Concept Of Sibiraea Maxim And Spiraeoideae Agardh

The genus Sibiraea Maxim. belongs to the subfamily Spiraeoideae Agardh. of the family Rosaceae Juss. The subfamily Spiraeoideae is considered to be the most primitive in the family Rosaceae and the origin of other subfamilies is associated with it. All of them are shrubs; flowers with apocarpous gynoecium from many carpels and superior ovary; fruit is multifollicles (Koropachinskiy and Vstovskaya 2002).

The genus Sibiraea Maxim. was derived from Spiraea L. by Maximowicz in 1879. The genus Sibiraea contains five species growing in the European part of Southern Russia, Siberia, Western China and Southeastern Europe: S. angustata (Rehd.) Hand. Mazz. - creates specific plant communities in the western part of the Himalayan plateau (in China) and is used for biomass production (Wu 1998); S. tianshanica (Krassn.) A. Pojark. – an endemic of Tien Shan; S. croatica Degen is spread in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (Eastern Alps); S. tomentosa Diels - in central China and S. altaiensis (Laxm.) Schneid. – an endemic of Altai (Tutin et al. 1968; Ballian et al. 2006; Syeva and Ailchiyeva 2014). There are 2 species - S. tianshanica and S. altaiensis growing in Kazakhstan (Pavlov 1961).

The species of S. altaiensis, which is registered in the Red Data Book of Kazakhstan, is interesting and important for our research (Red Data Book of Kazakhstan 2014), earlier it has been registered in the Red Data Book of the Kazakh SSR (Red Data Book of Kazakh SSR 1981).

S. altaiensis is a shrub plant up to 60-150 cm with thick branches and a dark-brown cortex. The leaves are sessile, entire, gradually narrowed to the base, roundish to the top, a little acuminate on the tip. The flowers are in long racemes bunched in a pabnicle. Axes of inflorescences and hypanthium are glabrous or barely pubescent. It is in blossom in May-June; it fruits in July-August (Pavlov 1961). S. altaiensis grows only in Altai, where it occupies an area of about 74 thousand sq. km (Koropachinskiy and Vstovskaya 2002). The plant grows on open mountain valleys and slopes of the middle belt of mountains (Pavlov 1961). In Kazakhstan it is found only in Kazakhstani Altai (Ivanovo, Uba, Narym, Southern Altai ranges). It grows in small groups or solitary (Red Data Book of Kazakhstan 2014).

S. altaiensis contains traces of alkaloids, tanning agents, flavonoids, quinones, and hydrocyanic acid. Ursolic acid was detected in the leaves. S. altaiensis is a source of food (the leaves are used as tea substitute) and an industrial raw material. Branches are used for medicinal purposes. Decoction of branches is used in Altai for stroke, fever, and hepatitis (jaundice) (Sokolov 1987). Extract of S. altaiensis is included in Natura Siberica cream for sensitive facial skin.

S. altaiensis has great ornamental value. It is recommended for the use in live fences, borders and strip plantations on the slopes, subject to water erosion, in the alpine rock garden as well as for interblock planting of trees and shrubs in large parks. It forms beautiful groups with larches in landscape plantings. Single plantings and group plantings are recommended. It is well cut and can be used for creation of live fences. It is a winter-hardy, shade-tolerant plant, but on light it reaches a bigger decorative effect (Tutin et al. 1968; Koropachinskiy and Vstovskaya 2002; Ballian et al. 2006; Syeva and Ailchiyeva 2014).

However, the number of the species is reducing under the influence of economic activity in habitats and an intensive pasture of the cattle (the shoots perish). In natural conditions it propagates only by seeds that demands a lot of time. The seedlings develop very slowly and at early stages of development most of them perishes, very few plants live up to generative condition. It is known of its reproduction by soft cuttings in Eastern Europe and it is determined that bee honey has an effect on green cuttings of S. altaiensis as a growth factor (Balabushka 1985). In the conditions of Kazakhstani Altai there are no data on vegetative reproduction of the species. In vitro propagation of the endangered plants is an alternative method to produce large amounts of S. altaiensis and for conservation of this species. The aim of the present work was to develop an efficient in vitro propagation and multiplication of S. altaiensis. There are no reports about in vitro propagation of S. altaiensis and this investigation was carried out for the first time.