Page 73 - Book of Abstracts

5 International Scientific Online Conference DOI: https://doi.org/10.15414/2021.9788055224015

th

MORPHOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION ON UNDERGROUND ORGANS
OF GERANIUM SIBIRICUM L.
Mariia Kalista, Oleksii Kovalenko
National Museum of Natural History of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,
Kyiv, Ukraine; E-mail.: crambe@ukr.net
Geranium sibiricum L. is a biannual or perennial summer green herbaceous species of the
Geraniaceae family. This plant contains a considerable amount of biologically active substances
such as phenolic compounds, represented by flavonoids, coumarins, phenol carboxylic acids,
tannins, as well as nitrogen-containing compounds, carbohydrates, organic acids, triterpene
compounds, carotenoids, fatty acids, essential oil, and mineral compounds. There why it is
possible to use this plant as medicinal and especially due to the fact that it is widely spread as
invasive and there is a sufficient source base in Ukraine. This is also facilitated by the absence
of insect damage and diseases.
Geranium sibiricum herb and rhizomes with roots are used as medicinal raw materials in
medicine. However, there is no unambiguous definition in the description of its underground
organs: as an indistinct rhizome or short rhizome with a system of additional roots and even
taproot system that is not combined with rhizome at all as with the biennial type of life form
monocarpic life cycle. Besides in the literature sources, this plant shoot formation model is
given as a semi-rosette sympodial or monopodial. So accordingly, morphological features of
Geranium sibiricum life form: shoots (particularly underground) and roots are poorly studied
and there is no single opinion on this, therefore, this study is of particular interest. The aim of
this study was a morphological investigation of underground organs of Geranium sibiricum
using methods of investigation of the types of biomorph according to morphogenesis process
and the manifestation of morphological disintegration, the concepts of architectural models,
and the concept of the variety of caudexes and their difference from other structural formations
according to Nukhimovskyi Ye. L. Plant materials were taken in several local populations in
Ukraine in 2019–2021.
We found that of individuals biomorph of the studied species is characterized by
polyvariance and is represented by one main and two additional types. The main one is mostly
biennial conode taproot monocarpic with sympodial branching type. Occasionally, Geranium
sibiricum individuals have such types of biomorph: 1) caudex taproot oligocarpic with the
sympodial type of branching (for perennial plants that have a connection of the perennial stem
with the taproot); 2) basiphis fibrousroot oligocarpic with sympodial type of branching. We
have also confirmed the data that in the process of ontogenesis the root system of this species
individual can be taproot, mixed and fibrous. In plants with conode, the taproot is preserved
throughout life. Taproot system or mixed root system with a distinct main root was observed
in caudex plants of different levels of vitality after the first flowering period. A fibrous root
system was indicated for basiphis plants, while the main root becomes indistinct (but does not
die). So, in our opinion, Geranium sibiricum does not have rhizomes at all. The caudex is similar
to rhizomes functionally (nutrient storage, vegetative renewal) and morphologically
(thickening and shortening of internodes, perennial), however, unlike rhizomes, caudexes do
not die in the basal part and together with the primary root system of the plant remains
throughout life.
Therefore, we have identified a typical Geranium sibiricum type of biomorph as mostly
biennial conode taproot monocarpic with sympodial branching type and two varieties. And
according to morphological peculiarities medicinal raw materials of underground organs of
Geranium sibiricum are definitely not rhizomes with roots, but conode, caudex, or basiphis.

Keywords: Geranium sibiricum, underground organ, conode, caudex, basiphis.

th
5 International Scientific Conference Agrobiodiversity for Improving the Nutrition, Health, Quality of Life and |72
Spiritual Human Development
November 3 2021
rd