Home – Home – Jornals – Flora and Vegetation of Asian Russia 2026 number 2

The article contains information on 32 type specimens of 12 taxa of the genus Glycyrrhiza Tourn. ex L. (Fabaceae) stored in the Herbariums of the Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS (NS, NSK), 4 specimens stored in the collection of the Herbarium of the Komarov Botanical Institute RAS (LE), 2 specimens from the Herbarium named after prof. V.I. Smirnov of Irkutsk State University (IRKU). For each taxon, the Latin name with the nomenclatural citation, the category of the type specimen, citations of the original label, protologue and notes are given. A total of 3 lectotypes, 2 isolectotypes, 1 syntype, 3 holotypes, 1 isotype, 13 paratypes, 12 authentic specimens and 3 elements of the original material are indicated. The lectotypes of G. glabra L. var. pubescens Litv., G. michajloviana Grankina & E.V. Kuzmin, G. sergievskiana Grankina & Aralbaev are designated. The type collections include specimens of taxa described by K.F. Ledebour, I.D. Litvinov, and V.P. Grankina from Central and Middle Asia and Siberia.

Comparison of the populations of Pelargonium caroli-henrici B. Nord. s. str. and P. caroli-henrici sensu E.M. Marais, based on the thorough analysis of morphological characters, including color and arrangement of nectar guides, corolla morphology, the number and morphology of fertile stamens, filament orientation, pollen presentation mode and leaf lamina morphology led to the conclusion that the populations P. caroli-henrici sensu Marais should be described as а new species P. invertum F. Gren. ex V.I. Troshkina & E.M. Ioganson. Detailed morphological description, a comparative table of diagnostic characters, differentiating the new species from related taxa, color plates of the most important morphological characters distinguishing P. caroli-henrici s. str. and P. invertum are presented. A map of сollection localities of P. caroli-henrici s. str. and P. invertum together with a photo of the P. invertum holotype are provided.

The Khorumnug-Taiga Range is situated on the South-East of the Tyva Republic. It is a link in the mountain chain separating the arid landscapes of Southern Tuva and Mongolia and the boreal landscapes of Southern Siberia. Such position of the range determines the contrast ecological conditions, a variety of plant communities and habitats, as well as a diversity of vascular plant species on its territory. The study of the flora of the range is of interest in the framework of the inventory and conservation of plants in the Tyva Pepublic. The flora of the Khorumnug-Taiga Range comprises 655 species of vascular plants belonging to 260 genera and 64 families. The 10 biggest families of the flora are Asteraceae (78 species), Poaceae (73), Rosaceae (42), Ranunculaceae (41), Cyperaceae (40), Caryophyllaceae (38), Fabaceae (33), Brassicaceae (24), Salicaceae (24), Lamiaceae (17). The eight largest families are the same as the eight largest families of the floras of the other mountain structures in the South Tuva: massif Mongun-Taiga, ranges Tsagan-Shibetu, Western and Eastern Tannu-Ola. By the first three largest families (Poaceae, Asteraceae, Rosaceae), the flora of the Khorumnug-Taiga Range, as well as the flora of nearly situated Eastern Tannu-Ola Range, belongs to Central-European Rosaceae-type. Nine species of the flora included into the Red Data Book of the Tyva Republic, two species - into the Red Data Book of the Russian Federation: Cypripedium calceolus L. and C. × ventricosum Sw.

Data on the new species Eritrichium jenisseense Turcz. ex A. DC. for the flora of Eastern Siberia are presented. New localities were discovered in the Irkutsk Region and Zabaikalsky Krai, significantly expanding the range of this endemic species to the east. During field studies in 2018 and 2025, populations of the endemic Severobaikal-Lena species E. baicalense Popov ex Ovczinnikova were discovered in the south of the Irkutsk region. A full characterization of the species: diagnostic characters, relationships, ecological characteristics, and range are indicated, as well as nomenclatural information and data on type specimens are provided. The cited specimens are deposited in the Smirnov Herbarium of Higher Plants of Irkutsk State University (IRKU). It is recommended that these species be included into the “Red Data Book of the Irkutsk Region”, and E. jenisseense in the “Red Data Book of the Trans-Baikal Territory” also.

