Taxonomic and nomenclatural inventory of the Umbelliferae in Central Asia, described on the basis of collections of the National Herbarium of Uzbekistan

The National Herbarium of Uzbekistan (TASH) in Tashkent is the oldest and largest botanical collection not only in Uzbekistan, but also in the entire region of Central Asia. The article presents a complete inventory of the type material of Umbelliferae taxa stored in the National Herbarium of Uzbekistan (TASH), as well as some key events of the TASH history and its main personalities. The herbarium in its current state is a result of merging of seven Uzbekistanian herbaria. TASH played a special role in the studies of Central Asian Umbelliferae (Apiaceae). TASH currently holds type specimens of 130 taxa of Umbelliferae, including 125 species and 5 intraspecific taxa (according to the ranks proposed in protologues). The TASH Umbelliferae type collection contains holotypes of 82 taxa, lectotypes of 36 taxa, isolectotypes of 22 taxa, syntypes of 15 taxa, and isotypes of 19 taxa. The names of 54 taxa have been preserved in the modern nomenclature of the Umbelliferae, whereas the names of 46 and 33 taxa are now considered as nomenclatural and taxonomic synonyms. Four lectotypes are designated here

A New Record For The Flora of Iraq: Astragalus vogelii (Papilionaceae)

The Western Desert is a wide area of Iraq, it is bordered by three Arab countries, and characterized by the great plant diversity in the rainy years, including year 2019, during the spring season of the same year, a number of field trips were carried out in which wild plants were collected, and among them was Astragalus vogelii (webb) Bornm. of the papilionaceae family for the first time in Iraq, specifically in the Obealah valley, which intersects with the highway road towards Jordan and Syria (about 18 km. west of Rutba). The species was identificated according to the Flora of neighboring and near countries, the morphological description of the sprcies was done through a taxonomic treatment supported by photographic and microscopic images for all floral and vegetative parts, as well as anatomical description of the stem based on the cross section. Amap was also developed the specifies the locations of the species distribution. After making sure that there was no previous sample for the species in the Iraqi Herbaria, the sample of this study were deposited in the Iraqi National Herbarium with numbers 60340, 60341, 60342 and in the Anbar University Herbarium with numbers 6670, 6671, 6672 and 6673.

The South African National Plant Checklist: Maintaining the taxonomic backbone for a megadiverse country

Updated country and regional plant checklists for southern Africa have been available for several decades. These form the backbone of foundational and applied biodiversity-related processes, e.g., herbarium specimen curation, conservation assessments, and biodiversity policy and planning activities. A plant taxonomic backbone for South Africa has been maintained electronically since the 1970s; originally in the custom-built National Herbarium, Pretoria Computerised Information System (PRECIS) database; and currently in the Botanical Database of Southern Africa (BODATSA), using Botanical Research & Herbarium Management System (BRAHMS) software. The BODATSA species table contains ca. 129,000 names of fungi, algae, mosses, lycophytes and ferns, conifers, and flowering plants. Taxonomic backbone data is continuously expanded, updated, and improved following strict policies and standards in an attempt to keep it up-to-date and current. The South African National Plant Checklist (SANPC) Policy stipulates that a single classification is followed for taxonomic groups at the family level and above. Thus a classification system was chosen for each plant group represented in the backbone. For genera and below, the latest published evidence-based classification is followed. Where there are opposing classifications for a group based on similar data, the SANPC Committee decides which classification is most suitable from a southern African perspective. Researchers can also make an appeal to the Committee not to follow the latest publication, if it is controversial. Updating primarily involves keeping track of literature references and the taxon additions, synonymies, and other taxonomic and nomenclatural changes they represent. Attributes affected by such changes are adjusted in the taxon module of BODATSA. Currently the taxonomic backbone for indigenous and naturalised mosses, liverworts, hornworts, ferns and lycophytes, conifers, and flowering plants is actively maintained and updated. Fungal names are not curated in BODATSA, as the Mycology Unit of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) of South Africa maintains a taxonomic backbone for fungi. In future, all fungal names will be migrated to a separate instance of BRAHMS, and links to the ARC database will be established to update the fungal backbone. Previously algae were not included in BODATSA or the SANPC, but algal names are now being added to the backbone. Only names of green and red algae will be added initially. Maintenance of the names for indigenous taxa in southern Africa was always prioritised in the taxonomic backbone. Recently, the scope was expanded to also focus more on our naturalised flora. For these taxa, expansion involved tagging some existing names as naturalised or invasive and adding others. Thus far this dataset has been managed differently, and we realize that to some extent, this will need to continue going forward since information here are more about presence or absence, and confirmation of naturalised status. BODATSA also houses 1.37 million specimen records for more than 2 million specimens housed in the three herbaria of the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI): Compton Herbarium (NBG & SAM), Cape Town; KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium (NH), Durban; and National Herbarium (PRE), Pretoria. Determinations of specimen records are directly linked to names in the taxonomic backbone. Any changes in the backbone thus filter down to the specimen records and should ideally also be reflected in the physical herbarium collections. Checklists for South Africa and the Flora of southern African region were initially published in hardcopy, with some later made available in pdf format. An official yearly release of the SANPC (currently containing just under 40,000 names for indigenous and naturalised mosses, liverworts, hornworts, lycophytes and ferns, conifers, and flowering plants occurring in South Africa) is now made available online as a downloadable spreadsheet, together with other checklist-related documents. This part of the backbone is also accessible in the searchable online platform, Plants of southern Africa (POSA). In line with global initiatives to mobilise plant biodiversity data, this platform provides specimen record data as well, and will soon link descriptive data from the e-Flora of South Africa project to the backbone (once the National Biodiversity Information System website upgrade is finalised). The SANPC connects with several international initiatives and is utilised to update the taxonomic backbones of, amongst others, the World Flora Online (WFO) Project (including the WFO Plant List) and the African Plants Database. This contribution will briefly outline the history of compiling, updating, and disseminating the taxonomic backbone of southern African plants. It will provide information on current data management processes and procedures. Challenges relating to updating the taxonomic backbone, will be highlighted and discussed.

