This article presents a description of the new endemic species Gagea namanganica Levichev et F. Karimov, which belongs to sect. Stipitatae (Pascher) Davlianidze of the genus Gagea Salisb., and outlines the characteristics of this section that distinguish it from other species. The new species differs from closely related species of the same subsection – G. ova Stapf, G. subtilis Vved., G. paniculata Levichev, G. × turanica Levichev – by its small flowers, the presence of a cavity in the upper half of the basal leaf, the narrowness of the lower leaf in the inflorescence, and a solitary bulb (not a group). It also differs from G. rubinae Ali by its long basal leaf. The species is described based on materials from the National Herbarium of Uzbekistan (TASH), collected during the 2012 field season in Uzbekistan (Fergana Valley).

A new species, Aulacospermum multicaule from the southwestern Tian-Shan (eastern part of the Kurama Range in Uzbekistan), is described and illustrated. The new species is related to A. roseum and differs in the features of stem (9–11 vs. solitary or 2–4), stem base (mostly black membranous vs. brown fibrous remains of petioles and sheaths of leaves of the preceding year at rootstock), and petals (yellowish vs. white). Molecular analysis of nrITS sequence data provides further evidence to recognize A. multicaule as a member of the genus Aulacospermum.

This paper discusses identifying Important Plant Areas (IPAs) in one of the most densely populated regions of Central Asia—the Fergana valley. The recognition of IPA sites is an attempt to introduce new ways of conserving local plant diversity with a high concentration of endemic species in Central Asia, where conservation methods of the former Soviet Union still prevail. The research revealed the current state and geography of many rare species and enriched the flora of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan with several rare species. The second IPA is the transboundary territory of the Fergana valley, uniting the southern spurs of the Chatkal range and the Ungortepa-BozbuToo massif. We documented the distribution of 62 species in the IPAs under the sub-criteria of Plantlife International. Our study aimed at continuing studies on the IPAs in this region, addressing specific conservation challenges, such as conserving national endemics and endangered species that grow outside protected areas and GIS mapping of endemic species.

The article describes the morphological and anatomical features of Gagea khassanovii Levichev, Turginov & W.J.Li, sp. nov., recently described from the Fergana Valley. The species belongs to the section Incrustatae and differs from the species G. circumplexa Vved. in the colour of the flower and the presence of hairs on the leaves of the roots. This species is considered endemic to the Fergana Valley and contributes to the region’s floristic uniqueness.

Here, we aimed to identify important plant areas (IPAs) in the Fergana Valley, one of the most densely human-populated regions in Central Asia with a diverse array of endemic and endangered species. The IPA programme in FV aims to identify and protect a global network of plant conservation sites. We conducted a field survey from 2018 to 2021 to re-identify specimens collected from Fergana Valley and stored at the National Herbarium of Uzbekistan (TASH). An analysis of the floristic, geobotanical and collected data allowed for the identification of the badlands in the northern foothills (Chap tract and surrounding areas) as an IPA site. We modified the interpretation of criterion A for IPAs to suit the circumstances of Mountainous Central Asia and documented the distribution of 29 species in the IPAs under these sub-criteria. To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify an IPA in Uzbekistan and provide geographic coordinates with locations for the herbarium specimens used to create the IPA set for Central Asia. Our study provides a foundation for applying future IPAs in this region, addressing specific conservation challenges, such as conserving rare and endangered species that grow outside protected areas and GIS mapping of endemic species.

The taxonomic position of Astragalus zerabulaki Popov, a narrowly distributed species from Uzbekistan, has long been controversial. To clarify its systematic status, we sequenced and compared the complete chloroplast genomes and nuclear ribosomal regions of A. zerabulaki and A. rumpens. The complete chloroplast genome of A. zerabulaki (123,542 bp; GC 34.0%) differs slightly from that of A. rumpens (123,551 bp; GC 34.1%) and exhibits 614 nucleotide variations, including 491 indels and 123 SNPs. Sliding-window analysis identified several hypervariable regions (accD–ycf4, rps8–rpl14, ycf2–ndhB), while SSR analysis revealed a unique C/G mononucleotide repeat in A. zerabulaki. Phylogenetic analyses based on plastid and nuclear datasets recovered A. zerabulaki, A. rumpens, A. agrestis, and A. arbuscula as a well-supported clade. These molecular distinctions confirm A. zerabulaki as a genetically and geographically distinct species within section Chaetodon Bunge.