THE IRANIAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
Year:2006 | Volume:12 | Issue:1 (23)|Papers Count:29

In this paper the leaf structure of 25 Iranian species of Bromus in Iran have been anatomically examined. Eighty one characters were selected for variable and constant species characters. Among them 28 characters are variable in different localities, 40 characters constant in all species (even in different localities) and 13 characters variable between species which these characters have taxonomical value and can be used for distinguishing between species. Based on the study, annual and perennial species are separated in two groups.In this paper, in addition to providing a list of variable and constant species characters, tables showing the species distinguishing characters as well as anatomical photos of the species is presented.

Vitex L. (Lamiaceae) in Iran was reviewed using morphological and phytochemical characters. Verbena officinalis (Verbenaceae) was also studied for comparison. The pollen grains, were examined using SEM and LM Furthermore, the petiolar anatomy, trichome structure and morphology of different plant parts were studied. The essential oils of aerial plant parts were extracted and identified. Pollen grains among the studied species of Vitex are tricolpate, isopolar, circular in the polar view, while in Verbena officinalis they are tricolporate and triangular. The exine ornamentation provides characteristic features useful for delimitation of the species in our group. The SEM micrographs of fruits, leaves and stems show uni- and tetra-cellular glandular and simple multi-cellular trichomes.The petiolar anatomy of the first to the third lower nodes showed different patterns in the shapes and arrangement of the vascular bundles.Form phytochemical point of view a-pinene, sabinene and limonene are the characteristic compounds in Vitex spp. and are present in examined species in high concentrations. In most species monoterpenoids are the major constituents of the oil. There are differences in mono- and sesquiterpenoid compounds of the oils among species. Examining the morphological and micromorphological characters of leaf, stem, corolla and calyx in combination with the phytochemical characters revealed the occurrence of four species in the flora of Iran including V. agnus-castus, V. negundo, V. trifolia and V pseudo-negundo. Among these species high morphological, anatomical and phytochemical variations were observed in V. pseudo-negundo. Moreover, the affinity of Vitex within Lamiaceae genera is supported.

Anatomy-taxonomy of Ziziphus species in Iran were studied under light microscope. The different anatomical characters on Ziziphus spina-christi, Z. nummularia, Z. jujuba indicated the adaptation of this species to various ecological conditions.

Leptaleum hamatum Hemsley & Lace was collected from Isfahan province is reported as a new record for the flora of Iran. It is well characterized by the length and shape of the siliqa from Leptaleum filifolium (Willd.) DC.

The pollen morphology of Tetrataenium lasiopetalum and T. nephrophyllum was studied by SEM and LM. The results confirmed the stenopalynous characteristic of the family Apiaceae. The palynological observations revealed that pollen grains of two studied species of Tetrataenium are prolate in shape and posses tricolporate aperture. The exine sculpturing of both species are rugulate. Therefore, T. lasiopetalum and T. nephrophyllum are similar in palynological characters and could be included in subrectangular pollen type as classified by Cerceau - Larrival.

Agropyron cristatum subsp. pectinatum var. minor & Agropyron cristatum subsp. hamadanicum are described as new taxa from West of Iran. The new variety, var. minor differs from var. pectinatum by having shorter height, fine spike and shorter glume and lemma. The new subspecies subsp. hamadanicum also differs from Agropyron cristatum subsp. incanum & Agropyron cristatum subsp. pectinatum by having shorter height, long fibrous roots, and longer spike, spikelete, glume and lemma.

Cyperus pannonicus as a new record for the flora of Iran and Eleocharis argyrolepis as its second collection from W. Azerbaijan province are reported. Morphological characters, habitat, geographical distribution in the world and Iran are also presented.

Family Oxalidaceae represented with the genus Oxalis L. in Iran. Here it is recorded a perennial species, O. articulata, for the genus from Iran. Already the only recorded species from the country have been O. comiculata.

Acer tataricum is reported for the first time from West of Iran, it has been collected from the oak orests near the village Kani-Bard, Baneh, Kurdista.

The author has been working on the project Flora of Iran (Asteraceae-Lactuceae) since 2000. In this period all specimens of the tribe in Iranian herbaria were revised. The present paper is including some results of the project.Scorzonera luristanica Rech .f. var. lanata Safavi. is described from N.W. of Iran as a new variety to the science. The differences between the new variety and the type variety are also discussed. All of the Iranian Scolymus L. specimens (four specimens in the Central Herbarium of Iran, Research Institute of Forests and Rangeland TARI"and one specimen in IRAN Herbarium, Research Institute of Plant Pests and Diseases) were revised and determined. According to the descriptions of Scolymus L. species in Flora Iranica all of the revised specimens are Scolymus maculatus L., although the specimens were previously named as Scolymus hispanicus L.Among the specimens of Iran Herbarium one specimen was seen from Khuzestan: Shush, no. 34009-E, the specimen has determined as Scolymus hispanicus L. by Rechinger (1977), this specimen has renamed to Scolymus maculatus L. by the present author. So from two species of Scolymus L. in Flora Iranica area only Scolymus maculatus L. occur in Iran (West & Southwest).

