The first record of Melilotoides schischkinii (Fabaceae) from Amur Region, Russia

Information about a new locality of Melilotoides schischkinii (Vassilcz.) Soják (Fabaceae), a rare endemic to Amur Region, is provided in the article. The habitat of the plant and the status of its population in the region are described. The new locality is remote from the known range of the species, which significantly expands its distribution.

Forests of Japanese alder in the Russian Far East: the new association of the class Alnetea japonicae Miyawaki et al. 1977

We describe the new association Lycopo lucidi–Alnetum japonicae Korznikov, Verkholat & Krestov 2021 ass. nov. of the Alnus japonica swampy forests of the coastal plains and river valleys in the south of the Primorye Territory of Russia. The association includes two subassociations: Lycopo lucidi–Alnetum japonicae typicum Korznikov, Verkholat & Krestov 2021 subass. nov. and the preliminary delineated Lycopo lucidi–Alnetum japonicae betuletosum davuricae subass. prov. developing on gently sloping foothills with a lateral inflow of moisture and is transitional to zonal broad-leaved forests of the class Quercetea mongolicae Song ex Krestov et al. 2006. The association is classified to the alliance Fraxino–Alnion japonicae Miyawaki et al. 1977 described from Japan and belonging to the order Alnetalia japonicae Miyawaki et al. 1977 and the class Alnetea japonicae Miyawaki et al. 1977. We also validate the name of the association Stellario longifoliae–Alnetum japonicae Ohno in Miyawaki 1988 nom. inval. (art. 5) from Hokkaido Island, Northern Japan.

On the ecology of lawn communities in the cities of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia

This article provides information on the ecology of lawn communities in the cities of the Urals of the Republic of Bashkortostan (Ufa, Sterlitamak, Salavat, Ishimbay, Meleuz, Birsk, Neftekamsk, Yanaul). On the basis of 195 relevés, the ecological regimes of lawn communities and their species were determined using the ecological scales of Landolt. DCA ordination of the relevés confirmed their floristic differentiation into 4 associations, 2 subassociations, and 5 facies assigned to the alliance Cynosurion cristati of the class Molinio–Arrhenatheretea. The main contribution to the differentiation of communities is made by the thermoclimatic factor, soil moisture and nutrient regimes. The ranges of values of environmental factors of the lawn communities are determined. When conditions deteriorate, there is a succession of lawn communities from subass. typicum of the ass. Leontodono–Poetum pratensis via the subass. cichorietosum intybi of the same association to the ass. Poo pratensis– Plantaginetum majoris. At the same time, species diversity first increases due to the invassion of synanthropic species, and then decreases. Lawns considered to belong to synanthropized vegetation when the number of synanthropic species reaches 56–63 %. Along with traditional herbal mixtures with Poa pratensis, herbal mixtures with Festuca rubra and Lolium perenne are recommended, the combination of which better corresponds to a fairly wide range of environmental conditions of the Urals. Regular maintenance, watering and mowing are also necessary, which extend the life of the lawns.

Development of soybean somatic embryos under different light spectra

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. 'Primorskaya 28') plantlet development from somatic embryos (embryoids) under different spectra was studied. Light irradiation with intensity of 48 μmol/(m2·s) was generated by LEDs (light emitting diodes) with various spectra: cold white (CW), white (W), warm white (WW), full spectrum (FS, 450 nm and 660 nm), red (R, 630 nm), blue (B, 440 nm), and sun box (SB, close to the sun spectrum at wavelength range 440–660 nm). Fluorescent lamps were used as a control illumination (K). Our results showed that experimental LED lights with different spectra possessed the potential to positively affect the development of soybean plantlets from embryoid phase to a full-fledged plantlet, ready to be transferred into soil. The best effect was observed for the FS, which provided development of the highest plantlets. SB light was promising after one month of cultivation, but provided no significant differences in plantlets growth at the end of the experiment. A tendency to the lower growth was observed for plantlets under CW, W, WW, and K. Red light did not provide notable shoot elongation, as was supposed to. Investigations will be continued to clarify and refine the obtained data on the effect of light spectra on soybean plantlet development from embryoids.

