The National Herbarium of Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences (International Herbarium Code: TASH) had recently sent 421 copies of exchange specimens to KUN, covering 44 families, 124 genera and 200 species.

These historical collections were obtained mainly during the 1950-1960s, and all specimens were of high quality and preserved in good condition. The specimens are of great preservation value to KUN since most of them were collected from the Chatkal valley and the Fergana Region (nowadays in Uzbekistan), and very few specimens from both areas were deposited in KUN previously.

KUN is featured by its collection in the Mid-Asia, since it had deposited over 3,000 collections of specimens (with more than 5,000 duplicates in total) from Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan is a friendly neighbor along “the Belt and Road”. Back in 2013, Kunming Institute of Botany signed the first Collaborative Agreement with the Institute of Animal and Plant Genetics (Now become Botanical Institute) in Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences. In 2016, two sides renewed the MOU on Scientific Collaboration, focusing on several ongoing joint expeditions and several other projects, such as Flora of Uzbekistan, Database Design on Central Asia Bio-Resources, Co-construction on International Molecular Biological Laboratory and botanical gardens of ecological importance.

This work was made possible under the promotion of ANSO, and financially supported by the International Fellows Grant issued by the Bureau of International Co-operation, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No.: 151853KYSB20180009).

exchange specimens (Image by KIB)