Morphological, biological, and biochemical characteristics of Satureja subspicata Bartl. ex Vis (Lamiaceae) introduced in the Nikita Botanical Gardens

The introduction of Mediterranean aromatic plant species to the southern coast of Crimea offers perspective to use them for breeding and creation of new promising hybrids. The species Satureja subspicata Bartl. ex Vis. (Satureja montana ssp. illyrica (Host) Nyman) has been introduced to the collection of aromatic plants in the Nikita Botanical Gardens from Germany. In the conditions of the Crimea S. subspicata species has adapted, passed through all the phenological phases, and produced viable seeds. Because the detailed descriptions had not been presented for this species yet we studied and describe in detail the morphology of the aerial parts S. subspicata plants. It was found that the studied plants under the conditions of the Southern Coast of the Crimea had broad leaves (4-5 mm) with a great number of essential oil glands on both sides of leaf blades. The flowers are small, clustered in limited monotelic inflorescences - dithyrse. Eight-year-old squat shrubs form up to 300 generative stems per shrub and there are about 1000 flowers along with a single stock. The productivity of the plants (fresh herb) is high and varies from year to year, an average on is 15.2 t ha^‑1. The plants are promising for further studies and perspective as an essential oil-bearing crop, the mass fraction of the essential oil is 0.35-0.40% of the fresh weight, and oil production is 53-60 kg ha^‑1. The essential oil is of a carvacrol type (carvacrol 50-60%) that indicates its high antimicrobial and antibacterial activity and possibility for its use in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Squat evergreen S. subspicata shrubs are characterized by a long flowering period and could be used in ornamental horticulture in rockeries, foreground mix borders, gardens on gravel.