ARTYKUŁ

Iwona Arabas, Wanda Grębecka

Rośliny lecznicze we florze pogranicza
2005-12-16

Medicinal plants of the borderland. The Earth's surface is divided into areas according to their geographic location, history of their evolution and the character of the contemporary geographical processes. A physiographic border between Eastern and Western Europe ranges through the territory of Poland. The borderland areas, compared to the neighbouring ones, are much more interesting because of their diverse flora. Plants may find convenient positions there. The most important group of plants adapting to conditions in the borderland are common European species (e.g. Crataegus oxyacantha L., Digitalis grandiflora Mill., Gratiola officinalis L., Salix alba L.). Another group contains plants from Northern (e.g. Rhamnus frangula L.) and Southern (e.g. Hyssopus officinalis L.) Europe. Some herbs, although found only on plantations and in gardens, are still very popular. Ecosystems of transition zones are particularly exposed to plants interchange. Enrichment or supersession of native species is common here. Thanks to these processes we can trace back both casual and intentional migrations of medicinal plants.