Vol. 3 No. 2 (2024)

This issue of Plant Diversity of Central Asia (Vol. 3, No. 2, 2024) presents landmark advances in ethnobotanical synthesis, plastid phylogenomics, and systematic revisions across Asian flora. Featuring a review by Min He et al., the issue highlights the cultural, chemical, and pharmacological significance of medicinal rhubarb (Rheum spp.), establishing a collaborative research framework between Uzbekistan and China to integrate traditional knowledge with modern analytical bioscience. Complementing this, Sergei Volis et al. utilize 39 complete chloroplast genomes to resolve the complex evolutionary history and biogeography of Iris sect. Oncocyclus, confirming its monophyly, tracing its origin from Iran into the Caucasus and Levant driven by floral adaptation, and revising its taxonomy through the establishment of a new section (Khorassania) alongside multiple species-level rank elevations. Together, these studies bridge traditional botanical applications and cutting-edge genomic data to advance the understanding and utilization of regional plant diversity.