The Iranian Journal of Botany
Volume:20 Issue: 1, Winter and Spring 2014

Atraphaxis binaludensis (Polygonaceae) is described as a new species from northeastern Iran. This species is morphologically similar to A. intricata but differs from it in having spiny whitish branches, petiolate obovate-rhomboid leaves, and large flowers. Taxonomic characters and illustration of the new species as well as a key to species from NE Iran are presented.

Tragopogon kurdicus Safavi & Maroofi is described from Iran, Kurdistan province, Avalan Mountain; it is similar to T. erostris which is an endemic species in the flora of Iran, growing in Kermanshah and Kurdistan provinces. The new species mainly differs from T. erostris in its higher stem, larger leaves, longer peduncles, larger involucres of capitula, longer pappus and longer achenes with serrulate–scabrid apex.

Based on a taxonomic review of the Iranian materials of the genus Eremopoa and the relevant literatures, four species and three varieties were recognized for the genus in Iran. A variety (E. persica var. oxyglumis as a new combination) is added to the flora of Iran.

During the study of plant specimens in Kurdistan herbarium, two new records for the Flora of Iran including Codonocephalum inuloides and Delphinium micranthum were identified. They have been collected in Kurdistan province. Taxonomic characters and illustrations for the new records are provided.

In this research, herbarium specimens and the newly collected specimens belonging to Carex sect. Glandestinae were studied. Among the investigated specimens, Carex pediformis C.A.Mey. subsp. pediformis is reported as a new record from Iran. It will be compared with its closest taxa. An identification key for Section Glandestinae, is given. Geographical distribution and habitats are explained. Illustrations for the new taxon is given.

Among the studied specimens in the herbarium of Research Center for Agricultural and Natural Resources of Kurdistan Province, two new records were identified that are introduced in this paper. Linum punctatum C. Presl subsp. kurdicum (P. H. Davis) Greuter & Burdet which was reported in Flora of Turkey as Linum pycnophyllum Boiss. & Heldr. subsp. kurdicum Davis and Ranunculus damascenus Boiss. et Gaill. which was previously reported from Turkey, Palestine and Syria. The two records are illustrated.

In this study, the chromosome numbers of six Iranian taxa belonging to tribe Cardueae were counted. The chromosome numbers in Jurinea cartilaginea Mozaff. 2n=30, J. carduiformis (Juab. & Spach) Boiss. 2n=34, Aegopordon berardioides Boiss. 2n=34, Nikitinia leptoclada (Bornm. & Sint.) Iljin 2n=30, Centaurea amadanensis Schultz-Bip. var. gymnoclada (Jaub. & Spach) Wagenitz 2n=18 and Cousinia argentea Mehregan & Assadi 2n=26 were determined. Of the chromosome counts reported four are new to the world. Based on this study, three taxonomic changes are confirmed and a new suggestion is presented here.

Choromosome counts are reported from 23 population representing three genera and 8 taxa of the subfamily Alsinoideae (Caryophyllaceae) from Iran. Chromosome numbers are given for 6 taxa of Stellaria (Caryophyllaceae) and some related genera in Iran: Stellaria pallida (2n=2x=22), S. holostea (2n=2x=26), S.gaminea (2n=2x=26), S. persica (2n=28), S. alsinoides (2n=2x=30), S. media (2n=4x=40,42,44); Myosoton aquaticum (2n=28) and Mesostemma kotschyanum subsp. kotschyanum (2n=32). The chromosome counts for the following species are reported for the first time: S. persica, S. alsinoides and Mesostemma kotschyanum subsp. kotschyanum. The species of the genus Stellaria are divided into tetraploid and diploid groups. Observed chromosome numbers are mainly in concordant with previous data for the world.

