Xylosalsola chiwensis (Popov) Akhani & Roalson is listed in the Red Data Book of Kazakhstan as a rare species with a limited distribution, occurring in small populations in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. The aim of this study is to deepen the understanding of the ecological conditions of its habitats, the floristic composition of its associated plant communities, the species’ morphological and anatomical characteristics, and its molecular phylogeny, as well as to identify the main threats to its survival. The ecological conditions of the X. chiwensis habitats include coastal sandy plains and the slopes of chinks and denudation plains with gray–brown desert soils and bozyngens on the Mangyshlak Peninsula and the Ustyurt Plateau at altitudes ranging from −3 to 270 m above sea level. The species is capable of surviving in arid conditions (less than 100 mm of annual precipitation) and under extreme temperatures (air temperatures exceeding 45 °C and soil surface temperatures above 65 °C). In X. chiwensis communities, we recorded 53 species of vascular plants. Anthropogenic factors associated with livestock grazing, industrial disturbances, and off-road vehicle traffic along an unregulated network of dirt roads have been identified as contributing to population decline and the potential extinction of the species under conditions of unsustainable land use. The morphometric traits of X. chiwensis could be used for taxonomic analysis and for identifying diagnostic morphological characteristics to distinguish between species of Xylosalsola. The most taxonomically valuable characteristics include the fruit diameter (with wings) and the cone-shaped structure length, as they differ consistently between species and exhibit relatively low variability. Anatomical adaptations to arid conditions were observed, including a well-developed hypodermis, which is indicative of a water-conserving strategy. The moderate photosynthetic activity, reflected by a thinner palisade mesophyll layer, may be associated with reduced photosynthetic intensity, which is compensated for through structural mechanisms for water conservation. The flow cytometry analysis revealed a genome size of 2.483 ± 0.191 pg (2n/4x = 18), and the phylogenetic analysis confirmed the placement of X. chiwensis within the tribe Salsoleae of the subfamily Salsoloideae, supporting its taxonomic distinctness. To support the conservation of this rare species, measures are proposed to expand the area of the Ustyurt Nature Reserve through the establishment of cluster sites.

Authors present a new species for the flora of Kazakhstan. The determination of the material was carried out using the morphological method of botany. The species identity is proven by molecular genetic data using 2 fragments. The resulting sequences were uploaded to the NCBI database. The images of herbarium material are attached. The ways of inheritance of chloroplast and nuclear material from parental individuals are shown.

Interspecific hybridization is clearly represented among the species of the genus Pulsatilla. In addition to classical botanical methods, genetic methods are currently widely used to identify hybrids. The authors found pasqueflowers that morphologically occupy an intermediate position between the species P. multifida and P. turczaninovii. A study of four populations using the ISSR-PCR method confirmed the hybrid origin of these samples. Sanger sequencing of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of rDNA of the samples studied showed the presence of several polymorphic sites, which may also indicate their hybrid origin. Based on morphological and molecular genetic data, the nothospecies Pulsatilla chemalensis is proposed for publication.

The review focuses on image cytometry of plant cells, used to determine the ploidy level and genome size of plants. The review presents examples of basic plant studies using the method of analyzing static images of nuclei, the dyes used, sample preparation methods, data analysis, laboratory equipment and software. It also provides an application of the image cytometry in the study of vascular plants. An important parameter of any method is reproducibility and comparative characteristics relative to other methods. The article compares absolute values of plant genome size measurements made by image cytometry and flow cytometry, as well as the necessary minimum parameters to ensure measurement accuracy and limitations of the method. The review will be useful when planning an experiment on DNA content analysis without using expensive equipment – flow cytometers, but only on the basis of optical or fluorescence microscopy data.

