THE IRANIAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
Year:2006 | Volume:12 | Issue:2 (24)|Papers Count:18

Four new species including Atraphaxis intricata, Centaurea elymatica, Heliotropium. shirazicum and Serratula calcarea are described. Taxonomic characters for all described species and illustrations of the entire plants are given. A new collection of Aitchisonia rosea are introduced.

The geographical distribution of the genus Acantholimon in Iran is discussed. Altogether 79 species are known in Iran of which 65 are endemics. Except for the Hyrcanian province, the other 7 provinces contain at least one species of the genus Acantholimon , the Nubo-Sindian province having only one species. The C. Iranian province with 29 species contains the highest number of the species. This province has 14 endemic species of Acantholimon which is again the highest number compared to the other provinces. The number of endemics in different phytochoria is quite high; that is an indication that the limitation of provinces is well defined.

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers have been used to characterize the genetic diversity among 12 Damask rose landraces from northwest of iran. The 22 primers used in this study amplified 262 scorable RAPD loci among which 180 were polymorphic (67%). The average number of bands was 11.9 for each primer. Genetic similarity calculated from the RAPD data ranged from 0.261 to 0.995 with an average of 0.63. A dendrogram was prepared on the basis of a similarity matrix using the UPGMA algorithm and separated the 12 landraces into two groups. There was a good correspondence between genetic divergence and climate condition, though some landraces (such as L2 and L3) with diverse geographical condition were clustered in one group. The results showed a possible application of RAPD markers in assessment of genetic diversity in Rosa damascene landraces.

Chromosome counts are reported from 19 populations representing seven genera and 11 taxa of the subfamily Salicornioideae (Chenopodiaceae) from Iran. In all studied accessions a basic chromosome number of x=9 is reported. First chromosome numbers are reported for Halostachys belangeriana (2n=8x=72), Halopeplis pygmaea (2n=2x=18) and Kalidium capsicum (2n=4x=36). The species of the genus Salicornia are divided into tetraploid and diploid groups. The newly described endemic species S. persica is only tetraploid (2n=4x=36). But the diploid group (2n=2x=18) may represent three different taxa.

Scrophularia L. was revised in Iran. This genus includes 60 perennial, biennial or annual species and subspecies in Iran that 28 taxa of them are endemic, of Iran (including new species). In this paper, S. iranica, S. denaensis and S. papyracea are described as new species. These species are compared with the their related taxa. S. variegata subsp. rupestris is regarded as a synonym of S. variegata subsp. variegata. Also the key of the species and subspecies and illustrations of the new species are presented.

Cephalorrhynchus tuberosus is reported for the first time from Iran. It has been collected from East Azarbaijan province and is distinguished from its related species, C. rechingerianus, by pappus characteristics.

In this study, eleven species of genus Cicer L. were studied and morphological and micro morphological characters were evaluated. These species are classified in 4 sections: Monocicer, Chamaecicer, Polycicer and Acanthocicer. The understudied species assessed by biometric study, and about 40 quantitative and 38 qualitative characters were assessed. Phenetic analysis was carried out using SPSS software, and phenograms of these species were prepared. Furthermore, PCA analysis was carried out and the most variable characters were determined. Finally, the seeds and pollen of these species were also investigated using S. E. M electronic microscope, and the tables of characters were formed individually for them. Afterward, phenetic analysis and phenogram preparation were done based on morphological characters of seeds and pollen of the species, and the following results were obtained: I.Distinction of C. kermanense Bornm., as an independent species, from C. spiroceras Juab. & Spach, in contrary to what mentioned in Flora of Iran. 2. Transferring C. subaphyllum Boiss. from Polycicer section to the Arcanthocicersection. 3. In spite of leaf polymorphism seen in C. tragacanthoides Jaub. & Spach, it seems that the pollen characters are sufficient to devide it to varieties. 4. Division of species of this genus using quantitative and qualitative specifications of seeds. 5. Preparation of the table of characters for pollen and seeds of all species.

In the course of preparing a revision of Sameraria and its allies (tribe Isatideae) in Iran, we found some specimens of S. glastifolia (sect. Tetrapterygium), a species closely related to S. stylophora. Moreover, S. elegans is reduced to synonymy of S. armena. As S. stenophylla has also been recorded recently from Iran, a diagnostic key including all species of the genus in Iran is presented.

The stem anatomy of 18 species belong to the genera Anabasis L., Haloxylon Bge., Hammada Iljin, Seidlitzia Bge. ex Boiss. of the tribe Salsoleae (Chenopodiaceae) was examined. Anatomical characters with numerical analysis provided some significant data for the delimitation of taxa at the generic and specific levels.

Alcea semnanica and Alcea assadii are described as new species from Semnan and Azerbaijan provinces. A. semnanica differs from A. chrysantha in the petal color, shape and indumentum of carpel. A. assadii differs from A. excubita in the petal color, indumentum of carpel and inflorescence type, and with A.flavovirens in the leaf shape, flower size and inflorescence type.

Astragalus skorniakovii from sect. Cystium is reported as a new record for the flora of Iran. It has been collected from Tandooreh National Park in Razavi Khorassan province. This species differs from A. kurdaicus in having black and white hairs on ovary and pod against glabrous ovary and pods of A. kurdiacus.

Linaria leptoceras and L. bamianica are recorded as new to Iran. These species have been collected from Khorasan province in NE. of Iran. Characteristics, exact localities, habitat, geographical distribution and the last state of nomenclature are explained.

Scrophularia L. has 60 species in Iran that 26 taxa are endemic to Iran. Among the collected specimens six new species are recognized as new species that named S. alhagioides, S. crassipedunculata, S. ispahanica, S. khorassanica, S. schiraziana and S. tortuosissima,. These species are compared with their closest related taxa. Also S. rosulata is reported for the first time from Iran. The illustations of all species are presented.

For the genus Galatella Cass only one species (G. punctata) was reported from NW Iran (Eastern Azerbaijan province) in Flora lranica treatment based on three specimens. Galatella litvinpvii Novopokr. is recorded here from Iran (N. Khorassan province) for the first time. The species was formerly endemic for the Central Asia (Turkmenistan and Kirgizstan).