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The Bogdkhan mountain of Mongolia is strictly protected and possesses a unique ecosystem, because of its location in the transitional zone of Siberian taiga and the Asian steppe. Floristic composition and the biological spectrum of the Bogdkhan Mountain were studied during July 2019 to September 2020. A total of 522 vascular plants were recorded belonging to 249 genera and 63 families. Asteraceae was found to be the most dominant family (13.22%; 33 genera and 69 taxa) followed by Poaceae (8.43%; 21 genera and 44). The classified life-form spectra of all the species recorded from the study area revealed the predominance of hemicryptophytes (63.03%) followed by geophytes (11.30%), therophytes (10.34%), phanerophytes (9.58%), chamaephytes (5.36%), and hydrophytes (0.38%). The notable changes found in the biological spectrum, which are chamaephytes from 12 to 5.36%, geophytes from 8 to 11.30% and therophytes from 8 to 10.34%. Variaty of reasons might cause change the life form, such as climate change, anthropogenic impacts, etc. Hemicryptophytes and chamaephytes dominate the flora of the mountain due to the cold mountain niche. The floristic diversity of this mountain tends to decline further videnced from the observed lesser divergence values of geophytes and therophytes. Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 29(2): 241-268, 2022 (December)

The Ulziit Mountain has a unique ecosystem which is one of northern branch mountains of Khangai mountain range in Mongolia. Several field survey were conducted in summer in all habitats in different altitudes. A total of 314 taxa were registered belonging to 161 genera from 52 families in Ulziit Mountain flora. The family Asteraceae was found to be the largest with 37 taxa, followed by Poaceae with 30 taxa, Ranunculaceae with 24 taxa, Cyperaceae, Caryophyllaceae and Rosaceae each with 17 taxa, Salicaceae with 16 taxa, and Fabaceae with 15 taxa; in total, these comprised 55.1% of all flora complements in this mountain. During the investigation, 5 species were newly recorded in the Khangai mountains forest-steppe region. The most represented life forms in the flora are hemicryptophytes (71.97%), which are common for mountain steppe vegetation. In a time of climate change, effective conservation of nature is needed at an ecosystem such as a single mountain particularly for endemic, relict and other salient species. Furthermore, such a detailed floristic survey is important for finding new records in the field of plant taxonomy and conservation of nature in these specific areas. Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 28(1): 195-215, 2021 (June)

This study reports the forest vegetation community classification of the Sanzai area (Khentii range) in Mongolia using the phytosociological method. The forest vegetation has been classified into five major types characterized by the following associations: Larix sibirica community, Pinus sylvestris community, Betula fusca-Picea obovata community, Betula platyphylla community, and Pinus sibirica community. Ecological characteristics such as species composition, layer structure, vegetation ratio, and the distribution of individual trees based on their diameter at breast height (DBH) are slightly different among the plant communities. In all communities, the significant value was highest in the Larix sibirica with 74.6%, followed by Pinus sibirica (64.2%), Betula platyphylla (59.5%), Pinus sylvestris (53.9%), and Picea obovata (47.7%). Our results of DBH analysis show that the size-frequency distribution of Pinus sylvestris, Pinus sibirica, Larix sibirica, and Picea obovata was a binomial distribution in all the communities, suggesting that for the time being, these species dominate continuously. In addition, it is likely that Betula platyphylla will dominate rapidly because of its higher frequency of young individuals. This indicates the forest condition impairment in the forest of the Sanzai area.

We report Scutellaria krasevii Kom. & I. Schischk. ex Juz. (subfamily Scutellarioideae, family Lamiaceae) as a new recorded species of Mongolia. This species is morphologically similar to S. galericulata but can be differentiated by the presence of comparatively thick and triangular-cordate leaves having a heteromerously deep-crenate margin, a densely reclinate pubescent stem, and a densely pubescent corolla. A taxonomic description, a key to the genus in Mongolia, habit photographs, and scanning electron photomicrographs of nutlets are provided for species identification. We also present a table for a comparison of the diagnostic characteristics with those of related species. This species grows along the banks of the Unit river, Khutag-Undur soum, Bulgan province, Mongolia, approximately 2,300 km far away from the type locality in Russia.

The genus Limonium, commonly known as Sea Lavenders, is one of the most species-rich genera of the family Plumbaginaceae. In this study, two new plastomes for the genus Limonium, viz. L. tetragonum and L. bicolor, were sequenced and compared to available Limonium plastomes, viz. L. aureum and L. tenellum, to understand the gene content and structural variations within the family. The loss of the rpl16 intron and pseudogenisation of rpl23 was observed. This study reports, for the first time, expansion of the IRs to include the ycf1 gene in Limonium plastomes, incongruent with previous studies. Two positively selected genes, viz. ndhF and ycf2, were identified. Furthermore, putative barcodes are proposed for the genus, based on the nucleotide diversity of four Limonium plastomes.

Excessive vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration accelerate the development of occlusive vascular disease. Therefore, finding a means to control the aberrant proliferation and migration of VSMCs has own clinical significance. In the present study, we examined the feasibility of using extract from medicinal plant Oxytropis pseudoglandulosa (OG) to control pathologic proliferation and migration of VSMCs, which never have been tested. Our data indicate that the extract of OG significantly suppressed proliferation and migration of VSMCs without cytotoxic effect, suggesting the OG extract may be an alternative agent to effectively control the aberrant VSMC proliferation and migration without any serious adverse effect. These data suggest that the extract of OG may be a potent therapeutic agent for the treatment of occlusive vascular disease and warrant further studies to identify the major acting ingredient and to validate in vivo efficacy.