The genetic diversity patterns of 54 natural populations and 40 individuals of wild barley from different localities in Iran were analyzed using 26 microsatellites markers. At population level, high levels of diversity (0.71), with an average number of 6.92 alleles per locus (ranging up to 17) and high level polymorphism with polymorphism rate averaging 0.67 were observed. Average number of alleles was 38.37 per population (ranged from 36.33 in the Northeast to 38.94 in the West) and 28.42 per individual (ranged from 28.11 in the West to 29 in the North). In dendrograms, accessions collected from the North and Northeast of Iran were grouped away from those collected from the West and Northwest, suggesting the presence of two different wild barley sub genepools in this country. The genetic diversity decreases from the West toward the East. Based on the results of this study the wild Iranian gene pool of barley represents high level of diversity and there is value to search for new useful alleles to incorporate to the breeding programs.

The genus Bupleurum L., with about 185-195 species, is the second largest genus of the family Apiaceae Lindl. It includes 35 species in the Iranian plateau, 15 of which are thrived in Iran. Three species out of these, i.e., B. wolffianum, B. flexile and B. ghahremanii, are endemic to Iran. In this study, the fruit anatomy of all Bupleurum species in Iran, except B. wolffianum, for which specimens were not available, were studied for the first time. Some of the most taxonomically important fruit characteristics were found to be: mericarp shape in transverse section, characteristics of ribs, ratio of mericarp width to thickness, existence of oil ducts, quantity of vallecular and commissural vittae, ratio of height to width of dorsal rib, and shape of endocarp in transverse section. Important features for each species were described and an identification key was also provided. Anatomical studies also confirmed the anatomical and morphological differences between Sect. Perfoliata and other members of the genus. Absence of vittae in Sect. perfoliata may be correlated with broad leaves, dilated, rounded and perfoliate leaf bases. In addition, two distinct subgroups were shown in respect to different number of vallecular vittae in each furrow. These features may be applied as the basic classification aspects for further investigation on the genus Bupleurum.

Leaf and stem anatomical structures of three genera (8 taxa) of subfamily Alsinoideae (Caryophyllaceae) is provided for the first time from Iran. There are great morphological similarities among some species so there are difficulties in species identification. Leaf and stem anatomical studies of 42 populations from different habitats are used to distinguish different taxa. A total of 42 qualitative and quantitative anatomical characters are studied. Inter and intra-specific relationships among species are evaluated and diagnostic value of the anatomical features are considered. Statistical analysis confirms the diagnostic value of leaf and stem anatomical features in studied taxa.

Hymenocrater (Lamiaceae) in Iran was studied using morphological characters of nutlets and leaves. The species of the genus Nepeta sect. Psilonepeta and a few species of the genus Lophanthus were also examined for comparison. Scanning electron micrographs showed the surface of the nutlets and trichome types on leaves in detail. Two types of nutlets including smooth and sculptured were recognized. Among the species with smooth nutlets H. incanus is very characteristic having an absolutely smooth nutlet surface. Sculptures may be prominently tuberculate e.g. in H. bituminosus and H. calycinus or verrucose e.g. in H. sessilifolius and N. sessilifolia. Most species have constant features in nutlet surface, but minor differences could be identified within a few species, i.e. H. elegans and H. yazdianus. Leaf surfaces in studied group are covered with dense or laxe trichomes. Different trichome types are observed including glandular and non-glandular trichomes. Two different glandular trichomes were identified: peltate or sub-sessile glands and capitate or stalked glands. Non-glandular trichomes consist of short or long trichomes with (1)2-8(11) cells. Relationship among the species of the three genera was investigated based on data provided from morphological features, using cluster and PCA analysis. Three species groups are provided by the cluster analysis. Sculptured nutlets and peltate glands with two- or multi-celled head are characteristic features of most species grouped in the first cluster. Most species of the second and third clusters have smooth nutlets. Micro-papillate trichomes and capitate glands with a long, one- or multi-celled stalk are significant respectively in species of second and third clusters. Characters with the most variation were identified using FA based on PCA. Closely placement of Hymenocrater species together with Nepeta and Lophanthus species in obtained phenogram and ordination supports the affinity of these genera. It also reveals that the morphological features are not significant for defining the boundaries of the studied genera but raised the proposal of very close relationships among the studied species and the possibility of re-circumscribing the genera within Nepetinae.

