PRODUCTIVITY OF LEAF MASS OF CELASTRUS ORBICULATUS THUNB. (CELASTRACEAE) IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE MOSCOW REGION

The genus Celastrus L. includes about 35 species of deciduous or evergreen climbing shrubs, most often large lianas with alternate leaf arrangement. Bittersweets grow in Australia, Madagascar, America, as well as East and Southeast Asia, including the Russian Far East. Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. – one of the most popular types of bittersweets, widely used in Russia, including the Moscow Region, for vertical gardening. In addition to being decorative, some parts of the plant are edible and potentially medicinal. The currently available data on the leaf productivity of C. orbiculatus plants is not enough for a comprehensive assessment of the correspondding plant material, as well as its implementation in practice, primarily due to the lack of information on the size and weight characteristics of shoots and leaves. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the productivity of the leaf mass of Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. in the conditions of the Moscow Region. The objects of study are 20 one-year-old highly elongated shoots of the liana C. orbiculatus from the arboretum of Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden, Russian Academy of Sciences. Weighing and measuring the length and width of leaves from each shoot (17–46 leaves, 32 on average) were carried out, starting from the top leaf. It was established that C. orbiculatus has highly variable sizes (5.27±0.14 × 3.52±0.11 cm) and weight (0.19±0.01 g, up to 0.30±0.02 g ) leaves of typical shape. Despite the fact that the leaves do not reach their maximum length, as in natural conditions, C. orbiculatus successfully grows in the conditions of the Moscow Region, being distinguished by high leaf productivity.