THE HISTORY OF SIRINGA VULGARIS L. CVS. GENETIC COLLECTION AND ITS CURRENT COMPOSITION

The results of the study of archival materials on the formation, introduction and current state of common lilac cultivars (Siringa vulgaris L.) are presented. Stavropol Botanical Garden has created a unique collection of 162 common lilac cultivars of foreign and domestic selection, including cultivars of early-flowering hyacinth lilac hybrids (S. × hyacinthiflora (Lemoine) Rehd and late-flowering interspecific hybrids of Preston lilac (S. × prestoniae), and conducts systematic introduction work. The genetic collection of the Lilac Garden has become one of the largest gene pools in southern Russia, accounting for 8.1 % of the total global varietal diversity. The lilac collection is dominated by 79 French cultivars bred by Victor and Emile Lemoine, 28 Russian cultivars, including 23 cultivars by Leonid Kolesnikov, and 13 Belarusian cultivars by Smolsky and Bibikova. The lilac garden includes all colour groups, according to the international registry, and it is based on lilac cultivars. The collection also includes cultivars that combine two colour schemes and cultivars with a combined colour. According to doubling degree, cultivars with simple flowers predominate. As a result of a long-term introduction work, the Stavropol Botanical Garden has enriched and improved the range of common lilac cultivars. Replenishment of the lilac in vitro collection with new cultivars and species is a highly effective and relevant way to preserve and enrich biodiversity, as well as to study them and their subsequent implementation in the green construction of our city and region. 118 promising cultivars have been described and recommended for mass reproduction and cultivation in the Stavropol Territory.