JOURNAL OF TAXONOMY AND BIOSISTEMATICS
Year:2018 | Volume:9 | Issue:33 |Papers Count:6

The present study deals with leaf and stem anatomical survey of 10 species of the genus Psephellus (Asteraceae) from flora of Iran. After collecting and identifying the specimens, leaf and stem cross sections were prepared by hand and best sections were taken for staining and light microscope studies. In this survey, various anatomical traits such as the number of vascular bundles of stem, the number of chlorenchyma and collenchyma bundles of stem, the shape of the cross section of stem, the shape of epidermal cells, the type of stomata, the type of trichomes of stem and leaf and the presence or absence of cuticle or cortex were carefully examined. It is found that the number of vascular bundles and the type of trichomes are the most outstanding anatomical evidences. The current results revealed that leaf and stem anatomical traits in the genus Psephellus were taxonomically informative criteria and confirmed the previous classification of genus. Finally, the key for species and sections of the studied genus from flora of Iran were prepared based on anatomical characters.

Black (sooty) head mold of wheat and barley which is commonly characterized by black discoloration of their heads, is caused by different fungi colonizing the mature and senescent heads. It seems that black head mold develop more on plants when humid conditions occurs as the crop matures, or when harvest is delayed due to wet conditions and/or when portions of plants specially heads are died prematurely. During an investigation on fungal species associated with black head mold of wheat and barley in Golestan, Alborz and Qazvin provinces in the spring and summer of 2014 and 2015, a total of 133 Alternaria isolates with the characteristics of the section Infectoriae were collected. Based on the results obtained from morphological studies and data from nucleotide sequences of the two genomic loci, ITS– nrDNA and part of gelyceraldehyde– 3– phosphate dehydrogenase (gpdh), four species Viz. Alternaria arbusti, A. ethzedia, A. incomplexa and A. triticimaculans were identified. All identified species in the case of this study are reported for the first time as Alternaria species associated with black head mold symptoms of wheat and barley in the world. Also, except for A. arbusti, which was previously reported from cabbage plants in Iran, the remaining three species are new records for mycobiota of Iran. The species are fully described here.

In this study, specimens of pollinator bees of tribe Anthophorini available in the ‘ Iranian Museum of Pollinator Insects’ , located at the Faculty of Agriculture, Yasouj University were studied. In order to perform geometric morphometric analysis, firstly specimens identified to species level. Then after final determinations, five species of bees related to three genera of Anthophora، Amegilla and Habropoda including: Amegilla quadrifasciata, Anthophora (Melea) yasoujensis, Habropoda tarsata, Anthophora (Lophanthophora) agama and Anthophora (Pyganthophora) rogenhoferi, were examined by method of geometric morphometric. In this study, 122 specimens including 53 female and 69 male, were examined. Thus, after digital photography and setting of landmarks on the node of wings by using the software Tps Dig version 2. 1, output files were used in MorphoJ software, and finally analysis procedure was performed. These final outputs then would enter in software PAST version 2. 17, and these later outputs were demonstrated as a tree. Therefore, the separation was carried out in three taxa levels of the, genus, subgenus and species. Results indicated that geometric morphometric method is an effective practical method and useful method with high coincidence with morphologic characters in segregating specimens of all three taxa mentioned level and is a powerful tool in separating taxa of theses bees.

Daphne L. belongs to Thymelaeaceae family which has about 70 species in the world and 4 species in Iran. The species of this genus have compounds such as flavon, Betulin, Simarin and etc. that have anticancer, anti-flammation, antigout and antimicrobial effects. In this study, the pollen of 11 different accessions of D. mucronata, D. oleoides, D. pontica, D. mezerum were studied using stereo microscope, light microscope and scanning electron microscope for identifying and recognizing useful characteristic of these species. The results were analyzed utilizing NTSYS pc v 2. 02 e software and dendrogram constructed using UPGMA method. The results have shown that pollen grains are spheroid to elliptic shape, tricolporat and polyforat in the studied species and there are differences on exine surface that create Crotonoid and Semicrotonoid patters. Characteristics such as shape and pollen grains diagonal, revealing and hiding of reticular muri exine diameter are effective in taxonomic segregation of species. In this study, three types of seed surface ornamentation from cell-like, mosaic, and wavy were observed and characteristics such as leaf shape and the presence and density of trichomes, perianth color, lobe form, presence of trichome in ovule, seed color, seed shape, having billed and seed ornamentation of surface are different (variable) between species.

Genus and species of Plesiothrips perplexus Beach is recorded from Iran for the first time. In all species of the genus, the ovipositor is weakly developed, with no marginal serrations in females. Moreover, in males, antennal segment III is exceptionally small compared to females. Both characters are unusual among genera of Thripidae. Specimens of this species have been collected from Cynodon dactylon by beating the plant over a small white plastic tray in Shiraz in October 2017. Diagnosis characters as well as related illustrations have been provided. Distribution of Plesiothrips perplexus in the world and its phylogenetic relationship of the genus Plesiothrips Hood with other genera in Thripidae family as Thrips Linnaeus have been discussed.

Abhar County, with 3362 km2 area is located in 90km southeast of Zanjan and 230 km west of Tehran. The average altitude of this region is 1540 m. a. s. l., the mean annual precipitation is 323. 5 mm and the average annual temperature is 12. 51 ° C. Three regions in three different locations of Abhar County were selected to represent the general pattern of vegetation diversity in this County. In order to identify the plant species and introduce the floristic composition, life forms and chorology of plants, samples were collected during the growing seasons in 2015 to 2016. The total of 310 plant species belonging to 220 genera and 53 plant families were determined. The largest families were Asteraceae (29 genera and 44 species), Fabaceae (14 genera and 28 species), Poaceae (19 genera and 25 species), Lamiaceae (12 genera and 25 species), Apiaceae (19 genera and 24 species), Brassicaceae (19 genera and 21 species), Caryophyllaceae (12 genera and 17 species), Boraginaceae (13 genera and 15 species), Rosaceae (7 genera and 12 species), Ranunculaceae (7 genera and 9 species), Amaranthaceae (5 genera and 6 species) and Rubiaceae (6 genera and 6 species). The largest genera were Astragalus (8 species), Salvia (7 species), Centaurea (6 species), Silene (5 species), Achillea, Bromus, and Stachys (4 species). Regarding the chorological point of view, the largest proportion of the flora belonged to the Irano-Turanian elements (54. 2%). Hemicryptophytes were the dominant life form and consisted of 50% followed by therophytes (29. 7%), geophytes (9. 3%), phanerophytes (5. 8%) and chamaephytes (5. 2%). The current research findings revealed the floristic richness of Abhar County.