The Iranian Journal of Botany
Volume:22 Issue: 1, Winter and Spring 2016

Article 1, Volume 22, Issue 1, Summer and Autumn 2016, Page 1-5 XML PDF (978 K)
Document Type: Research Paper
Authors
Botany Research Division, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO)
Keywords

During the study of plant specimens in Isfahan herbarium, one new record for the Flora of Iran including Sporobolus virginicus (L.) Kunth was identified. It has been collected in Sistan va baluchestan Province. Taxonomic characters and illustrations for the new record is provided.

A new species of Helichrysum (Gnaphalieae) is described and illustrated. Characteristic features of new species have been described as a unique species (typically unicephalous) and is compared with closely related species of Helichrysum in the world and Iran.

Rosa kokanica (Regel) Regel ex Juz. is reported as a new species for the flora of Iran from Binalood Mountains in Razavi Khorassan Province. This species is morphologically compared with its closely related species, R. hemisphaerica Herrm. and R. foetida Herrm., previously recorded for Iran. Illustrations, distribution map and notes on biogeography, conservation status and habitats of R. kokanica are provided.

In a revision of the genus Lotus L. in Iran, the specimens of several herbaria were studied, moreover, the studies were completed in the field. Based on the studies, an identification key to the Iranian species and their selected specimens was prepared. According to the results of this study eight species within the Iranian materials of Lotus were recognized. Also the following changes were applied: two varieties of L. corniculatus L. (var. corniculatus and var. tenuifolius L.) were accepted; L. krylovii Schischk. & Serg. and L. tenuis Waldst. & Kit. ex Willd. as synonyms to L. corniculatus L. var. tenuifolius L.; three varieties including L. corniculatus L. subsp. corniculatus var. kochii Chrtkova-Zertova, var. hirsutus W. D. J. Koch and var. brachyodon Boiss. as synonyms of L. corniculatus L. var. corniculatus L.; L. michauxianus Ser. as synonym to L. gebelia Vent. Furthermore, no infraspecific taxa were recognized for L. gebelia Vent.

The genus Sagina L. (Caryophyllaceae) was reviewed during the preparation of Flora of Iran (in Persian). All specimens of Sagina and close taxa were studied and identified in the Herbarium of Research Institute of Forests & Rangelands (TARI). A specimen from SW of Ramsar, W. of Javaher-deh was identified as Sagina procumbens L. which is new for Iran and the Flora Iranica region. Geographical distribution and its illustration are presented here.

Cuscutaceae family is reviewed based on the literature and available herbarium materials. This is a monotypic family and includes a single genus, three subgenera and eighteen species in Iran, among them Cuscuta haussknechtii Engelm, is the only endemic species in Iran. This genus has been studied for the ongoing project of the Flora of Iran. The study was based on fresh materials from field as well as herbarium specimens. All specimens existed in the herbaria of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands (TARI), herbarium of Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection (IRAN), Ferdowsi University of Mashad (FUMH), Research Center of Agricultural and Natural Resources of Fars Province were revised. A synopsis and identification key is provided to the eighteen species. Diversity centers and distribution of taxa in Iran are presented. Also the checklist of accepted species, synonyms, typical characters of the taxa are given. In this research new localities and new host plants are added to species and a new variety C. lehmanniana var. lehmanniana is introduced as a new record to Iran.

Asparagus capitatus subsp. gracilis is a new record for the flora of Iran. This species has been collected from Balouchestan province in SE. of Iran. Characteristics, exact localities, habitat, geographical distribution and the last state of nomenclature are explained.

Morphological and anatomical studies indicate interspecific differences with the existing samples which demonstrate a new record in Iran. Riccia pseudo-frostii was seen on the western parts of Mazandaran in the North of Iran. This species was distributed often on the wet soils understory of gardens containing high calcium and magnesium which formed community with Marchantia polymorpha and Funaria sp. Thallus is averagely dichotomously two or three times divided and has apical notch with rosette and regular discoidal shape. The young thallus base is tinged purple and is monoecious with less antheridium frequency in comparison with archegonium and is hairless. In many of samples there are not scales on the ventral surface. Tetragonal spores with average diameter 70 μm are regularly reticulated surface and the length of wings reach to 4 μm. The average diameter of pores, lumens and odontos were determined 5 μm, 5–7 μm, and 2 μm, respectively. There are two types of smooth and tuberculate rhizoids in the species.

The genus Marrubium L. belongs to Lamiaceae family and Lamioideae subfamily. Itis present in Iran with 11 species from which only one is endemic (M. procerum Bunge). Most Marrubium species are distributed in steppes, arid and semiarid areas of Iran. In this research the trichomes of leaf and calyx surface were examined using Scanning Electron Microscope. Trichome micro-morphological characters in studiedspecies showed that the main hair type is stellate with unequal rays, one of the rays 3-15 times longer than the others. The general trichome shapes are similar but there are variations in stellate trichomes based on their long branches length, the short branches length and the number of short branches. The effect of environmental condition i.e. arid areas and altitude are important factors for morphological variations and density of trichomes.

Karyotypes of five populations of Thymus transcaspicus from different geographic sites in Iran are presented. The basic chromosome number of the studied populations was obtained as x=15. Presence of 30 chromosomes in Tiwan, Hikooh, Pakotel and Golmakharan populations and 60 chromosomes in Reiin population corresponds to diploid (2n = 2x = 30) and tetraploid levels (2n = 4x = 60), respectively. Chromosome number of 2n= 30 is reported for the first time in the species. Metacentric chromosomes are the most common, but sub-metacentric chromosomes are rare. Based on intrachromosomal asymmetry (A1 and TF %), population Reiin had the most asymmetric karyotype and population Golmakharan had the most symmetrical karyotype among the populations. According to interchromosomal asymmetry (A2 and DRL), among diploid populations, population Pakotal had the asymmetrical karyotype. The results indicate that at least in Iran T. transcaspicus is not a uniform species in regard to its chromosome number and karyotype. Meanwhile poloidy has played a role in the evolution within species.

The somatic chromosome numbers and karyotype features of 15 species of Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae) from Iran were analyzed. The chromosome counts of four species including E. inderiensis (2n=18), E. polycaulis (2n=18), E. phymatosperma (2n=16) and E. gypsicola (2n=54) are reported for the first time, while the chromosome number of 11 more studied species are confirmed. We also confirm the occurrence of two different cytotypes in E. microsciadia: one diploid (2n=18) and the other tetraploid (2n=36). The karyotypes are often symmetrical composing mainly of metacentric and submetacentric chromosomes. The results also confirm the presence of different basic chromosome numbers including x= 7, 8, 9 and 10 within the genus, indicating the potential evolutionary importance of such data in the genus.

The paper reports somatic chromosome numbers for two native Iranian species: Frankenia hirsuta (2n=10) of Frankeniaceae family, Chenopodium foliusum (2n=18) of Chenopodiaceae family. Their chromosome numbers are reported as the first counts on Iranian populations. Ideograms were depicted for each species.