Home – Home – Jornals – Flora and Vegetation of Asian Russia 2023 number 2

The Priobskoe plateau is characterized by a high diversity of plant communities. It is associated with the specific features of the relief, hydrology and edaphic factors. Currently, a lot of separate works on the syntaxonomy of vegetation have been published for certain areas of the Priobskoe Plateau, but there is't unified checklist of communities. Its compilation will allow assessing the phytocoenotic diversity of the region and identifying “blind spots” in the study of the territory. A database of 1530 published geobotanical descriptions was created in the IBIS 7.2 program in order to analyze the syntaxonomic coverage of the vegetation in the Priobskoe plateau. Based on those, the prodromus of vegetation was compiled, which included 17 classes, 29 orders, 44 alliances and 103 associations. It covers the frequency of associations in the right-bank and left-bank parts of the plateau - separately for the steppe and forest-steppe zones (table). For each association, the position on the soil moisture and richness-salinization gradients was determined using phytoindication scales. This resulted in the creation of the ordination schemes of associations (Fig. 2). The vegetation of the forest-steppe zone on the left bank of the Ob is represented by 63 associations, 35 alliances, 24 orders and 16 classes. Steppes, meadows, forests, halophytic, aquatic and semi-aquatic communities are widespread here. The diversity of aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation is associated with the large number of rivers and lakes. Forest coenoses are formed along the ravine and hollow systems and suffusion depressions. Natural meadows are found in small areas in the edges and clearings of small-leaved forests, ribbon forests, along the fields and idle lands. The tops and slopes of the ravine and hollow systems feature well-preserved steppes. The steppe zone vegetation of the Priobskoe plateau left bank is less diverse. It is represented by 22 associations, 13 alliances, 10 orders and 8 classes. Moisture deficiency results in the dominance of steppe communities and is the reason for the small number of associations representing meadows and forests. To date, complete information on the diversity of the forest, halophytic, aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation in this area is not available. The right-bank part of the Priobskoe plateau is represented by 50 associations, 23 alliances, 14 orders and 6 classes. The vegetation of this territory is close to the left-bank forest-steppe. The main difference is the absence of halophytic communities. This is related to the good drainage of landscapes, which prevents the development of saline soils. Our studies have revealed the diversity of the Priobskoe plateau vegetation. The three areas of the plateau differ from each other markedly in terms of syntaxonomic diversity. This is associated with the differences in natural conditions and the degree of coverage.

We studied the seed set of the andromonoecious Oenanthe aquatica (Fine-leaved Water-Dropwort), a biennial or perennial mono- or oligocarpic herbaceous plant. Our survey was carried out in natural conditions of the Moscow region in 2021 according to generally accepted methods of studying plant seed sets. We showed that the seed set of individuals depends on the degree of synflorescences branching. Fine-leaved Water-Dropwort has two types of individuals with umbels on shoots of I-III and I-IV orders. O. aquatica has a high potential (number of ovules per individuals) and real (number of seeds per individuals) seed set (up to 21 490 seeds per individual) and the proportion of perfect flowers forming full seeds (95.8-96.8 % per individual). The potential and real seed set of terminal umbels is lower than that of individual umbels on shoots of the second orders. In Fine-leaved Water-Dropwort, the seed set of umbels on shoots of the same branching order naturally increases with an increase in the branching of the shoot system. The contribution of the seed set of umbels to the total seed set of O. aquatica individuals also depends on the degree of synflorescences branching. With an increase in the branching of the shoot system, the share of seed set of terminal umbels and umbels on second-order shoots gradually decreases. These characteristics of umbels on third-order shoots naturally increase due to both their numerical predominance.

The article presents the results of the analysis of the demographic structure of the coenotic populations of Hedysarum sangilense Krasnob. et Timoch. on the high-altitude Sangilen plateau (South-Eastern Tuva). The ecological-coenotic association, ontogenesis, ontogenetic and vital structure of 7 populations of this subendemic species were studied. It is established that in the studied territory the species is confined to the communities with Kobresia and dryad tundras within the alpine belt and to the shrubby thickets in the forest belt. Study of the demographic structure revealed that the majority of coenotic populations are characterized by left-sided age spectra with a predominance of juvenile, virginal and, most often, young generative plants. In conditions of disturbed phytocenoses (recovering from fires), left-sided spectra are formed with a maximum on generative young plants. Among the vitality of the types of populations of H. sangilense is dominated by depressive and equilibrium types. Sufficiently high real seed productivity and a long generative period ensure the self-maintenance of H. sangilense populations in the conditions of high-altitude plant communities of the Sangilen highlands.

