A synopsis of Phragmites (Poaceae) for Belarus

A taxonomic review of the Phragmites Adans. (Poaceae) in Belarus is presented. It is shown that P. nigricans (Mérat) Val. N. Tikhom. is the priority name of the widespread species formerly known as P. communis Trin. The new species P. tzvelevii Val. N. Tikhom. is described, which is apparently the result of ancient hybridization of P. nigricans and P. altissimus (Benth.) Mabille. The lectotype of the name P. nigricans is designated. A key for identification and brief descriptions of five Phragmites species identified in Belarus are provided.

Materials for the «Flora of Russia»: new heading in the «Novitates systematicae plantarum vascularium»

The editorial board of Novosti systematics of higher plants announces the introduction of a new rubric “Materials for the Flora of Russia”. The rubric publishes reviews of small families, genera and divisions of genera (subgenera, sections) for the entire territory of the Russian Federation. The minimum recommended number of species in the review is 10, the optimal one is 20–30. The language of publications is English (preferably) or Russian.

New species of Festuca altaica affinity (Poaceae) from the Russian Far East and East Siberia

Two new species in the genus Festuca L. (Poaceae) are described, related to F. altaica Trin.: F. itelmenorum Enustschenko et Prob. (Kamchatka Peninsula, Kronotskii Nature Reserve) and F. kozhevnikovii Enustschenko et Prob. (Amur Region and Republic of Buryatia). Leaf blades of the newly described species as well as of F. altaica from different parts of its distribution range have been studied and illustrated.

Astragalus habaheensis (sect. Erioceras, Fabaceae) in Mongolia and China

A new species to the flora of Mongolia, Astragalus habaheensis Y. X. Liou (A. arcuatus Kar. et Kir. s. l., Fabaceae), was revealed among herbarium material (LE!). It is assumed that all reports of A. arcuatus Kar. et Kir. and A. subarcuatus Popov for Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China also belong to A. habaheensis. The difference between A. habaheensis and closely related species is illustrated by the original illustration and the identification key.

A synopsis of Euphorbia (Euphobiaceae) for the Caucasus

Euphorbia L. (Euphorbiaceae), one of the largest genera of angiosperms, is represented in the Caucasus by 80 species. This paper contains a taxonomic treatment for these species and a key for their determination. For every species the following information is provided: accepted name and major synonyms with typification where possible; brief characteristics of habitats; distribution in the Caucasus and indication of geographical element (for indigenous species); and taxonomic and geographical notes if necessary. Lectotypes of Euphorbia arvalis Boiss. et Heldr., E. damascena Boiss., E. fossulata Boiss. et Gaill., E. iberica Boiss. var. intermedia Boiss., E. kemulariae Ter-Chatsch., E. notadenia Boiss. et Hohen., E. platyphyllos L., E. paralias L. and E. ruderalis Sheele are newly designated. The indigenous component of Caucasian Euphorbia comprises 73 species. The majority belong to three geographical elements: Euro-Siberian (41.10%), Irano-Turanian (20.54%) and Submediterranean (15.07%). There are also 7 alien species mostly of North American origin. Taxonomically, most of Caucasian Euphorbia species (70 or 87.5%) belong to subgen. Esula and represent 16 of the 21 currently accepted sections. The remaining ten species belong to subgen. Chamaesyce.

Morphology, nomenclature and distribution of Bassia monticola (Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae), a poorly known species from Western Asia

Kochia monticola was previously considered as a synonym for the widely distributed Irano-Turanian Panderia pilosa. After the merger of Kochia and Panderia with Bassia based on molecular phylogeny, K. monticola remained a synonym of Bassia pilosa. We claim that Bassia monticola, a name proposed by Kuntze (1891) for K. monticola, should be separated from B. pilosa based on morphological characters and localised distribution in mountainous regions of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon at altitudes 1800–2600 m a. s. l.

Transfer of the Kobresia taxa of the flora of Russia and adjacent countries to the genus Carex (Cyperaceae)

Based on the published data of molecular phylogenetic studies of the tribe Cariceae Dumort. genera (Cyperaceae), obtained by an international collaboration (The Global Carex Group, 2016; et al.), and morphological characters of the genera (Kukkonen, 1990; and others), new nomenclatural combinations and replacement names in the genus Carex L. are published for 11 species, one subspecies and two sections previously included in the genus Kobresia Willd.

Overview of species of the Clinopodium sections Calamintha and Ellementha (Lamiaceae) in the flora of the Caucasus and adjacent territories

The article briefly discusses the history of the study of species from the relationship Clinopodium calamintha (L.) Kuntze s. l. in the Caucasus, now included in the sections Calamintha (Mill.) Melnikov and Ellementha Melnikov. A number of new morphological traits to distinguish the species of these sections are presented, and a classification of the trichome types found in this group is given. 17 new species and 4 new varieties are described. For the flora of the Caucasus, 16 species are recorded, and 3 more species are possible to find growing in the regions adjacent to the Caucasus (in Turkey and Iran). A key has been compiled to identify the species and varieties of these two sections in the Caucasus.

New delimitation of two series within Alchemilla subsection Calycanthum and new subdivision within Alchemilla series Calycinae (Rosaceae)

The distinctions between Alchemilla ser. Calycinae and A. ser. Elatae are emended, treating the latter group as relict, connected to the Tertiary broadleaved forests of the eastern Mediterranean Basin. Alchemilla ser. Calycinae (in renewed circumscription) is subdivided into seven provisional aggregates according to the specially developed coordinate system (with two axes — a ratio of central zone width to leaf length vs. number of leaf teeth in total). The original key included all the species of the series occurring in the Caucasus and Asia Minor was compiled.

New alien species of flowering plants to the flora of the Arabian Peninsula

Seven species of alien flowering plants collected in the Emirate of Fujairah (the UAE) in 2020 are recorded for the first time for the flora of the Arabian Peninsula: Hydrocotyle verticillata Thunb. (Apiaceae), Asclepias curassavica L. (Asclepiadaceae / Apocynaceae), Croton bonplandianus Baill. (Euphorbiaceae), Glinus oppositifolius (L.) Aug. DC. (Molluginaceae), Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. (Myrtaceae), Oxalis debilis subsp. corymbosa (DC.) O. Bolòs & Vigo (Oxalidaceae), and Tropaeolum majus L. (Tropaeolaceae). For all the species, data on their distribution, citations of voucher herbarium specimens, characteristics of their habitats in Fujairah and appropriate notes are given. The herbarium specimens are stored at the Komarov Botanical Institute of RAS (LE) in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the Fujairah Scientific Herbarium (FSH) in the UAE.