New locations of vascular plant species in Yakutia discovered through Internet monitoring

The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), with its vast territories, climatic conditions, diverse landscapes, permafrost soils, and consequently, unique vegetation cover, attracts many botanical specialists. Sometimes, scientists leave their findings and observations unpublished, and these data do not make it into regional floristic summaries. To provide a more comprehensive representation of Yakutia's flora, work has been carried out to search for plant discoveries outside known ranges across various online resources. In this article, we present information on herbarium specimens from the Depository of Living Systems “Noev kovcheg” (Herbarium of Moscow State University, MW), Digital Herbariums of the Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS (NSC), of the Institute of Biological Problems of North FEB RAS (MAG), and the South-Siberian Botanical Garden of Altai State University (ALTB), as well as observations from the Atlas of Species and the illustrated online plant identifier “Plantarium”. These electronic resources contain records and photographic documentation of new occurrences for 46 species and subspecies of vascular plants found in the Aldan, Upper-Lena, Olenyok, Central Yakutian, Yano-Indigirka, and Kolyma floristic regions. For the first time in the flora of Yakutia, the presence of Calamagrostis sugawarae, Trollius riederianus, Fragaria vesca, Geranium turczaninovii, Phlojodicarpus komarovii and Symphytum caucasicum has been noted. For the other recorded species, the identified habitats significantly expand their distribution ranges within Yakutia. Additionally, the work presents 8 cultivated plants (Allium obliquum, Raphanus raphanistrum, Anethum graveolens, Phacelia tanacetifolia, Mentha × piperita, Calendula officinalis, Helianthus annuus, Lactuca sativa) that in the central and southern regions are often noted by many researchers, as well as local residents, as growing outside of sown areas and cultivated plantings, predominantly in ruderal habitats. This work aims to provide a more complete picture of plant distribution and serves as an addition to the taxonomic basis for future floristic research, inventories, and the compilation of identification guides.

1. Priority areas of scientific and technological development and the list of the most important science-intensive technologies: Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 529: approved on June 18, 2024 // Garant System: website. Available at: https://ivo.garant.ru/#/document/409213212/ [Accessed 13 April 2026] (in Russ.).

2. Afanasyeva EA, Baykov KS, Bobrov AA, et al. Manual-key to higher plants of Sakha (Yakutia) Republic. Moscow: KMK Scientific Press; Novosibirsk: Nauka; 2020:896 (in Russ.).

3. Chepinoga VV, Barkalov VYu, Ebel AL. et al. Checklist of vascular plants of Asian Russia. Botanica Pacifica. 2024;13(Special issue):3–310 DOI: 10.17581/bp.2024.13S01.

4. Nikolin EG, Yakshina IA. Illustrated flora of the Chinke and Sobol-Yuryage river basins ("Sokol" section of the Ust-Lensky Nature Reserve). Ust-Lensky State Nature Reserve: Biological diversity. Iss. 3. Novosibirsk: Nauka; 2022:260 (in Russ.).

5. Mochalova OA, Andrianova EA, Khoreva MG. Aquatic flora of the high-mountain lakes in the south-eastern part of the Chersky Ridge within the basin of the upper Kolyma River. Arctic and Subarctic Natural Resources. 2023;28(2):323-336 (in Russ.). DOI 10.31242/2618-9712-2023-28-2-323-336.

6. Koroleva TM, Gogoleva PA, Khitun OV, et al. Flora of the Burulgunsky Cape vicinities (Lower reaches of the Indigirka River, North-East Yakutia). Botanicheskii Zhurnal. 2024;109(8):729-746 (in Russ.). DOI 10.31857/S0006813624080012

7. Kuznetsova LV. Flora and vegetation of the Nasleg. Biodiversity and archaeological monuments of the Uyandina River Basin, Yana-Indigirka interfluve. Novosibirsk: SB RAS; 2024:192 (in Russ.).

8. Sekretareva NA. Vascular Plants of the Russian Arctic and adjacent territories. St. Petersburg: Kordis; 2024:184 (in Russ.).

9. Antonova LA, Borisova IG. New additions to the flora of Southwestern Yakutia. Turczaninowia. 2025;28(4):151-154 (in Russ.). DOI 10.14258/turczaninowia.28.4.18

10. Nikolin EG. Addition to the local flora of the Tas-Kystabyt Ridge (North-Eastern Yakutia). Botanicheskii Zhurnal. 2025;110(10):980-987 (in Russ.). DOI 10.7868/S2658633925100068

11. Seregin AP. Moscow Digital Herbarium (MW). Available at: https://plant.depo.msu.ru/ [Accessed 13 April 2026].

12. Digital Herbarium of the Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS (NSC). Available at: http://herb.csbg.nsc.ru:8081/ [Accessed 10 April 2026].

13. Digital Herbarium of the Institute of Biological Problems of the North FEB RAS (Herbarium MAG). Available at: https://herbarium.ibpn.ru/ [Accessed 3 April 2026].

14. Vaganov AV, Dmitriev DA. Virtual Herbarium ALTB. Available at: http://altb.asu.ru/index.php [Accessed 6 April 2026].

15. Plantarium. Plants and lichens of Russia and neighboring countries: open online galleries and plant identification guide. Available at: https://www.plantarium.ru/lang/en.html [Accessed 13 April 2026].

16. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). URL: https://www.gbif.org/ (Дата обращения 30.03.2026).

17. Flora URSS. Moscow; Leningrad: AS USSR Publishing; Nauka; 1934-1964;1–30 (in Russ.).

18. Arctic Flora of the USSR. Moscow; Leningrad: Nauka; 1960-1987;1–10 (in Russ.).

19. Vascular plants of the Soviet Far East. Leningrad; St.-Petersburg: Nauka; 1985-1996;1–8 (in Russ.).

20. Flora of Siberia. Novosibirsk: Nauka; 1987–2003;1–14 (in Russ.).

21. Tzvelev NN, Probatova NS. Grasses of Russia. Moscow: KMK Scientific Press; 2019:646 (in Russ.).

22. Gorovoi PG. Duae species novae e familia Umbelliferarum. Novitates Systematicae Plantarum Vascularium. 1964;1:252-257 (in Russ.).

23. d'Candolle AP. Aconitum delphiniifolium DC. Regni Vegetabilis Systema Naturale, sive Ordines, Genera et Species Plantarum Secundum Methodi Naturalis Normas Digestarum et Descriptarum. Parisiis: Sumptibus sociorum Treuttel et Würtz; Argentoratum; Londinum: venitque in eorundem bibliopoliis; 1817;1:380. Available at: https://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/viewer/11852/?offset=#page=384&viewer=picture&o=bookmark&n=0&q=; http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233500017 (Дата обращения: 06.04.2026).

24. Reichenbach H.G.L. Aconitum ambiguum Rchb. Monographia Generis Aconiti. Iconibus omnium specierum coloratis illustrata latine et germanice elaborate. Lipsiae: sumtibus Frid. Christ. Guil. Vogelii; 1823;23. Available at: http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200007106 (Дата обращения: 06.04.2026).

25. Red Book of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Vol. 1: Rare and endangered species of plants and fungi. Moscow: Reart; 2017:412 (in Russ.).

26. Komarov VL. Introduction to the Study of the Vegetation of Yakutia. Leningrad; AS USSR Publishing; 1926;1:168 (in Russ.).

27. Egorova NN, Everstov MY. Genus Thymus L. (Lamiaceae) in the Herbarium of the North-Eastern Federal University. Vestnik of NEFU. 2025;22(4):7-13 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.25587/2222-5404-2025-22-4-7-13