Abstract

In spite of existing a long history in medicinal plants consumption in Iran, but there has not taken any major step for identification, domestication and mass propagation of these plants. So this study has been accomplished for the purpose of determination the best planting pattern and plant density of the Iranian ox-tongue. A randomized complete block design was used to incorporate factorial combinations of two levels of planting pattern (square and rectangular) and four levels (2, 4, 6 and 8 shrub per m²) with three replications in agricultural year of 2009 to 2010 in Eshkevarat Region located in the northern part of Iran. The results showed that there was a significant difference between different treatments regarding the effect of plant density on dried flowers weight per shrub (p<0.01), dried flowers yield per m² (p<0.05), dried weight a shrub (p<0.01), number of flowers per shrub (p<0.01) and number of flowers per inflorescence (p<0.01). In general maximum yield of dried flowers of ox-tongue was recorded for the density of 6 shrub per m² (709.2kg/ha). The effect of planting pattern on yield and yield components showed that there was no significant difference between the studied treatments (p>0.05).

Key word: Echium amoenum Fisch and Mey, medicinal plant, Iranian ox-tongue, plant density, planting pattern.