Sumbembayev AA, Lagus OA, Nowak S. 2023. Seed morphometry of Rheum L. (Polygonaceae) species from Kazakhstan and its implications in taxonomy and species identification. Biodiversitas 24: 4677-4692. In the article, the evaluation of morphometric and weight parameters of seeds of 7 species of the genus Rheum L. from Kazakhstan is presented, as well as an analysis of their biometric parameters from different ecological and geographical habitats. The purpose of the study was to determine the variability of the seeds of the studied taxa and the importance of the results in determining the taxonomic relationships within the genus. The external structure was described for all species of the genus. Seeds of all studied species are illustrated with photos and scale drawings, and their features are summarized in a table. Stable and taxonomically significant features were identified for the species of the section Ribesiformia, represented by R. cordatum and R. maximowiczii, allowing their identification. The correlation between seed metric parameters and environmental conditions of the site and growth area was established and found a significant relationship between morphometric data and most of the environmental factors studied. The low adaptive potential of rhubarb species in Kazakhstan and the species' narrow ecological range were found. The comparison of the results obtained with the taxonomic relationships and phylogeny of representatives of the genus are briefly discussed.

The genus Tulipa includes some of the most important ornamental plants. The aim of this work was to study the seed morphology of Tulipa species from East Kazakhstan, including seed coat structure. An analysis focused on five taxa from various natural environmental conditions. A total of 31 tulip populations were studied to establish morphological variability. Preliminary analyses of the importance of habitat-related ecological factors have been carried out. The results of this study provide new qualitative characteristics for distinguishing closely related species and are discussed in relation to their systematic relationships. The structure of the seed coat was studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy; however, the results did not show significant variability. An identification key to determine the species of tulips in East Kazakhstan is proposed.

A critical study of the herbarium material representing the orchid genus Dactylorhiza Necker ex Nevski in Kazakhstan was conducted in 2019–2020. The information on the species composition was clarified. Dactylorhiza fuchsii subsp. hebridensis (Wilmott) Soó and D. × kerneri (Soó) Soó were identified for the first time in the country. New taxa were noted for individual botanical and geographical areas. All taxa were presented in the list and annotated with studied herbarium materials from the Kazakhstan area. Based on the collected and available locations for the studied taxa, distribution modeling was carried out for the four taxa (D. incarnata, D. majalis subsp. baltica, D. salina, and D. umbrosa). Bioclimatic data for the present and future (2041–2060) based on four possible scenarios were used. The occurrence of Dactylorhiza representatives in Kazakhstan is threatened by global climate warming. It is likely that some of them may not occur in the country in the future (D. incarnata and D. majalis subsp. baltica), losing up to 99.87% of their modern range or their range may be significantly reduced (D. salina and D. umbrosa), losing up to 80.83% of their present distribution. It is worth considering global changes in planning conservation activities and identifying areas that may play a significant role in the functioning of the national flora in the future.

To solve the taxonomic affiliation of Bulbophyllum physometrum, the only known species of the Bulbophyllym sect. Physometra (Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae), we conducted phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear markers, i.e., ITS and the low-copy gene Xdh, and the plastid region matK. We used Asian Bulbophyllum taxa, with a special focus on species from the sections Lemniscata and Blepharistes, i.e., the only Asian sections of this genus with bifoliate pseudobulbs, as in B. physometrum. Unexpectedly, the results of molecular phylogenetic analyses showed that B. physometrum is most probably more related to the representatives of the sections Hirtula and Sestochilos than Blepharistes or Lemniscata.

Climate change affects populations of plants, animals, and fungi not only by direct modifications of their climatic niches but also by altering their ecological interactions. In this study, the future distribution of suitable habitats for the small-white orchid (Pseudorchis albida) was predicted using ecological niche modeling. In addition, the effect of global warming on the spatial distribution and availability of the pollen vectors of this species was evaluated. Due to the inconsistency in the taxonomic concepts of Pseudorchis albida, the differences in the climatic preferences of three proposed subspecies were investigated. Due to the overlap of both morphological and ecological characters of ssp. albida and ssp. tricuspis, they are considered to be synonyms, and the final analyses were carried out using ssp. albida s.l. and ssp. straminea. All of the models predict that with global warming, the number of suitable niches for these orchids will increase. This significant increase in preferred habitats is expected to occur in Greenland, but habitat loss in continental Europe will be severe. Within continental Europe, Pseudorchis albida ssp. albida will lose 44%–98% of its suitable niches and P. albida ssp. straminea will lose 46%–91% of its currently available habitats. An opposite effect of global warming was predicted for pollinators of P. albida s.l., and almost all insects studied will be subject to habitat loss. Still, within the predicted potential geographical ranges of the orchid studied, some pollen vectors are expected to occur, and these can support the long-term survival of the small-white orchid.

Three new species of the Andean genus Myrosmodes are described: Myrosmodes cleefi Szlach., Mytnik and S. Nowak, Myrosmodes reticulata Szlach., Mytnik and S. Nowak, and Myrosmodes subnivalis Szlach., Mytnik and S. Nowak. The former two species are known from a single population each, from Columbia, and the latter from Columbia and Ecuador. Each species is described and illustrated, and detailed habitat and distribution data are provided. A distribution map of the new species and the distribution range of the genus is presented. A dichotomous key for determination of the Andean species and Myrosmodes is provided. Conservation status assessments are provided for each species; current International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list categories and criteria are listed. A brief discussion of endemism in the Andes and Tropical Andes biodiversity hotspot is presented.