The flora of Kyrgyzstan is remarkable for its many endemics
When discussing the flora of the republic, it is important to note one feature.
Of the 3786 species of flowering plants, only 215 are edifying dominants. They often make up 80-90% of the herbaceous and tree cover.
Edifying dominants form the main biomass in steppes, meadows, forests, deserts, swamps, shrub thickets, and other types of vegetation. They create a phytosocial environment for other species.
When using plant resources, especially forage, it is essential to pay attention first to the edifying dominants of deserts, steppes, and meadows, as they provide the main feed for animals.
The flora of Kyrgyzstan is also interesting from the perspective of its floristic elements.
Here, various floristic elements come into contact and transgress — Central Asian, Indo-Himalayan, Turanian, Near Eastern, Central European, boreal, Arctic, and others.
Overall, in terms of its floristic composition, Kyrgyzstan is a typical part of the Holarctic. Many species are represented by a large number of varieties and forms, such as feather grasses, caragana, edelweiss, onions, etc., which, as mentioned, indicates the ongoing process of speciation and form formation here.
Many species have xerophytic and mesophytic forms, for example — Kobresia pseudofusca, hairy caragana, pale yellow edelweiss, and others.
The flora of Kyrgyzstan is noteworthy for containing many endemics, some of which have a limited distribution range, although they are progressive, such as Timuria saposhnikovae, Festuca bedeli, Scheuchzeria palustris, Parrya stemless, Frankenia narynensis, Carex tenuis, and others.
It is interesting to note that boreal elements of flora prevail in forests, meadows, and among shrubs, while Indo-Himalayan and others are less common. In contrast, Turanian, Near Eastern, Central Asian, and arcto-alpine elements of flora are widespread in deserts, with Central Asian and arcto-alpine being characteristic of high mountain desert areas.
The richness of the flora of Kyrgyzstan lies not only in the fact that it contains 23% of the flora of the entire country. It is also interesting because it includes over 1600 species of useful plants.
A preliminary analysis showed that the largest number of useful species belongs to the following families:
Poaceae — 224 species
Chenopodiaceae — 23
Cyperaceae — 17
Fabaceae — 222
Cupressaceae — 36
Solanaceae — 18
Asteraceae — 80
Apiaceae — 34
Caprifoliaceae — 17
Alliaceae — 49
Salicaceae — 33
Cucurbitaceae — 13
Brassicaceae — 73
Ranunculaceae — 29
Papaveraceae — 12
Rosaceae — 50
Lamiaceae — 29
Caryophyllaceae — 12
Amaranthaceae — 32