Keywords
botanical-geographical regions
Rheum L.
distribution.
How to Cite
Abstract
In this study, the geographical distribution of the genus Rheum across Central Asia and Uzbekistan was analyzed in relation to ecoregions, the botanical- geographical regions of Uzbekistan, and altitudinal zones. The results demonstrated that the distribution of Rheum species is closely associated with ecoregional and altitudinal factors. The analyses identified the Gissaro–Alai Open Woodlands, Pamir Alpine Desert and Tundra, Alai–Western Tian Shan Steppe, and Tian Shan Foothills Arid Steppe ecoregions as the principal centers of biodiversity for Rheum species. Within the flora of Uzbekistan, Rheum maximowiczii Losinsk., Rheum macrocarpum Losinsk., Rheum turkestanicum Janisch., and Rheum cordatum Losinsk. were identified as the most widely distributed species. Furthermore, unresolved issues were identified within the systematics of the genus, indicating the need for additional taxonomic studies at the species level. The findings provide an important scientific basis for the conservation of Rheum diversity, improving the understanding of their distribution patterns and supporting future taxonomic, biogeographical and conservation research.References
1. Tojibaev, K. Sh., Beshko, N. Yu., Popov, V. A., Jang, C. G., & Chang, K. S. (2017). Botanical Geography of Uzbekistan. Korea National Arboretum, Pocheon, Republic of Korea. ISBN 979-11-87031-45-1.
2. Li, W., Tojibaev, K. S., Hisoriev, H., Shomurodov, K. F., Luo, M., Feng, Y., & Ma, K. (2020). Mapping Asia Plants: Current status of floristic information for Central Asian flora. Global Ecology and Conservation, 24, e01220.
3. Asatulloev, T., Dekhkonov, D., Yusupov, Z., Tojiboeva, U., Cai, L., Tojibaev, K., & Sun, W. (2023). Ecoregional and Phytogeographical Insights into the Distribution of Tulipa in the ‘Nature Imperiled’ Area of Central Asia for Effective Conservation. Diversity, 15(12), 1195. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15121195
4. Khassanov, F. O. (2015). Conspectus Florae Asiae Mediae. Vol.
11. Tashkent: Uzbekistan: Fan Publishers. 222 p.
5. Ellis EC, Antill EC, Kreft H (2012) All Is Not Loss: Plant Biodiversity in the Anthropocene. PLoS ONE 7(1): e30535. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0030535
6. Gao, J. G., Liu, H., Wang, N., Yang, J., & Zhang, X. L. (2020). Plant extinction excels plant speciation in the Anthropocene. BMC Plant Biology, 20, 430. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-020-02646-3
7. Volis, S., & Beshko, N. Yu. (2023). How to preserve narrow endemics in view of climate change? The Nuratau Mountains as the case. Plant Diversity of Central Asia, 2(2), 82–101. https://doi.org/10.54981/PDCA/vol2_iss2/a3
8. Rakhmataliev A, Togaev A, Ergashov I, Yusupov Z.
2025. Ethnomedicinal and nutritional applications of Rheum maximowiczii Losinsk. in traditional medicine in Uzbekistan. Ethnobotany Research and Applications 31:1–8. https://doi.org/10.32859/era.31.44.1-8
9. Rakhmataliyev, A., Samiyev, L., Xonnazarov, R., & Yusupov, Z. (2026). The importance of medicinal rhubarb in traditional medicine. In Proceedings of the Uzbekistan–China International Symposium on Current Issues in the Cultivation and Utilization of Medicinal Plants (pp. 182–192). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21356314
10. Wang, J., Yusupov, Z., Rakhmataliev, A., Li, L., Li, T., Zeng, Q., He, M., Tojibaev, K., & Sun, M. (2026). Toward sustainable utilization: A multi-dimensional evaluation reveals the distinct chemical and toxicological profile of Rheum maximowiczii, a traditional Central Asian medicinal resource. Industrial Crops and Products, 248, 123584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2026.123584
11. Tabin S, Kamili AN, Ganie SA, Zargar O, Sharma V, Gupta RC. (2016). Genetic diversity and population structure of Rheum species in Kashmir Himalaya based on ISSR markers. Flora. 223:121–128. doi:10.1016/j.flora.2016.05.001.