Findings to the flora of Russia and adjacent countries: New national and regional vascular plant records, 3

With this paper we continue a new annual series, the main purpose of which is to make significant floristic findings from Russia and neighboring countries more visible in Russia and abroad. In total, this paper presents new records for 38 vascular plant species from 7 Eurasian countries, obtained during field explorations, as well as during taxonomic revisions of herbarium materials. For the first time, new locality of Rochelia bungei is recorded for Europe and West Kazakhstan Region of Kazakhstan, Arnebia obovata for China and Kazakhstan, A. olgae for China, Ballota nigra for Kazakhstan and the Asian part of Russia, Potentilla chalchorum, P. tschimganica and P. doujonneana for Kyrgyzstan, Lappula heteracantha for Tajikistan, Hedysarum talassicum for Uzbekistan, Linaria grjunerae, Silene cserei for Siberia, Dianthus × courtoisii, Genista tinctoria, Verbascum phoeniceum for Eastern Siberia, Drosera × obovata, Pseudopodospermum strictum, Trollius austrosibiricus for the Altai Republic, Diarthron linifolium for the Republic of Buryatia, Dactylorhiza iberica, Epipactis condensata for the Republic of Daghestan, Platycladus orientalis for the Kabardino- Balkarian Republic, Diphasiastrum × zeilleri for the Republic of Mordovia, Typha latifolia for the Magadan Region, Senecio viscosus for the Novosibirsk Region, Solanum physalifolium for the Omsk Region, Echinops exaltatus for the Middle Volga, Lavandula angustifolia for the Samara Region, Galium affrenum for the Saratov Region, Bidens frondosa, Elatine triandra, Eleocharis klingei, Jacobaea grandidentata, Rhinanthus songaricus and Vicia megalotropis for the Tyumen Region, Bunias cochlearioides, Thalictrum ussuriense for the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, Isoëtes echinospora for the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area, Potentilla × bishkekensis for Issyk-Kul and Osh Regions of Kyrgyzstan.

Genetic diversity of the endangered endemic species Hedysarum sangilense Krasnoborov et Timokhina (Fabaceae)

Hedysarum sangilense Krasnoborov et Timokhina (Fabaceae) is а rare subendemic species of the Fabaceae family. It has been found in a restricted area, only in isolated habitats in Tyva Republic and Northern Mongolia. Two PCR techniques, using RAPD and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers, were used to perform a comparative analysis of genetic diversity in this species. When amplifying DNA with three RAPD primers, we produced 51 bands, of which 21 (40.6 %) were polymorphic. Amplification of genomic DNA using ISSR analysis yielded 96 fragments, of which 35 (36.6 %) were polymorphic. Nei,s gene diversity (H) was estimated to be 0.105 within populations (range 0.086–0.150) and 0.191 at the species level. Genetic differentiation among populations (GST) was 0.383. The results indicate that both of the marker systems RAPD and ISSR, individually or in combination, can be effectively used in the determination of the genetic relationship among and within populations of H. sangilense.

A contribution to the syntaxonomic diversity of the Tazovsky Peninsula, Arctic Russia

Syntaxonomic diversity of the vegetation in the southern tundra subzone of the Tazovsky Peninsula is represented by six associations, three subassociations and three variants. Four associations (Dicrano maji–Salicetum lanatae Khitun ass. nov. hoc loco, Sphagno girgensohnii–Betuletum nanae Khitun ass. nov. hoc loco, Empetro subholarctici– Eriophoretum vaginati Khitun ass. nov. hoc loco, Eriophoro leiocarpi–Caricetum rotundatae Khitun ass. nov. hoc loco), the three subassociations (Hierochloo alpinae– Hylocomietum splendentis empetretosum subholarctici Khitun subass. nov. hoc loco, Eriophoro leiocarpi–Caricetum rotundatae typicum Khitun subass. nov. hoc loco, Eriophoro leiocarpi–Caricetum rotundatae caricetosum chordorrhizae Khitun subass. nov. hoc loco) and the three variants are described for the first time. A high degree of similarity was found between vegetation of the Tazovsky Peninsula and vegetation of the southern part of the Gydansky Peninsula (the typical tundra subzone). They have four of six associations in common, whereas with the northern part of the typical tundra there is only one association in common.

