Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 36/1. (2016)
Botany
Regarding the method of preserving plants in the scientific Herbarium, they were prepared by typically drying process, were pressed and then glued on herbarium sheets. These are kept in cardboard boxes placed on shelves and in wood cabinets in botanical store. Because preservation methods were appropriate plant material shows until today in a good state of conservation. In this study we aimed to analyze the orchid species in the collection of Natural Sciences Department of the Mure§ County Museum. Materials and methods A number of 184 herbarium sheets with plants belonging to the family Orchidaceae were processed. Within the family, the plants have been listed in systematic order of genera and species [11]. Plant nomenclature was revised in accordance with the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature [7], Flora Europaea [12, 13], Ciocärlan V. [3] and Sárbu & al. [11]. For each species were mentioned: date and place of collection, the name of whom collected and determined the plant, the sozological category and the conservation status. In brackets are also mentioned the inventory numbers of the herbarium sheets included in inventory registries Superior Plants (I, II and III) of the Natural Sciences Department. In determining endangered, rare or vulnerable species, National Red Lists [2, 5, 6, 9] were consulted, as well as the latest version of sozological categories published in the European red list of vascular plants [1]. Also we took in Consideration “The critical list of vascular plants in Romania” [10]. Results and discussions The orchid family (Orchidaceae), has over 18000-19000 species in the world, consisting of herbaceous plants, terrestrial or epiphytic (prevalent in inter-tropical region). The beauty of their flowers makes the species belonging to this family to be by far the most popular [4]. Romania has, according to the literature [11], a total of 64 species and 20 subspecies of native orchids belonging to 26 genera. Wild orchids in our country are terrestrial species that grow in various habitats such as: grasslands, swamps, forests and clearings, forest fringes. Orchids’ presence indicates good conservation status of a habitat, and at the same time, is an indicator of high conservation value for biodiversity of the habitat so of the undisturbed and intra and inter-specific relationships. Due to the specific biology and ecology orchids are a true indicator of the degree of “naturalness / wildness” of natural habitats. Almost all species of Orchidaceae family that grow in continental area of Europe have small populations and under-represented, so collecting them in nature is strictly prohibited, they are protected by laws. In Romania, some species are strictly protected by specific legislation and many species of orchids that grow in our country are listed in national red lists [2, 3, 9] and The Red Book of vascular plants in Romania [6]. The research of botanical collection of the Natural Sciences Department has identified a total of 42 taxa belonging to Orchidaceae family. They are represented by 16 genera, 35 species, 3 subspecies and 4 varieties and forms. The species come from the collection of spontaneous plants, in many localities in the Mure§ County and also in different parts of Romania. _______________________________________Mihaela SÄMÄRGHIJAN_______________________________________ 32
