Geographic Distribution and Propagation of Agrimonia eupatoria L. and Melissa officinalis L. from Portugal

The viability of mass production of Agrimonia eupatoria L. and Melissa officinalis L. for ornamental, medicinal and culinary purposes was studied, as well as its Portuguese continent geographic distribution based on several Herbariums information. To break A. eupatoria seed dormancy, seeds were submitted to 24h wetting or to 24h wetting in a succinic acid 21, 25 mg L-1 solution at room temperature (20 degrees C). Germination trials were performed in light and temperature controlled incubations at 20 degrees C, 30 degrees C and the alternate regime of 20/30 degrees C at total darkness and at 12h daily photoperiod. M. officinalis were chilled at 5 degrees C for 15 days or stored at room temperature (20 degrees C - control). Germination trials were performed in light and temperature controlled incubations at 15 degrees C, 20 degrees C, 25 degrees C, 30 degrees C and at the alternate regimes of 15/25 degrees C and 20/30 degrees C at total darkness and at 12h photoperiod regime. A. eupatoria best germination result (75%) was obtained at 20 degrees C at 12-h daily photoperiod. The remnant modalities had low germination rates (<3%). M. officinalis best germination rate (95%) was obtained with seeds submitted to 15-days chilled incubated at the alternate regime of 15/25 degrees C at 12-h photoperiod modality. High statistical differences were obtained for temperature and photoperiod on both species. A. eupatoria plants increased 30-fold their dry biomass in the final 3 months of the survival trial. The root part had a higher increase. All 5.5 cm A. eupatoria root cuttings successfully developed stems and/or roots at 15 degrees C and 25 degrees C. M. officinalis root cuttings were unsuccessful, but 4 cm basal stem cuttings collected on March were 80% successful at 15 degrees C and 100% at 25 degrees C.