International audienceBryological Note

The bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi L. Spreng.) is a source of herbal material—bearberry leaf (Uvae ursi folium), which is highly valued and sought by pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. For many years, leaves of this plant have been used in traditional medicine as a diuretic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory agent for various diseases of the urogenital tract. The bearberry has also been proposed as a natural antioxidant additive due to the high contents of phenolic compounds in its leaves. The study was focused on characterization of the basic phytochemical composition and antioxidant activity of extracts derived from bearberry leaves collected from plants located at the southern border of the geographical range of the species in Europe. The investigated herbal material is characterized by a different chemical profile compared to the chemical profiles of bearberry found in other parts of the continent. Bearberry extracts from plants growing in two different habitat types—heathlands and pine forests showed a wide range of variation, especially in the concentration of hyperoside, corilagin, and methylartutin and the total flavonoid contents. In addition to arbutin, bearberry can be a valuable source of phenolic compounds, which are mainly responsible for the antioxidant properties of extracts. The high content of phenols and high values of antioxidant parameters indicate a high potential of bearberry leaves to be used as a powerful natural source of antioxidants in herbal preparations. Therefore, the A. uva-ursi populations can be a source of plant material for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.

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Viola uliginosa Besser is a European species mainly known from the Baltic Region. It is endangered in a significant part of its range. Research carried out in the southeastern part of Poland led to the discovery of numerous sites of Viola uliginosa. Fourteen new localities of this species were found in the area of the Kotlina Sandomierska basin. This paper presents information concerning the localization of all new sites, the abundance of Viola uliginosa at the sites and habitats this species occupies. A discussion regarding the endangered status of this species in the Polish flora is given.

Occurrence and breeding of Hirudo medicinalis were recorded in birds' nests in the fishing ponds and water bodies used extensively by anglers in south-eastern Poland, in 4 of 11 studied bird species (Circus aeruginosus, Fulica atra, Cygnus olor, Chroicocephalus ridibundus). Factors important for the distribution and density of this leech were: nest height, pH of the water and oxygen concentration in the water inside the nests, the body-length of the nesting birds. Our data show that (1) H. medicinalis chooses nests as habitats that are safe in water bodies rich in predators (particularly fish) and provide stable feeding conditions; (2) fishing ponds and other water bodies used extensively by anglers in a landscape modified by human pressure can be an important secondary habitat for the medicinal leech. As the nesting activity of some aquatic birds apparently favors the occurrence of H. medicinalis, active protection of aquatic birds and creating sites appropriate for their breeding may be an indirect way for the conservation of the leech in such areas.