Pertti Uotila 2010: Aasian sydämessä – Retki Kirgisiaan kesällä 2009. (In the heart of Asia – an excursion to Kyrgyzstan in 2009.) Norrlinia 20: 1-62. ISSN 0780-3214. ISBN 978-952-10-6717-4

In July 23 – August 13, 2009, six researchers from the Botanical Museum (H) and the Botanic Garden of the Finnish Museum of Natural History did a research and collecting excursion to Kyrgyzstan. The local host and participant was Dr. Georgy Lazkov from Bishkek herbarium (FRU). The rich material collected include more than 3000 herbarium specimens of vascular plants, 250 of lichens, 50 of other fungi (esp. wood-rotting fungi) and ca. 100 of bryophytes and charophytes, and ca. 150 bulb and seed samples for the Botanic Garden. The material is mainly kept in H. After the excursion some days were spent in Bishkek for maintaining the material and studying of specimens at FRU.

The excursion route, planned by G. Lazkov, formed a tour in the botanically lessknown western part of the country, mainly in the Tian Shan Mts. and to some extent in the marginal parts of the Ferghana valley. The vehicle used was a sturdy, old military truck GAZ-66, and the group of 9 persons included the 7 researchers, a driver and a cook. Usually two nights were spent in a camp and excursions were made from the camp to adjacent mountains and river valleys. During the driving days several stops for collecting were made in interesting places, e.g., at high passes, forest patches, rocky outcrops and on pond and canal shores. In addition to general collecting, special emphasis was directed to Alliaceae, Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae, Cotoneaster, Cyperaceae and aquatic plants.

This publication is based on a diary written during the excursion. The text tells about landscapes, vegetation and plants collected, but also about local people, routines and personal feelings during the excursion.