Home – Home – Jornals – Flora and Vegetation of Asian Russia 2021 number 4

Elymus fedtschenkoi, E. nevskii and E. praeruptus are three morphologically similar species traditionally assigned to the informal “Elymus semicostatus group” and distributed in open habitats in the mountainous regions of Central Asia, including the Russian Gorny Altai. There are no data on the finding of E. praeruptus within Russia to date. The work provides a detailed analysis of the history of synonymy of the studied species. Their close relationship is confirmed not only by morphological similarity, but also by the high numbers of bivalents per cell (10-12) in meiosis in interspecific hybrids (Salomon, 1993). Analysis of the variability of endosperm proteins in individual caryopses by SDS-electrophoresis showed the following: a) each of the three species has internal polymorphism, which makes it possible to effectively study inter- and intrapopulation specificity even using non-viable material; b) differences within the accessions of E. fedtschenkoi - E. nevskii are more pronounced with geographic remoteness than depending on the formal species; c) the accessions E. praeruptus from Gissar-Alai had completely unique sets of components, and the visual coincidence of the REM values with other accessions, in our opinion, may be of a random nature. According to the revealed polymorphism of ISSR markers, E. fedtschenkoi and E. nevskii have a distinct genetic similarity, while E. praeruptus is noticeably distant from this pair of species. Probably, biotypes with the trait “long lemma’s awns” (up to 25 mm), attributed to E. fedtschenkoi s. str., together with biotypes with the trait “short lemma’s awns” (1-6 mm), which are classified as E. nevskii s. str., should be attributed to a unified complex E. nevskii s.l.

The article presents results of field research on biology, ecology, productivity and distribution of Rhodiola rosea L. in different natural areas of Tuva. The study of flora and vegetation was carried out on the basis of route studies using generally accepted floral and geobotanical methods during the period from 2001 to 2019. The values of productivity, operational stocks, and volume of possible annual harvest were established according to the “Methodology for determining stocks of medicinal plants” (1986) using the method of “specific thickets”. Our studies have shown that in Tuva the genus Rhodiola L. is represented by six species: Rhodiola rosea L., Rh. algida (Ledeb.) Fisch. et C.A. Mey, Rh. coccinea (Royle) Boriss., Rh. quadrifida (Pall.) Fisch. et C.A. Mey, Rh. subpinnata (Krasnob.) and Rh. pinnatifida Boriss. The highest productivity of Rhodiola rosea is observed in waterlogged snow-covered and herbal alpine meadows (1200 kg/ha), as well as subalpine (850 kg/ha) meadows. In high-grass subalpine meadows productivity decreases to 230 kg/ha, in grass-sedge meadows - to 130 kg/ha. There are even less Rhodiola rosea stocks in shrub communities (110 kg/ha - in Salix communities, 50 kg/ha - in Pentaphylloides communities). Biological and operational stocks of raw materials have been revealed for most areas of Rhodiola rosea in Tuva; the volumes of possible annual harvest for each of them have been calculated. It was established that the total biological stocks of air-dry raw materials of Rhodiola rosea in Tuva is 109.6 t; the operational stocks is 76.8 t, and the volume of possible annual harvesting is 3.65 t. The maximum stocks have Shapshal Ridge (17.7 t), Udinsky Ridge (11.5 t) and Big Sayan Ridge (11.2 t). For the first time the total area of communities with Rhodiola rosea was determined, a map-scheme of its area was compiled. Distribution of Rhodiola rosea confined to the alpine belt of Tuva, it descends along the river valleys to the upper part of the forest belt.

