The taxonomic position of Camelina, as well as its intrageneric structure, are still not very well understood. At the same time, the structure of fruits and the general habit of plants undoubtedly show that essentially this genus is a single group of species. For the entire time of analyzing the diversity of the genus, no one questioned its integrity and no one tried to divide this genus into several. Only in the 18th century, three Camelina species, namely С. sativa, С. alyssum and С. foetida, were attributed to the genus Myagrum as M. sativum, M. alyssum and M. foetidum J. — P. Bergeret (Linnaeus, 1753; Miller, 1768) following the opinion of C. Bauhin (1623). Almost at the same time, however, H. J. N. Crantz (1762) proposed to separate the genus Camelina consisting of only one species, i. e., C. sativa (L.) Crantz., from the genus Myagrum.

This article presents a new generic system of Camelina and the full species composition (18 species and their 22 synonyms). It is noted that the main area of the genus and its species origin was South-West Asia, and Europe can be regarded as the secondary area of diversity, where not only such natural species as C. pilosa, C. sylvestris, C. neglecta and C. microcarpa were formed, but also a number of cultivated ones, like C. sativa, C. linicola and C. alyssum. The work offers the most complete taxonomic typing and citations for typical herbarium materials.

The relevance of this study is determined by the geographical specificity of the Saratov Trans-Volga region characterized by climatic conditions that are original for Eastern Europe. In order to display the specificity of this region in terms of CWR, a collecting mission was conducted to the Saratov Trans-Volga region in June 2017, encompassing four botanical and geographical areas located in the steppe zone, namely Eruslansky, Zavolzhsky, Sinegorsky, and Zairgizsky. 36 habitats have been investigated; 38 seed samples and 166 herbarium specimens (177 sheets) collected. New locations for the biennial vetсh (Vicia biennis L.) and Allium delicatulum Siev. ex Schult. & Schult. f. have been discovered.

Background. One of the most important factors causing decreases in the yield and grain quality of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the incidence of fungal diseases, including leaf rust (causative agent: Puccinia triticina Erikss.). Due to microevolutionary processes in pathogen populations, cultivars quite often lose their resistance, so a constant search for new sources and donors of effective resistance genes is required. The aim of the work was to study juvenile (seedling) and adult resistance to leaf rust in new accessions of spring bread wheat from the collection of the N. I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR). Materials and methods. The research material included 334 spring bread wheat accessions from 30 countries that were added to the VIR collection from 2010 to 2015. Juvenile resistance was studied in the environments of Pushkin Laboratories of VIR. Intact seedlings were inoculated with P. triticina uredospore suspension. A complex population of leaf rust causative agent (mixture of uredospores from susceptible wheat cultivars in the Northwestern region of Russia maintained on leaf segments of cv. ‘Leningradka’) was used as inoculum. Reaction type scores were evaluated 14 days after inoculation according to the E. B. Mains and H. S. Jackson scale. Adult resistance of wheat to leaf rust was assessed on experimental plots of the All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Biological Protection and All-Russian Research Institute of Phytopathology against artificial infection backgrounds. Leaf rust intensity was evaluated during the period of maximum disease development in an accession’s milky ripeness phase according to the percentage of the affected flag leaf surface. Results and conclusions. Comparison of the disease development under field conditions in Moscow Province and Krasnodar Territory showed significant differences between two pathogen populations in their genotypic composition. Studying leaf rust resistance, we identified 15 accessions with high levels of juvenile resistance to the pathogen population from the Northwest of Russia; 119 and 129 cultivars demonstrated adult resistance to the populations from Moscow Province and Krasnodar Territory, respectively; 38 accessions possessed highly effective adult resistance to leaf rust in two regions of Russia. These accessions are undoubtedly promising for leaf rust resistance breeding in the Central and North Caucasus regions of Russia.

Nikolai I. Vavilov, an outstanding scientist and leader of the All-Union Institute of Plant Industry, has played a significant role in the development of studies of the global collection of cucurbitaceous crops, their introduction and practical use. Such classical treatises by Vavilov as the Field Crops of the South-East; The Law of Homologous Series in Hereditary Variation; Intergeneric Hybrids of Melons, Watermelons and Squashes; and Selection as a Science, had a special importance for the study and use of genetic resources in breeding. Vavilov’s works have promoted the research on cucurbitaceous crops by such VIR scientists as K. I. Pangalo, N. E. Zhiteneva, M. K. Goldgausen, V. V. Arasimovich, A. I. Filov, T. B. Fursa, M. I. Malinina and the others. The comprehensive studies of the cucurbit collection have resulted in the development of taxonomy of different species, theoretical and practical bases of breeding, as well as in the identification of valuable accessions for the use in breeding. The versatile evaluation of the cucurbit collection and its use in targeted breeding programs at the Kuban Experiment Station of VIR have resulted in the creation of numerous cultivars of cucurbitaceous crops which are currently cultivated in this country.