The paper presents the results of a comparative morphological analysis of six quantitative and four qualitative leaf traits studied in closely related species from the Violidium (K. Koch) Juz. section of the genus Viola L.: V. irinae Zolot., V. jeniseensis Zuev, and V. prionantha Bunge. The analysis was carried out using samples from introduced populations of Viola species growing in the Altai Republic, Altai Krai, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai, the Republic of Khakassia, and Amur Oblast. Morphological variability was studied at the individual, intrapopulation, interpopulation, and interspecific levels. Under introduced conditions, V. irinae is characterized by an ovoid leaf with a truncated base. Seasonal variability in the shape and base of leaf blades was revealed in plants of the V. jeniseensis and V. prionantha species. Spring leaves were ovate with a truncated base, while summer and autumn leaves were oblong-ovate with a cordate, subcordate, or truncated base. Variability in leaf surface pubescence was found to be a distinctive feature of V. prionantha. In V. jeniseensis and V. prionantha, lanceolate stipules are semi-fused with the leaf, while seasonal variability in the degree of stipule fusion was noted for V. irinae . Leaf blades of all studied species had a crenate-serrate margin and an acute apex. Among the studied characteristics, the greatest variability was found for petiole and stipule length. Blade length and total leaf length showed a moderate degree of variability. Allometric traits of leaf index and blade index were found to be characterized by low to moderate levels of variation, but did not differ significantly across species. During introduction, quantitative leaf parameters of the species under study were influenced by weather conditions. The qualitative and quantitative traits studied varied, making them inappropriate for diagnostic use. To determine the taxonomic status of V. irinae, V. jeniseensis, and V. prionantha, it is necessary to evaluate their genetic variability in addition to morphological variability.

The morpho-anatomical features of germination of the tropical terrestrial orchid Eulophia streptopetala Lindl. were studied under conditions of asymbiotic in vitro cultivation. Seed germination was recorded 7 weeks after sowing. At the protocorm stage, early activity of the apical meristem, formation of rhizoids and appearance of stomata were observed, indicating early functional differentiation of the epidermis. A sequential development of the vascular system was established, progressing from isolated conductive elements to numerous scattered vascular bundles, along with the presence of idioblasts containing raphides. Under the experimental conditions, a tendency toward vegetative proliferation was observed, manifested by the formation of secondary protocorm-like structures. Formation of the first leaves and gradual reduction of the basal part of the seedling reflect the transition from heterotrophy to autotrophy. Endogenous root initiation was recorded at weeks 52-56 of cultivation; mature roots exhibited a multilayered velamen and a polyarch stele organization. The results confirm the high potential of E. streptopetala for mass propagation and ex situ conservation.

The article presents the results of the study of Tulipa kolpakowskiana Regel (Liliaceae) under the conditions of introduction of the Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS. T. kolpakowskiana plants emerge in the late first and early second ten-day period of April, immediately after the snow melts. The decorative flowering period most often occurs in the first two ten-day periods of May. A clear distinction between the above-zero temperature sums confirms the dependence of the onset of phenophases on this parameter. Precipitation influences the duration of flowering. Morphometric features of T. kolpakowskiana plants are characterized by variability, which is confirmed by the indicators of normal variation. Adaptive changes are weak, which is confirmed in comparison with plants in situ. Unlike other studied species, T. kolpakowskiana plants do not have a significant correlation dependence of morphometric features on environmental factors. The percentage of seminification, seed germination in open ground have low values, reproduction by daughter bulbs is absent. Low variation rates indicate the homogeneity of seeds, and the correlation coefficient additionally indicates the independence of embryo size from the amount of endosperm during seed maturation. The success rate of introduction at this stage does not allow recommending this species for landscaping. It is necessary, in order to preserve biodiversity, to introduce the species in botanical gardens.

This article introduces and tests the “metric profiles” method, a novel approach to the classic syntaxonomic problem of objectively delineating plant communities within a continuum. The method quantitatively diagnoses syntaxa by calculating a set of specially selected metrics for each geobotanical relevé, thereby formalizing the classification process revision and minimizing expert subjectivity. It was tested on a challenging classification subject: the foothill xeric meadows and meadow steppes of Western Siberia, characterized by polydominance and smooth gradients. Applying this method to a dataset of 1033 relevés (preliminarily classified as xeric meadows or meadow steppes) enabled a syntaxonomic revision. The revision revealed that 10 previously described associations could be statistically justifiedly reduced to 5 syntaxa, significantly simplifying the classification system. Two new associations are described here for the first time: Vicio amoenae-Phleetum pratensis(fallow meadows) and Peucedano morissonii-Brachypodietum pinnati (primary forest xeric meadows). Multivariate analysis (NMDS, indicator species analysis IndVal, Kruskal-Wallis test) confirmed the statistical significance of differences between the revised associations. The analysis further confirmed that these associations differ significantly in key metrics, such as the proportion of cover of eco-coenotic species groups and the number of diagnostic species. Beyond providing objective syntaxon delineation, the method allowed clear determination of their successional status and degree of anthropogenic disturbance. These results demonstrate the efficacy of the “metric profiles” method for syntaxonomic research and for monitoring the state and dynamics of vulnerable meadow and steppe ecosystems. As a quantitative and practical tool, it establishes a base for a new, objective approach to analyzing plant communities under continuum conditions.