Background. Obtaining highly winter-hardy apple-tree genotypes with a long fruit shelf life is a key goal for breeders, especially for Siberia’s harsh climate. Despite the availability of cultivars with reduced ethylene biosynthesis (‘Fuji’ or ‘Gala’), their utilization in northern regions is restricted by their low winter hardiness. Thus, identifying regional genotypes with low ethylene production is crucial for breeding programs aimed at improving the fruit storage potential without losing cold tolerance. Materials and methods. Genetic polymorphism of the Md‑ACS1 and Md‑ACO1 genes (ethylene biosynthesis enzymes) was studied in 34 apple accessions from the genetic collection of the Federal Altai Scientific Center of Agro-Biotechnologies (Barnaul). Total DNA was extracted using a commercial Diamond DNA Plant kit (Altaibiotech, Russia) per the manufacturer’s protocol. PCR amplification used specific primers targeting the Md‑ACS1 and Md‑ACO1 gene regions. Results. Analyzing the Md‑ACO1 allelic polymorphism revealed an uneven genotype distribution: the heterozygous genotype 1/2 prevailed, accounting for 100% of the accessions, while homozygous genotypes were absent. Conversely, Md‑ACS1 showed predominance of the homozygous genotype 1/1 (91.4%), while heterozygous 1/2 was rare (8.6%), and homozygous 2/2 was not detected. Conclusion. Identifying genotypes with allelic configurations linked to reduced ethylene biosynthesis is an important breeding step. Cvs. ‘Altayskoye Purpurovoye’, ‘Altayskoye Yubileynoye’, ‘Mantet’, and ‘Wealthy’, and the open‑pollinated seedling Со‑99‑2981 (all featuring the Md‑ACS1 genotype 1/2) are recommended for further research and breeding. These accessions hold potential for developing highly winter-hardy apple-tree cultivars with extended post‑harvest fruit shelf life, thereby improving apple production in Siberia and other northern regions with extreme climate conditions.

Chloroplast genomes of angiosperms exhibit a high degree of structural and sequence conservation, making them valuable resources for phylogenetic and systematic studies. However, the genus Corydalis (Papaveraceae), comprising more than 540 species worldwide, is characterized by a complex infrageneric structure and extensive structural rearrangements within the chloroplast genome, posing significant challenges for taxonomic classification. In the present study, we conducted a comparative analysis of chloroplast DNA sequences from five poorly studied Corydalis species native to the flora of Kazakhstan: Corydalis ledebouriana Kar. & Kir., C. glaucescens Regel, C. sewerzowii Regel, C. schanginii (Pall.) B. Fedtsch., and C. gortschakovii Schrenk. The chloroplast markers trnL intron and atpB–rbcL intergenic spacer were employed to assess both interspecific variation and the conservation of sequences within taxonomic sections. Flow cytometric analysis revealed a broad range of genome sizes and ploidy levels among the investigated species. Corydalis gortschakovii, assigned to the subgenus Capnoides, was the only diploid species, exhibiting the smallest genome size and high measurement stability, consistent with its basal and evolutionarily isolated position within the genus. In contrast, C. schanginii exhibited a tetraploid genome with partial reduction of the monoploid genome size. Species belonging to the sections Pes-gallinaceus and Leonticoides (C. glaucescens, C. ledebouriana, and C. sewerzowii) were characterized by large genomes and high ploidy levels (6×–8×), indicating a close evolutionary relationship and highlighting the important role of polyploidization in their diversification. Phylogenetic analyses based on the trnL–trnF and atpB–rbcL chloroplast regions supported the division of the studied species into the two subgenera, Capnoides and Capnites, and confirmed the monophyly of the sections Leonticoides and Pes-gallinaceus. Corydalis gortschakovii formed a distinct basal lineage, whereas the polyploid species exhibited strong genetic coherence within sections and robust sister-group relationships. Comparison of the two chloroplast markers demonstrated their complementary phylogenetic utility: the atpB–rbcL region provided superior resolution of deeper phylogenetic nodes, whereas the trnL–trnF region was more sensitive in detecting variation at the sectional level. These findings highlight the value of integrating cytogenetic and chloroplast genomic data for resolving phylogenetic relationships within Corydalis, identifying ploidy variation, and improving our understanding of the evolutionary processes shaping the genus, including polyploidization and structural genome rearrangements. The results provide a robust framework for future integrative studies incorporating broader geographic sampling and expanded taxonomic coverage.