The problem of vicarious and other categories of species of Euonymus L. (Celastraceae) from Northern Eurasia: The carpological approach

Among the species of Euonymus L. of the flora of Russia and adjacent territories, various scholars identify vicarious, endemic and relict species; their arguments and proofs are often incomplete and controversial. The present paper is dedicated to the critical analysis of all available data used for the substantiation of the status (category) of a given species. The authors employ both original and literature data on morphology, anatomy, chromosome numbers, DNA sequences, geography and ecology of species of Euonymus. The complex of morphological and anatomical traits of fruits instrumental for the existence of closely related species in different conditions is analyzed. Special focus is paid to the correlation between the size of geographical range, fruit and seed structure and dispersal type is discussed, as well as other factors (historical, ecological) affecting taxa migration. This determines the resolving capabilities of carpological approach developed by the authors. As a result of our research, we came to the following conclusions: E. europaeus, E. maackii, E. sieboldianus and E. bungeanus are georgraphic vicariants; E. hamiltonianus and E. sieboldianus are ecological vicariants; E. velutinus is not a vicarious species; E. verrucosus and E. pauciflorus are not vicarious; E. alatus and E. sacrosanctus are hereby considered ecological vicariants; E. nanus and E. koopmannii are geographic vicariants; E. leiophloeus are apparently not vicarious; E. latifolius, E. sachalinensis and E. maximowiczianus are hereby treated as geographic vicariants. E. leiophloeus appears to be a regional endemic; we consider E. maximowiczianus and E. velutinus to be subendemic species. Additionally, E. nanus is considered as relict taxon.

Phylogenetic relationships among different morphotypes of StY-genomic species Elymus ciliaris and E. amurensis (Poaceae) as a unified macroevolutional complex

Microevolutionary relationships between the Far Eastern StY-genomic species Elymus ciliaris and E. amurensis were studied using a set of experimental methods. No relationship was found between the formal species affiliation of a particular accession and the component composition of protein spectra. The consensus neighbor-joining (NJ) dendrogram based on the variability of ISSR markers showed the features of differentiation among different morphotypes of the two species. Pubescence of leaf blades is not a marker of differences between the studied species. A level of crossability in E. ciliaris s. l. did not allow to study the inheritance of morphological traits. According to the results of sequencing of the nuclear gene GBSS1, the sequences of the St subgenome are the most informative in terms of microevolutionary differentiation. It is proposed to return to the early treatment by N.N. Tsvelev, where E. ciliaris and E. amurensis were considered as subspecies of E. ciliaris s. l.

Lichens: traditional use and biological activities

Lichens are a stable symbiotic association between photobiont (algae and/or cyanobacteria) and mycobiont (fungi). They are utilized in traditional medicine for ages and documented in various pharmacopeia throughout the world. India is having a rich diversity of lichen species represented by about 2400 species. The tribal inhabitant around forests and other difficult terrains acquired unique knowledge about the use of much wide flora and fauna. Most of these are either lesser known or unknown to the outside world. The treasure of traditional knowledge if subjected to scientific scrutiny could benefit humankind in many ways. They produce unique secondary metabolites through various metabolic pathways and are known to exhibit a wide array of bioactivities. We have reviewed the literature for traditional knowledge of the lichen species and biological activities reported to study its inter-relationship. It was observed that that still a major percentage of lichens have remained unexplored. These lichens may have immense potential; and if analysed could be used in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic industries, and many more.