Approximately 3,800 species of vascular plants have been registered in the flora of Armenia, of which 789 chromosome numbers are known. Additionally, many species have several cytoraces in Armenia (a total of 898 cytoraces were recorded). These species were analysed from a phytogeographical point of view. Their distribution by floristic regions of the republic, altitudinal zones, and vegetation type has been revealed. Geographical elements were established based on general distribution. As a result of the analysis, it was found that Armenian flora was formed over a long period, starting from the Tertiary period, and is composed of nearly equal proportions of migrants from the Boreal and Ancient Mediterranean sub-kingdoms, and species formed on the Armenian Highlands and on the Greater Caucasus. A significant percentage of endemics (mainly neoendemics) indicate that the territory of Armenia is also an arena of intensive formation and speciation. At the same time, a large karyological diversity among species whose distribution is confined to the Ancient Mediterranean or its several parts, including the Armeno-Iranian province, indicates that speciation took place in these territories. The “northern root” species, Boreal and Caucasian, came to Armenia mainly in the form of karyologically stable cytoraces.

The high mountain perennial pea Vavilovia formosa (Steven) Fed., commonly known as beautiful vavilovia, is a rare species of the high alpine flora of Armenia bound to scree habitats. Populations of V. formosa in Armenia, as well as in other regions of the world, are endangered and need to be studied and preserved both in natural and ex situ conditions. Studies of the relic alpine pea V. formosa, unique in its bioecological features and beauty, were initiated in Armenia in the20-30s of the last century and continue at the present time. Thanks to numerous expeditions tothe hard-to-reach habitats of Vavilovia in the Gegham and Syunik highlands, Zangezur ridge, manyresearchers of the Armenian flora collected herbarium material, conducted ecological and cоenoticstudies, analyzed karyology on the basis of local populations, repeatedly conducted experimentson growing Vavilovia in laboratory conditions and in botanical gardens of Armenia. As a result of fieldobservations, information was obtained on the status of Vavilovia populations in different regionsof the republic, in natural conditions, floristic and coenotic composition of habitats at the Aknasarand Sevkatar (Sevsar) mountain peaks, on slopes near the Aknalich lake, of the Mets Ishkhansarmountain, and near the Ughtasar mountain peak. One of the main natural threats leading to thechange in and shrinking of Vavilovia populations is the overgrowth of mobile scree habitats with turf-forming grasses, which creates conditions for the development of mountain-meadow vegetationon screes. The ex situ conservation strategy for V. formosa is one of the possible ways to evaluateits adaptive capacity to environmental changes, as well as to conserve it and use in basic andapplied research. An experiment on the introduction and cultivation of Vavilovia conducted by theYerevan and Sevan Botanical Gardens of Armenia has yielded some data on biomorphological andecophysiological features in ex situ conditions.