12. Zhao, B., Li, J., Yuan, R., & Mao, S. (2017). Adaptive evolution of the rbcL gene in the genus Rheum (Polygonaceae). Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment, 31(3), 493–498. https://doi.org/10.1080/13102818.2017.1288072
13. Bao BJ, Grabovskaya-Borodina AE.
2003. Rheum. In: Wu ZY, Raven PH, Hong DY. (eds). Flora of China (Vol. 5: Polygonaceae). Science Press, Beijing, China, and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, U.S.A., Pp. 277–350.
14. Rana S.K., Rana H.K., Stöcklin J., Ranjitkar S., Sun H., Song B. (2022). Global warming pushes the distribution range of the two alpine 'glasshouse' Rheum species north- and upwards in the Eastern Himalayas and the Hengduan Mountains. Frontiers in Plant Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.925296
15. Khapilina, O. N., Turzhanova, A. S., Gemejieva, N. G., Sumbembayev, A. A., Arysbayeva, R. B., Magzumova, S., Kudrina, N. O., Kulmanov, T. E., Mamirova, A., & Terletskaya, N. V. (2025). Exploring genetic diversity and inter-/intraspecific polymorphism in Rheum sp. (Polygonaceae) using the iPBS retrotransposon marker system. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26, 8943. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26188943
16. Kunwar, R. M., Sher, H., & Bussmann, R. W. (Eds.). (2021). Ethnobotany of the Himalayas. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57408-6
17. Lozina-Lozinskaya AS.
1936. Rheum. In: Komarov VL. (ed). Flora SSSR Vol.
5. Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow, Russia, Pp. 482–501.
18. Kao TC, Cheng CY.
1975. Synopsis of the Chinese Rheum. Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica 13(3):69–82.
19. Li AR.
1998. Flora Republicae Popularis Sinicae. Science Press, Beijing, China. https://archive.org/details/acta-phytotaxonomica-sinica-13-3-069-082/page/82/mode/2up (Accessed 4/07/2026).
20. He M, Asatulloev T, Yusupov Z, Li L, Meng X, Li Y, Tojibaev K, Sun M.
2024. Rhubarb: A potent medicinal herb linking traditional medicine research between Uzbekistan and China. Plant Diversity of Central Asia 3(2):1–18. https://doi.org/10.54981/PCDA/vol3_iss2/art1
21. Aitzhan M, Aimenova Z, Sumbembayev A.
2024. Studying the species distribution of rhubarbs (Rheum L.) in Kazakhstan. BIO Web of Conferences 100:04034. doi: 10.1051/bioconf/202410004034
22. Olson DM, Dinerstein E, Wikramanayake ED, Burgess ND, Powell GVN, Underwood EC, D'Amico JA, Itoua I, Strand HE, Morrison JC, Loucks CJ, Allnutt TF, Ricketts TH, Kura Y, Lamoreux JF, Wettengel WW, Hedao P, Kassem KR.
2001. Terrestrial ecoregions of the world: A new map of life on Earth. BioScience 51(11): 933–938. https://doi.org/10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051%5B0933:TEOTWA%5D2.0.CO;2
23. Tojibaev KS, Beshko NY, Popov VA.
2016. Botanical-geographical regionalization of Uzbekistan. Botanicheskii Zhurnal 101(10): 1105–1132. https://doi.org/10.1134/S000681361610001X
24. Körner C.
2007. The use of 'altitude' in ecological research. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 22(11): 569–574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2007.09.006
25. Pandey B, Pan K, Dakhil MA, Liao Z, Timilsina A, Khanal M, Zhang L.
2021. Contrasting gymnosperm diversity across an elevation gradient in the ecoregion of China: The role of temperature and productivity. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 9: 679439. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.679439
26. Vvedensky AI.
1971. Conspectus Florae Asiae Mediae (Identification Key to the Plants of Central Asia).. Vol.
2. Fan Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent, Uzbekistan POWO. Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet. Accessed 3 July 2026. https://powo.science.kew.org
27. Komarov VL.
1970. Flora of the U.S.S.R. Vol.
5. Israel Program for Scientific Translations, Jerusalem, Israel, Pp. 482-501. (Original work published 1936).
28. Girenko MM, Ivanova KV, Komarova RA.
1988. Flora of Cultivated Plants. Vol. XII: Leaf Vegetable Plants (Asparagus, Rhubarb, Sorrel, Spinach, Purslane, Garden Cress, Dill, Chicory, Lettuce). Agropromizdat, Leningrad, USSR. 30-70 pp.
