JOURNAL OF TAXONOMY AND BIOSISTEMATICS
Year:2010 | Volume:2 | Issue:2 (3)|Papers Count:7

Zayandeh Rood Lake, as the largest Isfahan natural Lake, is located in the west of Isfahan city with the area of about 48 km2. Sampling of Euglenophyta was done in four stations from August 2005 through June 2006. Ecological factors such as pH, EC, salinity, temperature and various nutrients were measured. A total of 4 genus and 9 species were identified in this lake. Euglena proxima Dang., Phacus caudatus var. ovalis Drez. And Trachelomonas robusta Swir., showed high density 1420, 952, 2380 cell/cm3, respectively. In this lake density of Euglenophyta increased in warm seasons because of high ions such as nitrate and phosphate. Based upon algal flora results, Zayandeh Rood dam lake could be regarded as an oligo-mesotrophic lake.

This research was carried out in order to investigate the presence of different species from the genus Tilia,. Phenetic analysis confirmed the presence of seven groups of leaves with distinguishable character from Tilia in Hyrcanian forests. Distinctive analysis presented the size of serrate, the presence of trichome on the leaf upper and lower surfaces and on the petiole as important discriminating traits. The fourth group was separated from other groups due to the presence of trichome on the two sides of leaves, dull green color and leathery leaves. Size of serrate, long acuminate tip were diagnostic traits of second and third groups, but lower surface and petiole of leaves of second groups had settelate trichomes. In the fourth and fifth groups, lower surface of leaves had settlate trichomes with short aristate and short acuminate, but the petiole of forth group had settlate trichome. In the sixth group, only petiole had trichome, while the leaf surface and petiole of seventh group was glabrate. In conclusion, this research, in addition to confirming the presence of of Tilia platyphyllos doubted the presence of Tilia begonifolia Steven, Tilia caucasica Rupr. andTilia dasystyla Steven in the north of Iran. Also, it reported a new form of the genus Tilia in mountainous regions of Hyrcanian forests. However, definite decision regarding this case depends on complementary studies including investigating fruits and flower morphology with application of molecular techniques.

Onobrychis Miller is the second largest genus of Fabaceae in Iran with nearly 60 species. These species are used as valuable forage plants. Onobrychis sect. Onobrychis with nearly 15 species in Iran is one of the important sections of the genus. Onobrychis transcaspica V. Nikitin, is one of the species of this section that is distributed in NE of Iran. To determine intraspecific variations in O. transcaspica from taxonomic point of view and effective ecological factor, data were collected using special station method. In this way, four special stations were recognized for O. transcaspica in NE of Iran. Results from floristic data (Floristic composition of each special station) analysis with MVSP softwareby PCO method, led to identification of 3 separate groups that was indicative of existence of intraspecific diversity. Morphometric data analysis of individual collected from each special station, by using 65 vegetative and reproductive characters, with PCO and UPGMA methods, confirmed 3 mentioned floristic groups. Ecologic data analysis with CCA Method showed the presence of 3 phenoecodeme based on 3 morphologic groups resulting from altitudinal variations.

For the first time, Potentilla balansae Sojak. and Potentillaradiata Lehm. are reported from north and northeast of Iran. Potentilla balansae Pesmen is akin to P. anatolica and P. umbrosa but differs from both in its smaller petals, fewer tooted leaflets and usually subpinnate leaves. Potentilla radiata Lehm., is a hybrid species in origin, (P. argentea × P. thuringiaca). The photographs of these new species in addition to with detail study of different parts (taken by digital microscope) indumentumultra structure (photographed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)) and distribution maps are presented.

For the first time, Nonea stenosolen Boiss. & Balansa (Boraginaceae) is recorded from Iran. The specimen was collected during a field investigation in Kurdistan in 2008. Illustrated descriptions of the species together with a short note on the species as well as its distribution in Iran are provided. Micro-morphological studies on pollen grains and also fruit surface were performed. Pollen grains were heteropolar and 3panto colporate with more or less psilate surface. Mericarp surface had white glands on a wrinkled substrate which is the most important diagnostic feature in species recognition.

To investigate the population structure of Caspian roach, one of the economically important and threatened species of Caspian Sea, 58 samples were collected from Gorgan river and Gorgan bay and then they were studied using 10 microsatellite loci. All of the 10 loci were polymorphic and showed polymorphism information content from 0.72 to 0.93. Results indicated that allelic (allele number: 10.3) and gene (heterozygosity: 0.67) diversity of the regions are at an acceptable level.10 cases of 20 investigated tests (10 loci × 2 populations) showed significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, mainly due to the heterozygosity deficiency. UPGMA cluster analysis, based on Nei genetic distance, didn’t show distinct departure among populations. Also, analysis of molecular variance showed high diversity (98%) within the populations.

As for Barbus capito, two subspecies have been reported by L. S. Berg (1949) and other authors. To distinguish these two forms, 35 specimens were examined according to the main reported differences. All of these specimens have been collected in southern parts of Caspian Sea and are part of CMN (Canadian Museum of Nature) fish collection mainly collected by B. W. Coad. To analyze patterns of morphological variation in these specimens, PCA and DFA were used. The main differences were in head length, dorsal body length, caudal length and barbells length. There were no distinguishable characters for separating these two forms into two species. Considering other differences, the head length was not stable and could not be regarded as a distinctive character. However, in south of Caspian Sea, in addition to typical B. capito there were variations within this species with bigger head, longer caudal fork and longer pectoral.