The Results of the National Plan for Collection and Identification of Medicinal Plants Seeds in the Markazi Province, Are Out

Mahmood Haghshenas in an interview with Fars News Agency said, “Medicinal plants are among the most valuable resources of the vast natural resources of Iran and when identified, cultivated, expanded and exploited properly, they can play an important role in the public health, employment and non-oil exports.”

He stated, “The Markazi province has two million, nine hundred and forty thousand hectares of vastness, and it is located in the central part of Iran, between 33°  30’ to 35° 35’ northern latitude, and 48° 57’ to 51° of the eastern longitude of Greenwich Meridian. This location brings about specific weather conditions in this area.”

The research official of Markazi Province  Research Center of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources further added, “Due to the importance of medicinal plants, this national plan for collection, identification, primary evaluation and conservation of medicinal plants’ seeds was implemented in this province for 5 years.”

Referring to the execution method of this plan, Haghshenas stated, “Prior to the collection of the medicinal plants, with a help of the final results of the previously done research projects, a list of all the medicinal species of the province was gathered and according to the flora books of this province, medicinal plants were identified.”

He further noted, “Aligned with the implementation of this national plan, the central province was divided according to geographical areas based on ecological conditions, and in collection of the seeds, ecological factors such as the height, slope direction, geographical longitude and latitude were taken into consideration. Also, after the collection, identification, pocketing and packaging, the seed samples were sent to the gene bank of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands in order to determine their physical purity, humidity levels, 1000 seed weight and seed viability.”

The research official of Markazi Province Research Center of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, noted that the collection of the seeds has been done based on family, genus and species and said, “In this plan, 399 seed samples in 24 families have been collected, most of which have been in the following order: from Asteraceae family, chicory and echinops genera, 27 and 18 samples, respectively. From Labiatae family, mentha and white horehound genera, 18 and 16 samples, respectively. From Fabaceae family, sophora and glycyrrizha genera, 16 and 8 samples, respectively.”

Referring to the medicinal plants seeds being collected mainly from the heights, mountain slopes, plains and marginal farmlands, he added, “Most of the seeds such as Hyoscyamus niger, Hypericum perforatum  and Verbascum thapsus have been collected from one thousand, 8 hundred meters to two thousand, 5 hundred meters above sea level.”

“Rastvand Sarband heights, Tafresh heights and Nobaran Saveh heights are among the rich areas with great potentials to grow medicinal plants.” He said.

According to him, there are other species with relative frequencies, species such as: Thymus spp., Astraglus gossypinus, Ferula gummosa, Echinops cephalotes, Hymenocrater, Stachys lavandulifolia, Echinophora platyloba, Amygdalus lycioides, Fritillaria imperialis, Linum album, Tribulus terrestris, Peganum harmala.