Sameraria stenophylla is reported as a new record from E Iran. This species is easily distinguished from its closest relative, Sameraria elegans, by having larger petals and stem leaves which are sagittate-cordate at base. A geographical distribution map and an illustration of the species are given.

Apera interrupta which has been collected from Khorasan province is reported as a new species to Iran. This species is compared with closely related species, Apera intermedia.

Hieracium piloselloides Vill, H.xauriculoides (A. F. Lang) Sell & West, and H.xmatrense N. P. from sect. Praealtina N. P., H.xhypeuryum N. P. from sect. Pilosellina N. P. and H. xkozlowskyanum Zahn from sect. Echinina N. P. are reported for the first time from North and West Iran.

Petentilla soongarica collected from Khorassan (Kalat) is reported as a new record from Iran.

 The genus Nasturtium with two species, N. officinale and N. microphyllum, distributes in the wet and damp places of Iran. These two species make a hybrid state, Nasturtium x sterile, with intermediate morphological and chromosomal features. This hybrid state is reported for the first time in Iran. Ecology and general distribution of the hybrid and its parent taxa are discussed. Moreover N. microphyllum is reported from more localities comparing to the one loccality in Flora Iranica.

Two new records of the genus Euphorbia are reported for the first time for the Flora Iranica area and the flora of Iran. These species that were collected from N &NE-Iran are E. maculata and E. consanguinea respectively.

Original meiotic chromosome counts are presented for 17 species in nine families of angiosperms from Iran. Chromosome counts for six species including: Tanacetumpolycephalum subsp. Duderanum (Asteraceae) (n=18), Cardaria draba subsp. chalepensis (Brassicaceae) (n=32), Minuartia lineate (Caryophyllaceae) (n=10), Silene latifolia subsp. persica (Caryophyllaceae) (n=12+1B), Epilobium confusum (Onagraceae) (n=10) and Rumex scutatus (Polygonaceae) (n=15) are new reports. Also, the diploid level of n=9 for Nepeta racemosa is reported here for the first time.

Sesuvium verrucosum is reported for the first time from Iran and Flora Iranica area. It was collected in Kish Island and near Mahshshr in S. Iran. It differs in number of stamens, shape and size of leaves and plant color in drying state from S. sesuvioides (Fenzl) Verdc. which was introduced from Flora Iranica only from Pakistan.

Astragalus hotkanensis is described as a new species from south east Iran. This species belongs to the sect. Microphysa Bunge. The related species are A. meimandicus, and A. reuterianus.

Astragalus montis-nacarouzii is described from the sect. Hymenostegis. It has been collected from Kurdistan province, Kuhe Nacarouz where it has been under collection. The new species is related to A. glumaceus and A. pediculariformis.

Sisymbrium kermanicum is described and illustrated as a new species from Iran. This species is well characterized by the following characters. Fruits 50-60 cm and torulose, the apical part of fruit has strict and short hairs.The new species seems be most closedy redated to S. Irio, so they are compared. It is also compared with S. brassiforme.

Alcea tiliacea is reduced into a variety of Alcea rhyticarpa. This new combination was made on the base of extensive morphological studies and SEM study of the seed coat surface. Main characters of both varietas and their geographical distributions are presented.

Tragopogon bommuelleri M. Ownbey & Rech. f. var. latifolius Safavi is described here as a new variety from Iran. The difference with related variety is also discussed.

Five species of sorediate lichens are reported as new to Iran: Lepraria crassissima, L. diffusa, L. lobificans, L. vouauxii, and Arthonia endlicheri.

Reviewing the tribe Sophoreae in Iran, Sophora mollis subsp. sylvestris as a new subspecies is described from SW. and central Iran. It is distinguished from the other subspecies of Sophora mows by having differences in vegetative and generative characteristics such as size, color and number of leaflet, hairs, petal size and finally fruit shape.Moreover, Ammodendron persicum Bunge ex Boiss. as a forenamed species from flora of Iran had an incomplete botanical description which is revised and completed in present report. The study indicates that the species is an endemic shrub which is distributed on border region of Iran and Afghanistan located in East of Ghaen in Khorassan province and East of Khash in Sistan & Baluchestan province.