Introduction of rare species of the genus Allium L. of the Kazakhstan Altai in the Altai Botanical Garden

Abstract

The aim of this work was to study the biological characteristics of three introduced rare onion species of the Kazakh Altai flora, to assess the sustainability and prospects of their cultivation in the Altai Botanical Garden. The article presents the results of a long-term study of the seasonal rhythm of development, biometric parameters and seed productivity of Allium ivasczenkoae Kotuch., A. ledebourianum Schult. et Schult., A. schoenoprasum L. in the exposition of natural flora of the Altai Botanical Garden. These onions are combined into the subgenus Rhizirideum (Koch) Wendelbo and combined into the section Schoenoprasum Dumort. It was found that all three species in the introduction have a stable phenological rhythm, during the growing season they annually undergo a full cycle of shoot development and form seeds. According to the phenorhythmotype, they belong to spring-early summer-green with an average flowering period. They grow in April, bloom mainly in early June, seeds ripen in July, vegetation ends naturally in late August — early September. Vegetation lasts from 128.33 ± 2.58 days (A. ledebourianum) to 146.8 ± 7.24 days (A. schoenoprasum). The studied onion species differ in biometric parameters: height, number of flowers in inflorescence, inflorescence diameter. In culture, biometric parameters vary in the studied species mainly at a low level, which indicates the stability of these indicators in culture. High reproductive rates were established in culture for all three species, the productivity coefficient varies at the level of 56.75‒69.26 %. At the same time, a low coefficient of variation in the weight of seeds and flowers in inflorescence was recorded for all three species, which indicates an insignificant degree of data dispersion in the introduction.