Rostaniha
Year:2006 | Volume:7 | Issue:2 (27)|Papers Count:10

Boujagh National Park is the first founded land-marine national park in Iran and the first national park in Gilan Province, N. Iran. This area is a critical refuge for a lot of migratory birds and so many valuable coastal flora and fauna. The present study revealed that, the flora of this area comprises 248 vascular plants and 10 bryophytes out of which six taxa are endemic for the flora of Iran. Chorotype spectrum of the plant species showed that most of them were widespread elements, i.e. pluriregional, subcosmopolitan and cosmopolitan. Therophytes were dominant life form in the Park. Ecology and floristic composition of all habitats in Boujagh National Park were surveyed and summarized as a histogram. Moreover, detailed floristic inventory was presented. Phenological study in the area, revealed different.

Six species of the genus Amanita are reported from Iran. Among them A. aspera, A. caesarea and A. crocea are new members for Iranian fungus flora. Three previously reported species viz. A. battarae, A. ceciliae and A. rubescens var. rubescens are studied in details. All species are redescribed and illustrated with microphotographs and drawings.

To characterize some important- eco-physiological aspects of Alhagi pseudalhagi growth, the present investigation was conducted at the farm of Khorasan Agricultural Research Center during 2004-2005. Various botanical characteristics including root structure and existence of starch in root were studied. Number of seeds per pod, pod length and test weight were recorded. A number of field and pot experiment were carried out to determine germination ability of roots in different temperatures. Different depths of plow were examined to investigate recovery rate after cutting. Growth analysis indices were calculated using parameters including height, maximum diameter of canopy and dry matter. Results revealed that, roots have originated from shoots and, therefore, may be considered as rhizome. Regeneration was just observed in 5% of roots with at least 30 cm length. Significant differences were noted among different levels of root cutting concerning germination rate, plant height, secondary branches, fresh and dry weight. Rhizome growth rate was calculated as 0.0934 cm. GDD-1.

For identification of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), in the late springs of 2004 and 2005, wheat fields in the Golestan Province (northeast of Iran near the Caspian sea) surveyed and root cores sampled. After extraction of AMF spores and staining roots, 19 AMF identified as follow: Entrophospora infrequens, Glomus caledonium, G. clarum, G. constrictum, G. deserticola, G. eburneum, G. etunicatum, G. geosporum, G. gibbosum, G. globiferum, G. intraradices" G. microcarpum, G. mosseae, G. multifoum, G. rubiforme, G. sinuosum, Paraglomus occultum, Scutellospora calospora and S. dipurpurascens. Species richness per sample was (1-) 4 (-7) and G. mosseae with 91% frequency was domain. G. eburneum, G. globiferum and S. calospora, are reported for the first time from Iran.

Two rust fungi from Iran are described as new species, viz. Puccinia - hedjaroudei on Scutellaria multicaulis (Lamiaceae) and Phragmidium gorganense on Rubus caesius (Rosaceae). A key to the species of Phragmidium on Rubus spp. In Iran is also provided. All holotypes are preserved in the fungus reference collection of the Ministry of Jihad-e Agriculture (IRAN), located in Department of Botany of Iranian Research Institute for Plant Protection, Tehran, Iran. Isotypes are at NCRI.

Fungi associated with sugar beet cyst nematode (Heterodera schachtii Schrnidt) in W. Azerbaijan were isolated from different stages during 2002-2004 and studied. Some 300 fungal isolates were obtained. In this paper, 16 species belonging to nine genera are identified. Among them, three species viz. Lecanicillium aphanocladii, Myrothecium verrucaria and Plectosporium tabacinum are as new records to the mycoflora of Iran. Six species viz. Acremonium kiliense, Lecanicillium aphanocladii, Myrothecium verrucaria, Plectosporium tabacinum, Acremonium sclerotigenum and Fusarium sulphureum are isolated and reported on sugar beet cyst nematode for the first time.