TAXONOMIC STUDY FOR THE NEW RECORD OGASTEMMA PUSILLUM (BORAGINACEAE) IN IRAQ

During the filed survey of 140-160 kilometers region and on both sides of the highway west of Ramadi city in the western desert district of Iraq, and in late spring of 2019, confirmed the recorded of the Ogastemma genus for the first time in Iraq, which was characterized by being a monotypic genus belonging to Boraginaceae family and represented by Ogastemma pusillum. After the identification of the species, which was based on the Flora of the neighboring countries, the species was studied taxonomically. The study worked on describing and photographing all the vegetative and floral parts, anatomy of stem, stomatal complex in leaves, and pollen grains. The plant specimens were preserved under the numbers 60264, 60265 in the Iraqi national herbarium. A morphological study showed that there was uniform indumentum of the epidermis of vegetative organs was appressed-hispid, represented by non-glandular trichomes, medium length of 800-1500 micrometer.

Diversity of Useful Mexican Legumes: Analyses of Herbarium Specimen Records

Herbarium specimens of wild Mexican Leguminosae with ethnobotanical information are an important resource for understanding human–legume interactions. The 525 useful legume species registered in Mexico’s National Herbarium (MEXU) were analyzed using a hierarchical method and represented in dendrograms. Of these, 244 species noted a single use, while 281 species reported two or more uses. Plants applied for medicinal purposes registered the greatest number of species (351 spp.), followed by those employed as animal food (205 spp.), material sources (197 spp.), environmental modifiers (139 spp.), and food and food additives (119 spp.). This study also suggests that a greater number of uses is concentrated in closely related species-rich taxa rather than in less diverse groups, and that certain uses are clustered in phylogenetically related groups. Of particular interest are multipurpose shrubs and trees managed as living fences that satisfy a variety of needs in rural areas. This diversity of legume resources used by Mexican people may be advantageous in the planning and management of conservation areas, since the diversity, ubiquity, and economic importance of some of species have promoted overuse and destruction.

Towards inventory and assessment of plant resources of Bangladesh: challenges and prospects

This review is to appraise plant resources of Bangladesh. Contributions to the inventory, flora writing and establishment of National Herbarium in the country are discussed. The progress of Published Flora of Bangladesh since its independence with family name, number of genera and species including contributors‟ name is mentioned. Contributions of the botanists of the Dhaka University (DU), Chittagong University (CU), Jahangirnagar University (JU), Rajshahi University (RU), Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI), Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), Asiatic Society of Bangladesh and other institutions in botanical explorations and inventory of the flora are also mentioned. Assessment of threatened taxa, medicinal plant diversity, new discovery, new records, endemics, and production of Red Data Book are also considered as valuable entry in this study. J. Biodivers. Conserv. Bioresour. Manag. 2020, 6(1): 47-58

Notes on the type specimens of names in Aconitum (Ranunculaceae) at Central National Herbarium (CAL)

The type specimens belonging to the genus Aconitum available in Central National Herbarium (CAL) are documented with relevant notes. A total of 92 type specimens belonging to 29 taxa are enlisted, it includes 2 holotypes, 2 isotypes, 1 paratype, 12 lectotypes, 25 isolectotypes, 49 syntypes and 1 original material. Lectotype for seven names, A. bakeri, A. ferox subsp. ferox var. crassicaulis, A. ferox subsp. ferox var. flavidiflora, A. ferox subsp. ferox var. laxiflora, A. gammiei, A. insigne and A. wallichianum have been designated here. Second-step lectotype is also designated here for five names, A. deinorrhizum, A. delavayi, A. jucundum, A. soongaricum and A. transsectum.

Morphological peculiarities of flowers, pollen grains and fruits of Valeriana tuberosa (Valerianaceae)

The results of the study of flowers, pollen grains and fruits of Valeriana tuberosa (sect. Tuberosae, Valerianaceae) are presented. Materials of the National Herbarium of the M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (KW) were studied. The morphological structures of flowers, pollen grains and fruits were examined using both light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy; detailed descriptions of the elements of the flower, pollen grains and fruits were made and their specific features were established. The morphological features of the inflorescence, bracteoles, and the elements of the hermaphrodite flowers have been clarified. The pollen grains of V. tuberosa are 3-colpate, suboblate to subprolate (P/E = 0.85–1.33), medium- or large-sized. Their outline in equatorial view is elliptic, rarely circular, in polar view slightly trilobate or trilobate. Exine sculpture is echinate-microechinate with verrucae. The known and new carpological features are specified. In particular, papillate growth of periclinal walls of exocarp with stroke-shaped, jet and warty cuticular formations of the surface were noted the first time; details of exocarp stomatal system were revealed; features of trichomes and their cuticular structure on fruit wall are described. The obtained data are important additional characters for identification of the species and for the issues of taxonomy and phylogeny.