This study summarizes the findings on the bryophyte flora of the Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden since its foundation in 1945, incorporating additional data from the 1890s on the surrounding area. A survey conducted from 2021 to 2025 recorded 48 new species not found in the previous 1982–1985 survey. The most significant changes occurred among epiphytic bryophytes: 14 of the 18 species in this group first appeared after 1985, with half becoming common in the last 10–15 years. Conversely, mire species have almost completely disappeared, while the frequency of boreal forest floor species and moist soil bank species has declined. In total, 124 species were recorded in the 2021–2025 survey. The cumulative number of species known from the garden is 147 (including 1980s data), 155 (including 1940s data), and 180 when 1890s data from the immediate surroundings are included. The introduction of plant material did not significantly increase bryophyte diversity; however, several moss species from outside Central European Russia were introduced with rocks during the establishment of the Japanese garden and have persisted.

Invasive plant species are an excellent model for studying rapid microevolutionary changes occurring in a secondary range. The model species, Erigeron canadensis L. (Asteraceae), began actively naturalizing in Russia at the beginning of the 19th century and is now one of the three most widespread invasive species. The aim of this study is to assess the inter-population variability of E. canadensis across a broad range of soil and climatic conditions and to identify the factors explaining the rapid evolution of this species' competitive abilities over at least two hundred generations. Forty six 1 × 1 m sample plots were established in different habitat types across Moscow, Moscow Region, and the Tula, Kursk, Oryol, Belgorod, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, and Amur Regions, as well as the Perm and Stavropol Territories. For each plot, a list of all encountered species was compiled, and the tallest specimen of E. canadensis was selected. For this specimen, the length of the vegetative and generative parts of the shoot and the number of capitula were determined. Subsequently, the above-ground parts of all plants within a 0,5 × 0,5 m accounting plot around the tallest specimen were cut, and the air-dry biomass was assessed for: the tallest specimen of E. canadensis, all other specimens of E. canadensis, and all accompanying species growing within the plot. Very high inter-population variability of phenotypic traits was noted: the coefficient of variation for dry above-ground biomass exceeded 94 %, and for the number of capitula, it exceeded 95 %, indicating the high adaptive potential of the species. A strong positive correlation was revealed between the number of capitula and the plant's above-ground biomass. It was concluded that in its secondary range, E. canadensis has undergone strong directional selection and is capable of growing in diverse ecotopes, which explains its high phenotypic variability. Erigeron canadensis is an explerent with low competitive ability, and its presence affects natural phytocenoses only to a minor degree: some competitive effect was observed only on 13 % of the plots, where the biomass of E. canadensis was higher than the biomass of all other accompanying species. No stable plant groupings of E. canadensis with other species were found in any of the ecotopes it has colonized. Most species growing together with E. canadensis were encountered only sporadically, which contradicts the "Global competition" and "Invasional meltdown" hypotheses, which posit that initially established alien species "facilitate" the invasion of other alien species into the phytocenosis. A general conclusion was made that the global success of the E. canadensis invasion was facilitated by high seed productivity combined with phenotypic plasticity and a high rate of microevolution in the secondary range.

The essential oils of Solidago species, known for their high antifungal and antimicrobial activity against phytopathogens, represent a promising source for developing organic pesticides. This study aimed to quantify and characterize the essential oil composition of two invasive Solidago species—S. canadensis and S. gigantea—and to determine how geographical location and phenological phase influence these parameters. We analyzed eight S. canadensis and six S. gigantea specimens from various invasive populations in the European part of Russia. Essential oil composition was determined at the CKP FIC "Biotechnology" RAS (RFMEFI62114X0002) using a Shimadzu GS 2010 gas chromatograph equipped with a GCMS-QP 2010 mass spectrometer.
The minimum essential oil content (0,10–0,15 %) was found in northern populations, while the maximum (0,32–0,46 %) was recorded from abandoned agricultural lands. For both species, the highest oil content was observed in inflorescences at the beginning of the flowering stage. A total of 83 components were identified. The oil of S. gigantea was dominated by sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, whereas that of S. canadensis was richer in monoterpene compounds. The major constituents of S. canadensis essential oil were α-pinene (39,3–50,4 %), limonene (11,7–24,1 %), and bornyl acetate (3,4–19,8 %), with germacrene D (3,8–10,3 %) as the most significant sesquiterpene. In contrast, S. gigantea essential oil was primarily composed of bornyl acetate (25,2–40,4 %) and germacrene D (15,0–28,2 %). The observed variability in the qualitative and quantitative composition of these oils will facilitate the future selection of chemotypes with the highest concentrations of biologically active compounds.

Actinidia polygama is an unusual berry crop whose fruits are rich in carotenoids (including βcarotene), ascorbic acid, and other valuable bioactive compounds. This study investigated the regeneration of promising A. polygama cultivars during micropropagation. We assessed the morphometric responses of explants to different growth regulators, including 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BAP), metaTopolin (mT), and 2-isopentenyladenine (2iP). Cultivation on a medium supplemented with 0,5 mg L⁻¹ mT stimulated the formation of adventitious microshoots at the explant base and induced microshoot bud formation. This treatment increased the micropropagation efficiency of A. polygama cultivars by 1,1–1,3 times compared to media containing 0,5 mg L⁻¹ 6-BAP or 0,5 mg L⁻¹ 2iP. A synergistic effect was observed from the combined application of mT and 6-BAP (both at 0,5 mg L⁻¹), which increased micropropagation rates by 1,2–1,3 times in most cultivars. The study also examined the anatomical structure of the leaf assimilation tissues and stomatal apparatus during the transition from in vitro to ex vitro conditions. All A. polygama specimens had hypostomatous leaves with anomocytic stomata, regardless of culture conditions. Under in vitro conditions, leaves featured thin blades and mesophyll composed of three to four layers (one palisade layer and two to three spongy chlorenchyma layers) with large intercellular spaces, as well as numerous large, rounded stomata. During ex vitro acclimatization, the leaf tissues expanded and differentiated, the stomatal density and area decreased, and the stomatal shape changed from rounded to elliptical. This anatomical analysis demonstrated that leaf development in A. polygama cultivars is influenced by both culture conditions and genetic characteristics.