The seed coat structure or exotesta was first studied in the following species Trollius apertus Perf. ex Igoschina, T. ranunculinus (Sm.) Stearn (section Trollius Doroz.), T. sibiricus Schipcz. (section Longipetala Doroz) and T. riederianus Fisch. et C.A. Mey. (section Insulaetrollius Doroz.). In the paper, there is presented the analysis of our long-term data on seed coat structure variability in 13 samples of T. asiaticus L. (section Longipetala Doroz.) collected in different parts of the area. The seeds are angular, ribbed-scrobiculate with cell of the same tri-hexahedral shape and straight anticlinal walls. The seed coat is smooth, exotestal; aerenchyma is formed by inner layers of the outer integument, while tegmen is formed by inner integument. In the cross-section, the aerenchyma is 28-40 mm thick; other layers get squished and flatten by full ripeness. At the convex side of seeds, aerenchyma is 5-8 mm thick and tegmen - 4-7 mm. Cross-section of ripe seeds shows a vertical hollow in the center of each exotesta cell. The hollow is 2-5 mm wide in its narrowest part and air fills it in the process of cellular protoplast withering away, which takes place usually at the wax ripeness stage. The spermoderm analysis by electron microscopy was conducted in longitudinal section as well. The description of seed coat sculpture by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was carried out according to W. Barthlott (1981). Additionally, there are described cross-sections and the average scheme of the structure is given. The spermoderm surface morphology is represented by the primary sculpture in T. apertus and T. ranunculinus species. The tertiary sculpture is observed as a discontinuous wax coating in T. asiaticus and T. sibiricus, and as a complete one in T. riederianus. In all the species under the study, wax coating does not obscure the primary sculpture traits. In all Trollius genus representatives, the seed coat secondary sculpture is not expressed. We have refined the specific terms which describe the seed coat of Trollius species. The common consistent patterns of the genus have also been revealed. Significant polymorphy of seed coat structure characters was established in T. asiaticus plants from different regions; and their variability was evaluated in samples collected from the same populations in 2017-2020 years. The study of seeds from natural populations of the Sakha Republic and the Altay Republic allows to conclude that plants growing in the most remote from each other geographic regions range mostly in the entirety of the characters. The difference is found maximum in plants from the edges of the species area. Most seed coat structure characters appear to possess rather high plasticity not only within population sampling but even in one single seed, thus they cannot be applied for species diagnostics. SEM shows the form of exotesta cells as the most variable. It depends on the seed ribbing, so we recommend to describe the cells of the convex surface only. To characterise the seed coat in Trollius species we highlight more or less stable traits which demand further study in other representatives of the genus. Relatively constant characters of the spermoderm surface are presence or absence of axial strands formed by exotesta cells due to their flattening in one direction, and the colour and budge of the structural element center. By the cross-section there should be checked the shape of the air hollow and the air bubble presence above it.

Plants of Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk. is widely used in traditional medicine of Asian countries. A wide range of pharmacological activity is due to the presence of polyphenolic compounds, the main of which are chromones. In the Far East and south of eastern Siberia natural populations of this species may disappear due to the increasing demand for medicinal raw materials. The results of the primary introduction of S. divaricata are presented in this article. The research was conducted in 2016-2021 years in the conditions of introduction at the collection site “Rare and endangered plants of Siberia” of the Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS (Novosibirsk). The introduction method of direct experiment was used. The introduction was carried out by seeds from the natural population in two ways: by seedlings and by sowing in the ground. The success of the laboratory-greenhouse-soil method for growing the endemic Asian species S. divaricata was established. Seeds do not have rest, laboratory germination is high and reaches 90 %. Winter hardiness of plants of the first year of life is average, after winter there are 50 % of individuals left, winter hardiness of plants of the second year of life is high. S. divaricata is a young monocarpic in culture, the pregenerative period lasts 2 years, for 3 years the plants bloom and form seeds and die during the next winter. In the conditions of introduction the height of plants reaches 95 cm, which is more than in natural conditions (up to 76 cm). The branched elongated shoot is the synflorescence panicle of compound umbel. The branching of the shoot occurs up to the 5th order both in nature and in culture. The potential seed productivity of the individual was more than 45 thousand ovules, the real seed productivity was about 20 thousand seeds. The primary introduction was evaluated according to 12 criteria. The species S. divaricata is medium-promising for introduction in the conditions of the forest-steppe zone of Siberia

