Houttuynia (Houttuynia cordata Thunb.) -new vegetable and medicinal crop for Russia (morphological features and biochemical composition)

Taking Into account the Importance of Hauttuynla cordata as a vegetable and medicinal plant In the South-East Asia, and the possibility of its cultivation in a temperate climate, the morphological and biochemical features of the plants belonging to ‘common' and ‘variegated’ forms were studied in conditions of a greenhouse. We used a peat as a substrate for growing plants. The content of macro- and microelements in rhizomes and leaves was estimated with use of the synchrotron radiation induced X-ray fluorescence analysis (SR-XRF). During three months of cultivation, the total phytomass of ‘common form’ increased from 4.7 ± 0.84 g to 30.3 ± 8.00 g, і.є. in 6.4 times, while in rhizomes it reached 51-56% out of the total phytomass. The size of the leaves of ‘variegated form’ was 15 - 29% less, as compared with the 'usual form'. The height of the plants was 25.9 ± 0.98 cm in the 'usual' and 29.0 ± 0.62 cm In the 'variegated' form, the length and width of the leaf blade were 6.6 ± 0.26 x 5.9 ± 0.25 and 4.70 ± 5.00x 4.90 ± 5.50 cm, respectively. Plants of the ‘common’ form formed apical, elongated, dense, ctenopod spine Inflorescence with flowers lacking perianth, with three stamens and 3-4 fused carpal forms forming syncarpous gynoeclum. 'Variegated' form did not form any Inflorescences. H.cordata leaves contain 35, 6 mg% ascorbic acid, rhizomes - 14.2 mg%. Leaves of H.cordata mainly accumulated Mn, Fe and Cu, and the roots - Fe, Co, Cu and Zn. It Is necessary to carry out the further study on new promising functional food.