Morpho-anatomical characteristics of Carlina acaulis subsp. caulescens and C. acanthifolia subsp. utzka (Asteraceae)

Abstract

Pursuant to Erg.-B. 6 (Appendix DAB 6 from 1941), biological source of a drug Carlinae radix represents the species Carlina acaulis L. The drug is mainly represented by a root of the subspecies caulescens (Lam.) Schübler & Martens (of an even more rare subspecies acaulis). However, it was observed that the commercial samples of a drug Carlinae radix are often (in our region almost always) represented by the root of the species C. acanthifolia All., which is at the moment considered to be a "commercial compromise", rather than a substitute or adulterant. The paper contains morpho-anatomic characteristics of C. acaulis subsp. caulescens and C. acanthifolia subsp. utzka (Hacq.) Meusel & Kästner, of their leaves and roots, with the aim to prevent confusion of these plants in the nature while collecting the drug, as well as to enable defining an accurate biological source of the drug Carlinae radix.

Prema Erg.-B. 6 (dodatak DAB 6 iz 1941. god.), biološki izvor droge Carlinae radix predstavlja vrsta Carlina acaulis L. Drogu, uglavnom, čini koren podvrste caulescens (Lam.) Schübler & Martens (znatno ređe tipske podvrste acaulis). Uočeno je, međutim, da komercijalne uzorke droge Carlinae radix veoma često (kod nas gotovo isključivo) čini koren biljke C. acanthifolia All., koji se za sada smatra "komercijalnim kompromisom", pre nego zamenom ili falsifikatom. U radu su iznete morfo-anatomske karakteristike C. acaulis subsp. caulescens i C. acanthifolia subsp. utzka (Hacq.) Meusel & Kästner (prvenstveno lista i korena), što će sprečiti zamenu ovih biljaka u prirodi prilikom sakupljanja droge, kao i omogućiti pouzdano utvrđivanje biološkog izvora droge Carlinae radix.