The appearance of new collections from Eastern Siberia and the reanalysis of previously studied collections from Siberia and Mongolia stored in Herbariums LE, MW, NSK, as well as the analysis of virtual collections hosted in the international Jstor database, made it possible to describe a species new to science Lappula turczaninowii Ovczinnikova from the kinship L. redowskii (Hornem.) Greene from the Redowskianae Ovczinnikova series of the type section , validate the names of two varieties of L. anisacantha (Turcz. ex Bunge) Gürke var. sibirica Popov ex Ovczinnikova and L. anisacantha var. uniserialis Popov ex Ovczinnikova, proposed by M.G. Popov in “Flora of the USSR”, as well as to clarify the range of L. stricta (Ledeb.) Gürke in the Baikal region. L. turczaninowii is described from the Irkutsk region, found on stony and rocky steppe slopes in the Baikal region, Transbaikalia, Yakutia, and Mongolia. It differs from the closely related species L. redowskii in the sparse soft pubescence of all plant organs, more densely arranged fruits on the fruiting twigs, the ovoid shape of the eremocarp disc, and the number of glochids (13-15) along the edge of the disc. For all new taxa, a nomenclature citation is given, labels of type specimens are cited, information is given on ecological features and distribution, and a table of diagnostic characters of the new species and the species in which it was included is compiled. The main diagnostic features of the taxa are illustrated in the figures, and photographs of type specimens are given. The cited new localities of L. stricta from the Irkutsk region complement the natural range of this species.

For the first time for the flora of Omsk Region, a representative of the steppe halophyte complexes Camphorosma lessingii from the Chenopodiaceae family is indicated. The nearest findings of this species are known in Novosibirsk Region and in the north of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The article also contains data on the new locations of 7 rare and protected species of vascular plants for the territory of Omsk Region: Allium ramosum L., Campanula bononiensis L., Cleistogenes squarrosa (Trin.) Keng., Galatella divaricata (M. Bieb.) Novopokr., Nitraria sibirica Pall., Stipa praecapillata Alechin, Vincetoxicum sibiricum (L.) Decne., discovered during field studies in 2021-2022. The article justifies proposals to change or confirm the current security status for Allium ramosum, Camphorosma lessingii, Galatella divaricata, Nitraria sibirica, Stipa praecapillata - 1 (E), Campanula bononiensis - 2 (V). Due to poor knowledge and a small number of populations, it is proposed to include Cleistogenes squarrosa and Vincetoxicum sibiricum in the list of species that need special attention to their condition in the nature.

New localities of alien species rarely found in the Novosibirsk Region are reported: Acer tataricum L. subsp. ginnala (Maxim.) Wesm., Amelanchier ovalis Medik., Bromus tectorum L., Cornus alba L. f. argenteo-marginata (Rehd.) Schelle, Corylus heterophylla Fisch. ex Trautv., Hemerocallis fulva (L.) L., Iris × hybrida hort., Lamium galeobdolon (L.) L., Prunus fruticosa Pall., Rubus odoratus L., Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill., Sisymbrium volgense M. Bieb. ex E. Fourn., Symphytum caucasicum M. Bieb., Tilia cordata Mill., Veronica filiformis Sm., Viola tricolor L. Dispersal of 14 species, predominantly invasive or potentially invasive, was recorded in the Novosibirsk Region. Most of the discussed species are ergasiophytes - species that have left the culture.

The paper presents an analytical review of the multivolume floristic synopsis, “Conspectus Florae Asiae Mediae” (1968-1993), edited by the eminent Russian botanist, Professor Aleksei Ivanovich Vvedensky (1898-1972). Сheck-lists for new species as well as for new nomenclature combinations published in these books are compiled. Overall from 1968 to 1993, 10 volumes of synopsis of the Middle Asian flora were published with 8102 species, 1151 genera and 125 families. According to the materials published in the additional 11^th volume of the synopsis, the total number of vascular plants in Middle Asian flora is 9347 species.

The article is dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the birth of the famous Russian florist, algologist Tatiana Andreevna Safonova. Her work has made a great contribution to the study of the diversity, morphology and distribution of freshwater algae.

On February 15, 2023, Olga Dmitrievna Nikiforova, a well-known taxonomist of Siberian vascular plants, Doctor of Biological Sciences, a real ascetic of science and a person of great soul, passed away. All scientific activities of O.D. Nikiforova is associated with the Central Siberian Botanical Garden of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. For the multi-volume edition “Flora of Siberia” she studied the morphology, geography and ecology of more than 200 species from the families Poaceae, Fabaceae, Brassicaceae, Boraginaceae. She is the author of 114 scientific publications. In the study of the flora of Siberia and neighboring states, she described 24 new species and subspecies, 50 new sections, subsections and series in the system of genera Vicia, Mertensia, Myosotis.