The biodiversity understanding and conservation require information on the species geography and ecology including a detailed description of spatial distribution and habitat confinedness. The availability of comprehensive data on the distribution of rare and endangered species provides the baseline for combating fragmentation and loss of habitats which is the main reason for the species extinction. Also, to monitor populations of rare and endangered species, detailed data on distribution are crucial. The data on species localities are sufficiently important to control the advent plants dispersal as well. The presented study is supported by 93 relevés and more than 500 herbarium specimens collected in the course of field studies in 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019 in the Republic of Buryatia and Trans-Baikal Territory. As a result of studies, new records of vascular plant species for the Western Trans-Baikal region flora are reported as following. The 25 new localities supported by herbarium specimens and 64 localities documented by relevés for 5 species (Cypripedium macranthon, Circaea lutetiana, Festuca extremiorientalis, Menispermum dauricum, Rhamnus davurica) listed in regional and federal Red Data Books have been described. Also, 11 new localities for 8 rare indigenous species (Artemisia umbrosa, Hieracium narymense, Hylotelephium pallescens, Ribes uva-crispa, Scorzonera glabra, Seseli seseloides, Viola alexandrowiana, V. patrinii) were revealed. The continued expansion of 4 advent plant species (Centaurea scabiosa, Conyza canadensis, Digitaria ischaemum, Trifolium arvense) was supported by newly found 8 localities, 6 of them are documented by herbarium specimens, and 2 localities have been registered in relevés. The suggestion to include Viola alexandrowiana into the Red Data Book of Trans-Baikal Territory is endorsed, and Festuca extremiorientalis is nominated to be listed there too.

In 2019 and 2020 from May to October the known populations of rare species of Novosibirsk oblast were monitored; the biota of macromycetes of Moshkovskyi and Bolotinskyi districts was studied at the same time. As a result, new habitats of several rare species of agaricoid and gasteroid basidiomycetes were discovered. The article presents new data on 4 rare species of agaricoid and gasteroid basidiomycetes, included in the Red Data Book of Novosibirsk region: Melanophyllum haematospermum (Bull.) Kreisel, Pluteus fenzlii (Schulzer) Corriol et P.-A. Moreau, Phallus impudicus L. and Mutinus ravenelii (Berk. et M.A. Curtis) E. Fisch. Specimens are deposited in the M.G. Popov Herbarium (NSK) at the Central Siberian Botanical Garden of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The state of local populations of the identified species, the tendency of their distribution in the region and in the world, peculiarities of ecology and biology are discussed, and threatening factors are noted. A map with the locations of these species in the Novosibirsk region is presented. The obtained data confirms the rare status for the species Melanophyllum haematospermum and Pluteus fenzlii that belong to agaricoid basidiomycetes and still have low numbers of populations. Additionally, a new habitat for Pluteus fenzlii was recorded in the forests from the wildfire zone. In order to clarify the taxonomic and conservation status of the gasteromycetes Phallus impudicus и Mutinus ravenelii, molecular and DNA testing is required as well as further monitoring. At the present time, new habitats have been found for Phallus impudicus but the population numbers remain low. Conversely, fruit bodies of Mutinus ravenelii appear frequently, with the majority of new habitats found in the anthropogenic zone. The species is likely to be excluded from the list of rare species of Novosibirsk oblast.

USU “Herbarium” CSBS SB RAS unites two herbariums with their own acronyms: I.M. Krasnoborov herbarium (NS) and M.G. Popov herbarium (NSK). The genus Rhododendron is represented in the collections by 42 species and subspecies in the amount of 2912 herbarium leaves, including 3 sheets of type specimens of Rh. burjaticum Malyschev: NSK 0000558, NSK 0000559, NSK 0000560. The purpose of this work is to assess the volume and completeness of the species and population collections of rhododendrons. The flora of Russia and the states that were part of the USSR includes 23 species of representatives of the genus Rhododendron (according to the modern classification). All these species are found in the herbarium collections of the Central Siberian Botanical Garden of the SB RAS. In I.M. Krasnoborov herbarium keeps 558 sheets, M.G. Popov herbarium - 1575 sheets. The genus is classified according to the system of D. Chamberlain. Sampling was carried out by 427 collectors, and the determination was carried out by 186 specialists. Herbarium materials were collected from all over Russia, as well as Bulgaria, Georgia, Italy, Canada, Mongolia, USA, Turkey, Ukraine and Japan. In addition to our own collections, the collection includes samples obtained from the herbaria of 45 scientific institutions in Russia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Canada, USA, Ukraine and Japan.

The results of the International scientific conference “Northern Asia plant diversity: current trends in research and conservation” (September 6-12, 2021, Novosibirsk) dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS and the 90th anniversary of the birth of outstanding Siberian botanists, Professors L.I. Malyshev and I.M. Krasnoborov are considered. The scientific program covers a wide range of topics related to the study and preservation of flora diversity at all levels of its organization. 77 oral reports (6 plenary and 71 sectional) were presented, 42 of them were online ones. 59 presentations are posted on the Conference Website. Following the results of the conference, a resolution was adopted.