29. Korovin EP, Vvedensky AI.
1953. Flora of Uzbekistan. Vol.
2. Academy of Sciences of the Uzbek SSR, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
30. Vvedensky AI.
1953. Flora of the Kirghiz SSR: Key to plants. Vol. 4: Salicaceae–Polygonaceae. Academy of Sciences of the Kirghiz SSR, Frunze, Kyrgyzstan.
31. Pavlov NV.
1960. Flora of Kazakhstan. Vol.
3. Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR, Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan.
32. Ovchinnikov PN.
1968. Flora of Tajik SSR. Vol. 3: Juglandaceae–Caryophyllaceae. Nauka Publishing House, Leningrad, Russia.
33. Fedchenko BA.
1937. Flora of Turkmenistan. Vol. 2, Pt.
1. Turkmen State Publishing House, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
34. Plants of the World Online (POWO). (accessed 20 July 2026) https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:696756-1
35. Retromap.ru "Main Administration of Geodesy and Cartography under the Council of Ministers of the USSR – 1985" detailed topographic map of the Central Asia. Available at: https://retromap.ru/1619851_z14_41.073249,71.601676 (accessed 3 July 2025).
36. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (accessed 3 April 2025) https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxonKey=4S6B3
37. INaturalist (accessed 3 April 2025)
38. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?verifiable=true&taxon_id=907813
39. Plantarium.ru. (accessed 3 April 2025)
40. https://www.plantarium.ru/page/view/item/31694.html
41. Dinerstein, E., Olson, D., Joshi, A., Vynne, C., Burgess, N. D., Wikramanayake, E., Hahn, N., Palminteri, S., Hedao, P., Noss, R., Hansen, M., Locke, H., Ellis, E. C., Jones, B., Barber, C. V., Hayes, R., Kormos, C., Martin, V., Crist, E., Sechrest, W., Price, L., Baillie, J. E. M., Weeden, D., Suckling, K., Davis, C., Sizer, N., Moore, R., Thau, D., Birch, T., Potapov, P., Turubanova, S., Tyukavina, A., de Souza, N., Pintea, L., Brito, J. C., Llewellyn, O. A., Miller, A. G., Patzelt, A., Ghazanfar, S. A., Timberlake, J., Klöser, H., Shennan-Farpón, Y., Kindt, R., Barnekow Lillesø, J.-P., van Breugel, P., Graudal, L., Voge, M., Al-Shammari, K. F., & Saleem, M. (2017). An ecoregion-based approach to protecting half the terrestrial realm. BioScience, 67(6), 534–545. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/bix014
42. Li, W., & Tojibaev, K. Sh. (2024). Checklist of Vascular Plants in Central Asia. Les Ulis, France: EDP Sciences.p-252. https://doi.org/10.1051/978-2-7598-3669-7
43. Ovchinnikov, P. N. (1968). Flora of Tajik SSR (Vol. 3, Juglandaceae–Caryophyllaceae). Nauka Publishing House.
44. Pavlov NV.
1960. Flora of Kazakhstan. Vol.
3. Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR, Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan.
45. Vvedensky AI.
1953. Flora of the Kirghiz SSR: Key to plants. Vol. 4: Salicaceae–Polygonaceae. Academy of Sciences of the Kirghiz SSR, Frunze, Kyrgyzstan.
46. Nowak, A., Nobis, M., Nowak, S., Nobis, A., Wróbel, A., Świerszcz, S., Klichowska, E., Dembicz, I., & Kusza, G. (2020). Illustrated flora of Tajikistan and adjacent areas. Polish Academy of Sciences, Botanical Garden Center for Biological Diversity Conservation & Polish Botanical Society
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Rakhmataliev Abdulla, Doniyorova Kholniso, Togaev Azizbek, Asatulloev Temur, Zokhidov Giyosiddin, Samiev Luqmon (Author)