Flora (Plant World)

The Zomin National Nature Park is extremely rich in medicinal plant species. The area hosts more than 1,216 wild plant species, of which over 107 are known to possess medicinal properties.

Among them, 63 species are used in scientific medicine, and currently 40–45% of all pharmaceutical products are derived from plant-based raw materials.

Phytopreparations made from medicinal plants have several advantages over synthetic drugs:

they act gently on the human body, rarely cause allergic reactions, and do not produce cumulative effects.

Medicinal plants contain carbohydrates, organic acids, polysaccharides, starch, proteins, fats and fatty acids, essential oils, alkaloids, tannins, saponins, glycosides, bitter substances, phytoncides, microelements, vitamins, and mineral salts.

The combined effect of these substances gives plants their healing properties.

In addition to serving as food, clothing material, and medicine, plants purify the air and protect the soil from water and wind erosion. Therefore, it is essential to use our green resources wisely.

The first legal act aimed at plant protection — the “Law on Nature Protection” — was adopted on December 9, 1992.

Subsequent laws include:

• the “Law on the Protection of Specially Protected Natural Territories” (May 7, 1993) and

• the “Law on the Protection and Use of Plant World” (December 26, 1997),

  which emphasize the study and conservation of medicinal plants.

From this perspective, preserving biodiversity, studying plant ecology and phytocenology are of great importance.

Medicinal plants found in Zomin National Park include:

Rosa fedtschenkoana, Crataegus turkestanica, Berberis oblonga, Artemisia vulgaris, Salvia sclarea, Hypericum perforatum, Codonopsis clematidea, Achillea filipendulina, A. millefolium, Origanum tytthanthum, Thermopsis alterniflora, Ziziphora pedicellata, Inula macrophylla.

Rare and endangered medicinal species include:

Corydalis gortschakovii, C. sewerzowii, Colchicum kesselringii, Crocus korolkowii, Dracocephalum komarovii, Oxytropis leucocyanea, Prangos pabularia, Swertia lactea, Tulipa affinis.

Within the park, there are 20 plant species listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Uzbekistan, including 5 medicinal species:

Aconitum talassicum, Ferula sumbul, Tulipa affinis, Tulipa turkestanica, Colchicum kesselringii.