azarolus L.; Crataegus opaca Hooker & Arn. The stone collections of Khorol Botanical Garden include 4 species, including 2 species with the type of stone fruit: Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A. Webb and Prunus armeniaca L., and 2 species with the pirenarium fruit type: Ziziphus jujuba Mill. and Olea europaea L. The group of nuts includes plants of 3 plant species, of which Hovenia dulcis Thunb. and Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze, the type of fruit is a box, and in Pistacia vera L. — a stone. Fruit plants include cultivated and wild polycarp plants. The fruits of these plants are consumed fresh or processed. Also, these plants are used as rootstocks. The economic and biological distribution of the subtropical fruit crops of the certain groups is not difficult, except of Hovenia dulcis, because not the fruits are consumed, but the stalk. In Laurus nobilis and Camellia sinensis leaves are used, not fruits. However, it is noteworthy the fact that the fruits of Laurus nobilis are also used as a food product. They are harvested in October–November and used as spices for oil.