The dissertation is devoted to the research of morphological structure and structural patterns both the elementary shoot and the shoot systems; anatomical structure of the leaves, leaf micromorphology and the assessment of biological activity of various Coelogyne species plants, cultivated under glasshouse conditions.
It was found that a characteristic feature of reproductive biology of the genus Coelogyne is obligate self-incompatibility, so the main factor determining the effectiveness of reproduction of this genus is the breeding system. Within the group of Coelogyne species subjected to various experimental pollination treatments (induced autogamy/ induced xenogamy), the fruits with viable seeds have been obtained only in
C. speciosa, C. viscosa, and C. ovalis. It has been suggested that in the life history of Coelogyne species, the limited capacity for seed reproduction is compensated by the high intensity of vegetative propagation, based on branching of the shoot system, and extended longevity of leafless shoots (i.e. pseudobulbs) (in C. huettneriana up to 10-12 years).
Depending on the time of inflorescence formation in relation to the vegetative shoot part, C. fimbriata and C. ovalis species have a hysteranthous inflorescence;
C. huettneriana and C. speciosa − synanthous, and C. viscosa proteranthous.
The species of C. flaccida, C. cristata and C. tomentosa are characterized by a shoots dimorphism, therefore a shoot with a heteranthous inflorescence type is developed from the upper bud located on the pseudobuls, while a renewal bud, located below, is proliferated into a renovation shoot.
Anatomical studies of the leaf blade have shown that the Coelogyne species studied are predominantly mesophytes. However, the presence of hypodermis in the leaf of
C. cristata, C. flaccida, C. huettneriana and C. viscosa species, stomatal clusters formation indicate that the plants of these species in the wild are subjected to the drought and could be considered as xeromesophytes. Taking into account the leaf surface micromorphology, the studied Coelogyne species form a fairly homogenous group. The most characteristic features of these species are the leaf of the hypostomatic type and the stomatal apparatus of the tetracytic (or cyclocitic) type. Variations in the number of pavement epidermal cells and stomatal density both in various Coelogyne species and within the same species indicate a high adaptive potential to various environmental conditions and the ability to phenotypic variability, which is exhibited in the shape of cells and their location relative to the leaf surface.
It was shown that the extracts of leaves and pseudobulbs of Coelogyne plants have a pronounced antimicrobial activity, consequently these plants are of practical importance and can be used in medicine as natural antimicrobial agents.
