About the Journal
Plant Diversity of Central Asia is a peer-reviewed, Open Access journal published by the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan. It publishes original research, reviews and short communications on the flora, vegetation, systematics, ecology and conservation of Central Asia, in English.
Current Issue
This issue of Plant Diversity of Central Asia (Vol. 4, No. 2, 2025) presents landmark advances in phylogenomics, historical biogeography, and quantitative floristic modeling across Central Asian ecosystems. Featuring a study by Bobur Karimov et al., the issue reconstructs the evolutionary history of Scutellaria (Lamiaceae) by analyzing 14 newly sequenced chloroplast genomes alongside 184 global plastomes, confirming the genus’s monophyly, solidifying the subgeneric cohesion of the Anaspis lineage, and tracing its biogeographic origin in southern Asia through subsequent diversification in Central Asia and worldwide dispersal. Complementing this, Otabek Sotiboldiyev et al. introduce the Polymorph Stability Index (PSI)—a novel, multidimensional framework integrating 64,619 georeferenced records across spatial coverage, ecological niche breadth, and taxonomic diversity—to evaluate floristic dominance in Surkhandarya, identifying Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Poaceae as core polymorphic components of the regional flora. Together, these studies combine high-resolution genomic data with innovative spatial analysis to deepen understanding of lineage diversification and structural ecology in Central Asia.
Articles
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Research Article Open Access
Phylogenomics and biogeographic patterns of Scutellaria L. (Lamiaceae): southern Asian origins and worldwide dispersal
License: cc BY 4.0Keywords: plastome structure; comparative genomics; codon usage bias; hypervariable regions; lineage diversification; evolutionary historyAbstract Scutellaria L. (Lamiaceae) is a diverse and pharmacologically important genus with significant species richness in Central Asia. Here, we sequenced and analyzed complete chloroplast genomes of 14 Scutellaria species from Uzbekistan and adjacent regions, integrating them with 184 publicly available… -
Research Article Open Access
Polymorph Stability Index (PSI) for Integrated Assessment of Floristic Families in Surkhandarya (Central Asia)
License: cc BY 4.0Keywords: Polymorph Stability Index; floristic families; spatial analysis; ecological gradients; niche breadth; SurkhandaryaAbstract This study evaluates the dominance of polymorphic floristic families in the flora of Surkhandarya using an integrated, multidimensional approach. A total of 64,619 georeferenced occurrence records representing 2,202 species were analyzed to assess spatial, ecological, and taxonomic patterns.…


