Romania has lost 74 species of plants, according to the priest&researcher of the Plant Genetic Resources Bank (BRGV), Costel Vinatoru, 39 species are endangered, 171 vulnerable, but there are also 1,253 rare species.
On August 15, Romanians celebrate Saint Mary the Great or the feast of the Assumption of the Mother of God, one of the most important holidays dedicated to the Mother of God. Pope Francis and Pope John Paul II affirmed in their visits – in 2019 and 1999 respectively – that Romania is the “Garden of the Mother of God”. According to priest and researcher Costel Vinatoru, manager of BRGV, the phrase “Romania – Garden of the Mother of God” is expressed by the plant treasure that our country possesses.
“It is not by chance because on the one hand there are numerous churches built in honour of the Mother of God, on the other hand because the Mother of God blessed the Romanian people with over 3,700 species of plants. This title is not accidental because Romania has the richest plant treasure in Europe. If we talk about plants that are monuments of nature, we mention the edelweiss, the lady’s slipper, the wild tulips, the wild peony, many other rare plants that we do not protect properly. They could be real brands for Romania, we could gain a lot by protecting them, they can become points of attraction for tourism and for our children, who could have stronger ties with nature,” Costel Vinatoru told AGERPRES.
Of the spontaneous flora, 23 are monuments of nature, but, says Vinatoru, “we have recently lost 74 species that are no longer in the spontaneous flora, a rather large loss of the gifts that God has sown in the ‘Garden of the Mother of God’, in Romania. Nymphaea lotus var. thermalis – a thermophilic variety of water lily, which has disappeared from the thermal lake of northern Baile Felix due to the degradation of its natural habitat. Acanthus balcanicus – a plant specific to the Balkan area, which has been destroyed by the transformation of its natural habitat into agricultural land and by other human activities. Cypripedium calceolus – The lady’s slipper, a rare orchid that has been severely affected by overcollection and changes in the management of its natural habitat. Adonis vernalis – Spring pheasant’s eye, a plant that has disappeared from certain areas of Romania due to intensive agriculture and the destruction of natural pastures. Pulsatilla grandis – a plant characteristic of steppe areas, which has disappeared from certain parts of the country due to changes in land use. We have 39 endangered species, 171 vulnerable species and 1,253 of the species in the spontaneous flora are rare, so we should take care of the gifts given by God, to show that Romania is indeed the ‘Garden of the Mother of God’ in terms of biodiversity and living according to God’s laws,” the researcher from Buzau stressed.
In the portfolio of the Plant Resources Bank there are protected species such as edelweiss, rare plants but also medicinal plants for which researchers are making efforts in order to discover their biochemical characteristics. The Dormition of the Mother of God is also the day when the last plants are harvested for medicines.
“At BRGV we have a lot of rare plants, we have in conservation the edelweiss, varieties of irises from the spontaneous flora, the yellow tulip from the Crang Forest that we are trying to protect. We have plants for food purposes, we managed to find valuable plants in the spontaneous flora, two species of caraway, a productive variety, another from the mountain area. We have wild leeks, wild garlic, we have a reservoir that we have to preserve. We do thorough biochemical research on some varieties of sorrel. In this plant, a valuable substance for health, for the disease of the century, cancer, was detected, a substance called emodin. We think of plants that help diabetes patients, from bitter cucumber that we have improved, to chicory, dandelion, caraway helps a lot. Lemon balm, a plant from the spontaneous flora, with a strong lemon flavor, an antidepressant plant to which we add lofantus anisatus (mentholated licorice). We have two more varieties of Lofantus with distinct aromas compared to the first variety acclimatized in Europe,” Costel Vinatoru emphasized.
BRGV is a public research institution and its main activity is the exploration, inventory, collection, research and development and conservation of plant genetic resources.
