Bobrov & Mochalova. Aquatic plants in the northern Russian Far East: problems and perspectives. In: The East Asian Flora: and its role in the formation of the world’s vegetation

Aquatic plants in the northern Russian Far East: problems and perspectives

Alexander BOBROV¹ & Olga MOCHALOVA²
¹ Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters RAS, Borok, Russia
² Institute of Biological Problems of the North FEB RAS, Magadan, Russia

Aquatic plants in the north of the Russian Far East (RFE) are still poorly studied and knowledge about them differs between regions. The most problematic genera àre Potamogeton, Batrachium and Sparganium. In Potamogeton there are questions on status of some taxa, their relations with close species, e.g. P. borealis with P. filiformis, P. subsibiricus and P. anadyrensis with P. sibiricus, and P. tenuifolius with P. alpinus. North American P. richardsonii and P. strictifolius occur in the area. It is of interest how widely these species are spread. Tropical P. fryeri, P. digynus, P. distinctus are recorded here. Are these records correct? What promotes their preservation under these conditions? Also hybrid activity study in this genus is important. Batrachium circinatum, B. kauffmannii and B. trichophyllum are common in the northern RFE. Other taxa need studying. Is real B. eradicatum presented here or it is a small form of other species? Heterophyllous B. mongolicum (B. setosissimum), and its relation with close European B. aquatile, B. floribundum and Japanese B. nipponicum are interesting. What is the large river form similar to B. pseudofluitans, mentioned here as B. ashibetsuense and B. yezoense? Besides Sparganium angustifolium, S. emersum, S. glomeratum, S. gramineum, S. hyperboreum, S. natans, 1 (possibly 2) taxa of hybrid origin occur. It is a stabilized hybrid of S. emersum or little-known S. probatovii described from Koryakiya. Other hybrids in this genus can be expected. It is necessary to pay attention to genera Callitriche, Myriophyllum, Utricularia and some others. The status of Callitriche subanceps is unclear. The distribution and relationship between Myriophyllum sibiricum and M. spicatum in the region is an open question. Urticularia stygia, a new species for the Asiatic part of Russia, has been discovered recently in the northern RFE. Cryptogamic macrophytes (freshwater macroalgae and bryophytes) require special investigation. These plants are seldom taken into account in hydrobotanical studies, however in some aquatic ecosystems they form the core of macrophytic vegetation. The study is supported by grants of RFBR no. 12-04-00074, 12-04-00904.