This study was conducted to examine plant diversity and its ecological characteristics in Gadoon Hills, District Swabi, Pakistan during 2009 and 2010. The area is under heavy biotic pressure due to deforestation and over grazing. The vegetation presents a wide physiognomic range, from grasses to tall trees. There were 260 plant species belonging to 211 genera and 90 families. Of them 77 families were Dicots, 7 Monocots, 4 Pteridophytes and 2 Gymnosperms. Asteraceae was the dominant family followed by Poaceae. Forty five tree species associated with 30 taxa of shrubs and 185 herb species were recorded during the study. Viscum album and Korthalsella opuntia were the mistletoes and Cuscuta reflexa was the only parasite. Only twenty eight species were spiny. The biological spectrum showed that therophytes and megaphanerophytes were the most abundant life forms, followed by nanophanerophytes. Microphylls dominated the investigated area which was followed by leptophylls.

Based on investigations of mosses in Iran, a new species of Syntrichia, namely, S. sinensis (Müll. Hal.) Ochyra belonging to the family Pottiaceae is found growing in W. Azarbaijan province (NW Iran) which is considered as a new report for the Iranian bryoflora. Pottiaceae is a world-widely distributed family consisting of 77 genera and nearly 1450 species showing characteristic of harsh habitats. Illustrations, characteristics, geographical distribution, exact localities and habitat of the species are explained herewith.

A new morphospecies, Microchaete goeppertiana Kirchner (Nostocales, Microcheataceae) has been reported for algal flora of Iran. Collection was done at 2011 from oil polluted regions of Khuzestan province. Identification performed using light, epifluoresence and phase contrast microscopy, in addition of behavioral analysis both in liquid and solid cultures. Observation and description were done in a multidisciplinary way including morphological variations in relation to pH and salinity concentration fluctuations at limited irradiance (2 μE m-2 s-1). Regarding to biological versatility of cyanophyta, it has been tried to emphasize on most prominent traits for identification and determination. A new description of the species has been presented regarding to morphological characterization.

In present study, Anabaena isolates were collected from paddy field soils of seven main rice cultivation provinces situated in north, centre, south, west and east of Iran during 2 years from April 2008 to May 2010. Identification of taxa was carried out based on morphometric and molecular methods. Twenty one morphological characters and numerical taxonomic methods were used for classifying the several species of this genus. Numerical taxonomic studies were performed on 34 populations of 13 Anabaena morphospecies. A cluster analysis and principal component analysis performed using SPSS software and rate of resemblance among the species recognized. In the other section of this study phylogenetic relationships were determined by constructing 16S rRNA gene tree using the neighbor-joining algorithm. The results showed that populations of each species were placed close to each other and separate from the other species base on morphological characters. According to factor analysis, colonies form, filament structure, apoheterocytic or paraheterocytic form of filaments, position, shape and number of akinetes in filament, presence or absence of gelatinous sheath were the most variable characters which have been used for identification. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences also indicated that this gene site cannot separate genera such as Anabaena, Trichormus and Wollea which are morphologicaly close to each other.

Thirty seven species represented by 44 infra-specific taxa of dinoflagellates were identified by the author during 2000-2012, belonging to 1 class, 4 orders, 9 families, and 13 genera from different inland aquatic habitats of Iran, of which 25 species (31 infra-specific taxa) were found in the rivers. Brief ecological and geographical analysis of the algal flora was carried out. The geographical analysis showed the presence of 5 geoelements in Iranian algal flora of dinoflagellates (multiregional, holarctic, nemoral, boreal, arctic-alpine). Seven rare species which were unknown before for water bodies of Asia were identified along with widespread cosmopolitan dinokaryotes in investigated water bodies of Iran. According to the literary analysis and investigations carried out by the author, totally 42 species (50 inf. taxa) of freshwater dinoflagellates were known in the different water bodies of Iran.