Asia, the continent with the highest Umbelliferae biodiversity

A total of 281 genera of the Umbelliferae have been recorded for the Asian continent (out of 469 known genera in the world). The number of species is 2 115. These figures were obtained as a result of critical taxonomic evaluation of taxa in all countries rich in species and genera of the Umbelliferae; the data are stored in the original computer database ASIUM of Moscow University. One of the essential problems was a coordination of the taxonomy of related taxa of adjacent countries, described independently. ASIUM contains information on protologues, typification, citations in regional Floras, monographs and critical publications, syn-onymy, and geographical distribution (three-level registration — of the country, region and province). The countries with maximal species richness in the Umbelliferae are China (672 spp.), Turkey (Asiatic, 453 spp.), Iran (362 spp.), Russia (Asiatic, 276 spp.), Kazakhstan (234 spp.), India (227 spp.), Afghanistan (198 spp.), Kyrgyzstan (193 spp.), etc. The biggest genera among Asiatic Umbelliferae are Ferula (177 spp.), Bupleurum (156 spp.), Pimpinella (129 spp.), Heracleum (108 spp.), Seseli (104 spp.) and Angelica (87 spp.). This article is a short summary of the lecture presented in January 2003 during the International Symposium on Apiales (University of Pretoria). It is based on

This article is a short summary of the lecture presented in January 2003 during the International Symposium on Apiales (University of Pretoria).It is based on the data stored in the original taxonomic computer database ASIUM (ASIatic UMbelliferae), elaborated in Moscow State University, Russia, in collaboration with specialists from the Botanical Garden and the Computer Science Faculty.The database has been compiled to allow retrieval of information on Asian Umbelliferae species.It is a summary of more than 40 years of multidisciplinary investigations of the umbellifers of the largest continent, Asia.The investigations include anatomy, especially carpo-anatomy, morphology, karyology, phytochemistry and molecular systematics, as well as various applications of computer methods in the Umbelliferae taxonomy.The most valuable part of our studies was field research: before 1991 in various regions of the former Soviet Union; after 1991 also abroad, in Turkey, China, India, Nepal and Iran.

Results and Discussion
ASIUM is the third computer database compiled by our research team.The first was GNOM (Generis NOMenclator), a database on nomenclature of the World Umbelliferae (Pimenov and Leonov 1993), and the second one -CARUM (CARyologia UMbelliferarum), a database on chromosome numbers and karyotypes of the World Umbelliferae (Pimenov et al. 2002).
The database ASIUM is new and in the process of development.It requires further refinement, mainly in the complicated issues of typification and lectotypification of names from old and rare publications.Futher aspects that need attention are the elucidation of geographical distributions at provincial level, standardisation of source citations and authors of plant names.In general, however, a list of Asian Umbelliferae has been compiled, and the approximate number of species has become known for the first time -for Asia as a whole, and for each country.The database contains all accepted names and synonyms of Asian Umbelliferae, main citations from regional Floras, monographs and critical articles, typification data from protologues (also for synonyms) and distributions according to countries, regions within countries and provinces (threelevel registration).Special and very essential information was obtained from numerous European and Asian herbaria that house type specimens and other taxonomically important materials.
Asia is circumscribed in more or less the usual delimitation (from the Ural mountains, including the whole Caucasus with the northern foothills, the eastern Aegaean islands (the Asia-Europa border as in Flora Europaea; Tutin et al. 1968), Turkey (Anatolia) and Sinai, excluding Socotra, and up to Chukotka, Japan, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea.
ASIUM currently includes 2 115 accepted species names of Asian Umbelliferae (the total number of accepted names and synonyms for species and infraspecific taxa is 7 345), belonging to 281 genera.A total of 2 133 references is included.The distribution of specific and generic diversity among Asian countries is extremely uneven (Table 1), the countries with the greatest biodiversity in the Umbelliferae are China, Turkey (Asiatic), Iran, Russia (Asiatic), Kazakhstan and India.
The largest Umbelliferae genera in Asia are Ferula, Bupleurum, Pimpinella, Heracleum, Seseli, Angelica, Prangos, Bunium, Ferulago, etc.In the list presented in Table 2, the genera of Asian Umbelliferae are arranged according to the number of species in each of them, and when the numbers are equal, in alphabetical order.This list is fairly accurate as a first approximation, but the number of genera and Asiatic species are constantly changing slightly with ongoing additions and corrections in Asian Umbelliferae taxonomy.The numbers increase with the description of new taxa or with the clarification of the synonymies of well established taxa.They decrease when reliable evidence comes to light that some known species should be included in the synonymy of others.This process sometimes requires considerable efforts in checking of type material, etc. but in general the number of reductions are relatively few compared to the increase in species numbers.Genera endemic to Asia are listed in bold type.In general, the distribution of genera arranged according to the number of Asian species in each of them corresponds to the so-called hollow Willis curve.
ASIUM is a mutable nomenclatural and phytogeographical monograph on Asian Umbelliferae, open for additions and corrections.It is possible to use its information for different comparisons, including species lists of various territories, to obtain floristic similarity measures, to compile lists of endemic species, etc.The compilation of similar critical databases on other taxa and other continents seems to be a rational way to ultimately obtain a world plant diversity checklist.
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Table 1 :
Distribution of taxonomic diversity of Umbelliferae in Asian countries (countries are arranged according to species numbers)

Table 2 :
List of genera of Asian Umbelliferae, arranged according to the number of species in each of them (when the numbers are equalin alphabetical order).Genera endemic to Asia are shown in bold type Ligusticum (The situation is the same as in Peucedanum; with the exception of the type species, L. scoticum L. ('true'Ligusticum), the remaining species are poorly known and problematic.)15 Pleurospermum (After revision, only some poorly known species remain in this genus but the real Pleurospermum is represented in Asia by a single species (which has a close relative in Europe)), Psammogeton, Smyrnium, Trinia, Zeravschania 6 Arcuatopterus, Cnidium, Ducrosia, Oreocome, Sinodielsia, Stenotaenia, Tetrataenium (The generic delimitation and distinction from Heracleum are problematic.)5 Astrantia, Bilacunaria, Korshinskya, Laserpitium, Pachypleurum, Pseudotrachydium, Rhabdosciadium, Schulzia, Spuriopimpinella [The relation to Pimpinella needs critical study], Trigonosciadium