Rostaniha
Year:2005 | Volume:6 | Issue:2|Papers Count:7

Two new species of Alcea L. (Malvaceae) in Iran, namely, A. iranshahrii from Fars Province and A. mazandaranica from Mazandaran Province are described. Their descriptions and taxonomic relationships are also given. In addition, seed coat micro sculpturing is examined using Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM). The seed coat patterns observed are fairly uniformed among the genus. It was simple reticulate and regular, but there were pores distributed throughout seed coats with specific structures. The numbers, size, thickness of margins and the number of the cells surrounding the pores are characteristics for the species. In A. mazandaranica pores are bigger and thin at margins and also their number are more than that of the A. iranshahrii. A discussion on the taxonomic value of the seed micro morphology is also provided.

Saline soils occupy about 7% of the earth land surface, an extent portion of such soil are not arable due to very high level of salinity. The objectives of this study were to obtain information about the effect of salt content of irrigated water on growth, anatomical changes and alkaloid production in pomegranate trees. The result reported that, salinity of the irrigated water, with 800, 1200, 1600, 2400, 3200 and 4000 μmohs/cm shows that, all levels of salinity treatment has no effect on number of new developed shoots, and salinity levels below 2400 μmohs/cm increased leaves dry weight. The alkaloid content in root tissues was increased in all levels of salinity. It has also been shown that, under salinity stress, the cuticle thickness was increased. Many crystals between parenchyma cells were produced with increasing salinity. The number and density of macro-crystals especially in central vein were increased, with increasing of salinity. The production of crystals in parenchyma cells may be considered as a resistance parameter to salinity in pomegranate (Fig. 4, C, D and Fig. 5, C-E).

The genus Cleome, belongs to the family Capparidaceae. Seven species were found in Khorasan Province (Iran). Fresh materials were collected from its natural habitat and were sectioned with a sliding microtome with the following procedures: 1. Section were cleared and stained, 2. Staining without prior removal of the paraffin. Vessel preparations were obtained by maceration using Jeffrey solution. The results of this research confirmed classic taxonomic studies. These taxa showed several xeromorphic characters included the presence of paranchymatous bundle sheath and mesophyll of lamina with bilateral palisade parenchyma.

Examining dead insects from different locations in Mazandaran, Gilan and Tehran Provinces, specimens with fungal outgrowth were selected for further investigations. After isolation and purification of fungi they were identified as follows:I. Beauveria brongniartii (Sacc.) Petch*On Coccinella septempunctata, Tehran Prov., Varamin, Ghara-Aghaj mountains, M.H. Ghassemi (IRAN 1025C).2. Paecilomyces tenuipes (Peck) Sarnson*On larvae and pupae of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.), Golestan Prov., Kordkuy, S. Zangeneh & M. Ghazavi (IRAN 1019C).3. Nomuraea rileyi (FarI.) Samson*On a lasiocampid larva, Mazandaran Prov., 5 km south of Amol, S. Zangeneh & M. Ghazavi (IRAN 1020C).4. Paecilomyces lilacinus (Thorn) Samson**On larvae of gypsy moth, Gilan Prov., Safrabasteh forest, M. Abaii (IRAN 1026 C).On adult sunnpests (Eurygaster integriceps Put), Khuzistan Prov., Izeh, Doshalvaran, J. Mohaghegh.5. Paecilomyces farinosus (Holm. ex S.P. Gray) Brown & Smith isolated from adult sunnpests, Tehran Prov., Varamin, Ghara-Aghaj mountains, M.H. Ghassemi (IRAN 1027C). 6. Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin isolated from two adult coleopteran species Golestan Prov., Kordkooy, S. Zangeneh & M. Ghazavi (IRAN 1028 C).7. Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikof) Sorokin isolated from a long-homed Beetle, Parandra caspica Men, Mazandaran Prov., Nur forest, M. Ghazavi (IRAN 1018 C).The species marked with single asterisk are new to fungal flora of Iran and the one marked with double asterisks is new as insect pathogen for Iran.Larvae of Galleria mellonella (Lep., Pyralidae) were used to prove the pathogenicity of above-mentioned isolates and they all showed to be pathogenic for insects.Microscopic slides and live specimens of above-mentioned fungi are preserved in culture collection of Agricultural Entomology Res. Dept of Plant Pests & Diseases Res. Inst, Tehran, Iran.  

Some members of the family Clavicipitaceae are endophytic and have mutualistic relationship with the plant family Poaceae. Their relationship is beneficial for both host and fungus. In the present investigation, endophytic fungi were isolated from seed and leaf sheath of hosts Festuca arundinacea, F. ovina, F. pratensis, Bromus tomentellus, MeUca persica and Lolium prenne. Morphological characters were checked on different culture media. Most of the isolates obtained from wild barley belonged to the section Albo-lanosa of the genus Acremonium and Neotyphodium. Sensitivity of the isolates to benomyl was tested and it was found that, media containing benomyl enhanced sporulation of non-sporulating isolates. In antibiosis test, it was found that most of isolates were effective against the phytopathogenic fungus Bipolaris austraUensis and only two isolates of FoGn and MpFn were effective against Pythium aphanidermatum. Based on morphological characters, the genus Neotyphodium on F. arundinaceae, F. pratensis, F. ovina, B. tomentellus, M. persica and L. prenne and N. coenophialum on F. arundinacea and N. festucae on F. ovina and N. lolii on L. prenne and N. cf. bromicola on B. tomentellus, were identified and this is the first report of these fungi from Iran.

The meiotic chromosome counts are reported in 10 species of the genus Cousinia including: C. adenostegia, C. antonowii, C. chaetocephala, dasylepis, C. eriobasis, C. freynii, C. prasina, C. rechingerorum, C. termei and trachyphyllaria from Iran. Specimens have been collected from different parts of lout of which, eight species are considered to be new and two provide confirmation of the previous data. The chromosome number in all studied species is n=13 (except Cousinia antonowii and C. eriobasis i.e. n=12).