The genus Carex belongs to tribe Cariceae, subfamily Caricoideae and family Cyperaceae. This genus, with about 2000 species in the world and more than 50 species in Iran, is the largest genus among the family.In expedition to North West and West of Iran, two species, namely, Carex acuta and C. cilicica as new records and C. flava, C. rostrata and C. supina as reinvestigated species are reported.Morphological characters and geographical distribution in the world and Iran for each species are also presented.

The genus Phyllactinia is one of the members of Erysiphaceae (Erysiphales, Ascomycota) which parasitize several host plant families. This taxon is well characterized by having acicular appendages with bulbous swelling at the base and penicillate cells which are outgrowth of some ascoma wall cells. A number of challenges exist to distinguish species assigned to this taxon. This is because of a few morphological characters available for species delimitation. Identification is further complicated for some species such as P. guttata, the best known species causing powdery mildew on more than 50 host plant families (BRAUN 1987, 1995), even though they posses close morphological characterization. The most taxonomic studies on the genus Phyllactinia have focused primarily on characters other than morphology of penicillate cells. The best known study for taxonomic purposes carried out by SHIN & LI (2002). They examined 15 species and conCludedthat, penicillate cell morphology is consistent in particular species and is sufficient different among species and could be used for species delimitation in combination with other taxonomic criteria. However, SHIN & LI (2002) examined just one specimen belongs to more complicated species viz. P. guttata. In this study, we examined specimens collected from 11 different host plant families. Results showed that, Iranian specimens belonging to some species such as P. jraxini, P. pistaciae and P. guttata on Corylus avellana posses the same morphology as described by SHIN & LI (2002). However, we also found different results in our investigation. Phyllactinia mali on Crataegus and Mespillus showed different penicillate cell morphology when compared to Pyrus isolates. Phyllactinia on Pyrus has been identified as P. mali by some authors (SHIN 2000, SHIN & LI 2002 and NUMURA 1997), though we tentatively identified it as P. guttata. Two specimens from Cornus spp. were examined in this study. These specimens showed different penicillate cell morphology. The fungus on Cornus sanguinea showed the same morphology as drawn by SHIN & LI (2002), but the other one on Cornus sp. Was different. Other specimens assigned to P. guttata showed more or less different morphology in penicillate cells. It is difficult to conclude whether these specimens belong to different taxa. The penicillate cell morphology may not be sufficient to detect the particular identities among complex species, P. guttata. However, it may be useful for species identification in combination with other characters. We recommend more studies in addition to analysis of penicillate cell morphology especially DNA sequencingto characterize new taxa of these fungi. All specimens cited in this paper, are deposited in the mycological collection of Gilan University, Rasht and Fungal Reference Collection ("IRAN") of the Ministry of Jihad-e-Agriculture, Tehran (Iran).

In a course of survey during growing seasons of 2002-04, various fields and pastures in 23 Iranian provinces were sampled. Some 1200 isolates of Fusarium from root, crown, stem and spike of various plants belonging to the family Poaceae were recovered using Nash-Snyder selective medium and purified on potato dextrose agar (PDA). Based on morphological characteristics, 32 Fusarium species were identified using PDA, SNA, KCI+WA and CLA media. Sporulation was encouraged using nUV light and darkness of 12h at 22-25°C. Among the species identified, Fusarium verticillioides and F. proliferatum recovered from wheat, maize, rice and sugarcane had higher frequencies of 13.5 and 10.4%, respectively. Fusarium sporotrichioides and F. buharicum isolated from wheat, barley, rice, aegilops and oat had the lowest frequencies of 0.25 and 0.42%, respectively.F. globosum, F. proliferatum var. minus and F. sublunatum var. elongatum from Poaceae are new taxa to the mycoflora of Iran. Fusarium buharicum and F. sporotrichioides on wheat, barley, rice, oat and aegilops are also isolated from Poaceae for the first time in the country.