New monograph about tulips and some others bulbs plants of the natural flora of Kazakhstan was published in 2005. Appearance of this book is significant event on the post-Soviet territory because many the new data and interesting facts about tulips and some other bulbs plants of the Kazakhstan flora are collected in it. Author of the monograph is Dr. Anna Ivaschenko, photos were made by Mr. Oleg Belyalov. Total volume of text is 192 pages and it is very well illustrated (53 maps and 145 photos). Importantly to notice separately, that the book text was written in two languages: Russian and English, and it solves a problem of a language barrier for many botanists and ecologists.
The "Tulips and other bulbs plants of Kazakhstan" begin with opening words of Dr. Martin Ferstl of the Country Chairman “The Shell Companies of Kazakhstan”. This company together with the Dutch embassy and some others Kazakhstan organizations supported preparation and publication of this book.
The short description of nature conditions of Kazakhstan, general characteristic of ephemeral and ephemeroides plants and analysis of problems in their investigations, the total list of genera and species of bulbs plants (without Alliaceae family) of the Kazakhstan natural flora are given by the author in introduction to the monograph. Second part of introduction deals with the ethnobotanical importance of tulips and the history of scientific investigation of the Kazakhstan tulips from XVIII century till today.

Information about every species (Tulipa alberti Regel, T. greigii Regel, T. lehmanniana Merckl., T. behmiana Regel, T. borszczowii Regel, T. schrenkii Regel, T. ostrowskiana Regel, T. kolpakowskiana Regel, T. zenaidae Vved., T. brachystemon Regel, T. altaica Pall. ex Spreng., T. tetraphylla Regel, T. krauseana Regel, T. kaufmanniana Regel, T. regelii Krasn., T. patens Agardh ex Schult. et Schult. fil., T. buhseana Boiss., T. biflora Pall., T. biebersteiniana Schult. & Schult. fil., T. turkestanica (Regel) Regel, T. bifloriformis Vved., T. binutans Vved., T. orthopoda Vved., T.dasystemonoides Vved., T. dasystemon (Regel) Regel, T. tarda Stapf, T. uniflora (L.) Bess. ex Baker, T. heteropetala Ledeb., T. heterophylla (Regel) Baker, Gagea neo-popovii Golosk., Lilium martagon L., Korolkowia sewerzowii (Regel) Regel, Rhinopetalum karelinii Fisch. ex D. Don, R. stenantherum Regel, Fritillaria pallidiflora Schrenk, F. meleagroides Patrin ex Schult. et Schult. fil., Lloydia serotina (L.) Reichenb., Erythronium sibiricum (Fisch. et C.A.Mey) Kryl., Colchicum luteum Baker, C. kesseleringii Regel, Scilla puschkinioides Regel, Ixiolirion tataricum (Pall.) Schult. et Schult. fil., Ungernia sewerzowii (Regel) B. Fedtsch., Crocus alatavicus Regel et Semen., C. korolkowii Regel ex Maw, Iridodictyum kolpakowskianum (Regel) Radionenko, Juno kuschakewiczii (B. Fedtsch.) Poljak., J. orchioides (Carr.) Vved., J. capnoides Vved., J. almaatensis Pavl., J. coerulea Poljak.) in basic part of the book is represented by the separate chapters with subsections: Historical Background, Brief Description, Phenology, Ecology, Spreading over Kazakhstan, Cultivation, Applicability, Protection in Kazakhstan. Besides, several nice photos of plant and the map of distribution of species in Kazakhstan are given in every section. And only very short information with general map of geographic distribution is represented for Tulipa korolkowii Regel, T. dubia Vved., T. iliensis Regel, T. tianschanica Regel, T. sogdiana Bunge.
There can be no doubt that all data and facts collected in the monograph have value. But especially I wish to notice results of studying of species distribution in Kazakhstan; maps weren’t represented in other publications early. Short historical references about place of collecting of first herbarium specimens of every species, origin of every Latin plant name and about his author or authors, representation in protected territories and also the experience of Dr. Anna Ivaschenko in cultivation of these species in conditions of Almaty are having big interest.
The monograph comes to an end by chapter about problems of protection of tulips and some other rare bulbs plants in Kazakhstan. Dr. Anna Ivaschenko writes that level of anthropogenic influence is determining life expectancy of many populations of tulips. Besides, she underlines importance of including of many bulbs plants in the Red Book of Kazakhstan and creation of new protected territories for successful conservation of genetic diversity of these unique plants.
In end I wish all my colleagues to look through this interesting and beautiful book.