The micromorphological characteristics of the upper and lower epidermis of the petals of 15 ROSA SPECIES in Iran were investigated for the first time. The study used light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to compare epidermal patterns of petals among different SPECIES. Quantitative and qualitative characteristics related to the petals, including cell density, flower color, cell type, and stomata and trichomes on both surfaces, were compared between the ROSA and Hulthemia subgenera SPECIES in Iran. No evidence of hairs and stomata was found on either surface of the epidermis. The arrangement of the adaxial surface in all SPECIES consists of conical cells called papillae with different degrees of projection and interconnected and a cuticle layer covers their surface. The abaxial surface pattern is often seen as flat cells with parallel lines or irregular folds. The cluster analysis using Past software showed that, although the petal epidermis is a consistent feature within the SPECIES, this trait is unsuitable for classifying ROSA SPECIES. In addition, in the present study it was found that, the difference in epidermal pattern in some SPECIES such as R. beggeriana and R. moschata was found to be useful to identify them from each other.

In this study, twelve quantitative and qualitative morphological traits were used to determine the relationships among several SPECIES of wild Rose (ROSA L. ). To determine the relationship of the morphological characteristics SPECIES multivariate analysis were used. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 18 and different methods of multivariate statistical analysis including cluster analysis (Ward) and ordination (PCA) was used and the results of morphological studies and diagnostic characters obtained in the analysis. Principal component analysis was introduced two main components, in which, in the first component, plant height, size and condition of the plant thorns, has a high rate and positive coefficients. Results grouped by Cluster Analysis (CA) were well correlated with the results of principal components analysis and a variety of different traits based on the similarities and differences between SPECIES are well separated from each other and this could help identify and classify morphological different SPECIES of this genus in systematic application.

ROSA persica Michx. ex Juss. is an aggressive plant SPECIES in Iranian rangelands. Several controlling methods have been suggested to stop its expansion. This study examined the short-term effects of fire, tilling, cutting, and herbicides as a means of controlling Rose persica on the richness, evenness and diversity of R. persica communities in rangelands of Iran. The experiment was arranged using asplit-plot design with fire (burning and control) as main plot and four treatments (cutting, tilling and glyphosate herbicide and control) as subplots based on a completely randomized block designwith four replications over three years (2013-2015) in khosbijan, Iran. The Margalef, Sheldon, and Shannon-Wiener indices were used to assess the SPECIES richness, evenness, and diversity, respectively. We found that treatments had a different effect on the plant community composition. Prescribed fire coupled with other treatments had a significant effect on SPECIES diversity rather than control (P<0. 01). This finding indicated the significant effect of prescribed fire on the plant diversity indices. Mean of diversity was higher in burning alone (3. 181). The highest value of evenness was related to the chemical treatment without fire (0. 582) and the highest richness was related to the control (11. 114). Also, the lowest values of diversity, evenness and SPECIES richness occurred by cutting without burning (2. 582), control area without applying other treatments (0. 258) and herbicide without burning (7. 921), respectively. Therefore, plant diversity was increased using each treatment. This may be due to reduction of R. persica frequency. Despite the increasing of SPECIES diversity after applying treatments, it should be acknowledged that due to lack of desirable SPECIES gene pools and colonization of ruderal SPECIES, the vegetation composition won't be necessarily desirable. Therefore, in R. persica communities, the restoration of these communities should be considered after the controlling of the R. persica.

Fifteen populations of Pimpinellifoliaeae section from the SPECIES; ROSA pimpinellifolia, R. hemispherica, R. foetida and a new SPECIES, R. abrica, were collected from eight provinces of Iran and were studied on the basis of their morphological characters. In each population five plants were randomly selected and some branches were harvested in spring and autumn for studying their vegetative and floral characteristics. Sixty-three qualitative and quantitative characters were grouped using the most suitable method of cluster analysis (WARD) and their ordination diagram based on the most variable factors, were written for each SPECIES and the section. The results showed that the effect of ecological factors such as altitude influenced the intra-SPECIES variation. Cluster analysis illustrated high similarities betweenR. hemispherica and R. foetida. In the present research two unique populations of a new SPECIES (not recorded in K, W, E, G and Iranian herbaria), named R. abrica, were also analyzed. Culster analysis separated the R. abrica as a different group compared to other SPECIES of this section. Traits such as curved prickles, high number of petals, truncate or seldom emarginated petals, indeterminate state of achenes and stigma were significant in classification of the new rose SPECIES. Although, R. abricais very similar to R. foetida but in characters such as number of leaflets, corymbs inflorescence, entire edge of sepal or seldom with lobes, hairy style, glabrous hips and pedicels, it is significantly different from R. foetida.

ROSA canina L. is a member of ROSAceae family, which is well-known for its high phenolic contents. These compounds are known to possess antioxidant and antiradical effects. In order to compare the antioxidant and antiradical activity of wild ROSA phenolic extracts, two wild ROSA SPECIES (ROSA canina L. and ROSA pimpinellifolia L.) were selected from Takab, Oshnavieh and Qasemloo Valley of Urmia, West Azerbaijan province, Iran, in 2011. The fruits of R. canina and R. pimpinellifolia were collected and then methanolic extracts were prepared from these fruits. The extracts' total phenolic and flavonoid contents and scavenging capacity for radicals nitric oxide, hydrogen peroxide, and DPPH were analyzed. Fruit extracts, respectively, had a range of 176.48±2.71 and 225.65±2.50 mg gallic acid equivalents /100 g methanolic extract in total phenolic content, 0.41±0.02 and 2.02±0.03 mg quercetin/100 g methanolic extract in total flavonoid content, 22.41±0.64% and 58.10±0.72% in hydrogen peroxide, 79.16±0.61% and 87.78±0.10% in DPPH, and 76.93±2.31% and 236.76±16.04% in nitric oxide radical scavenging percentage. The findings suggested that radical scavenging capacities of R. canina and R. pimpinellifola extracts in different populations positively correlated with phenolic content.

Piptatherum denaense is described as a new SPECIES from south west of Iran, Dena Mountain. It is close to P. laterale but differs from it by having glabrous lemma in lower half and toward the apex, narrower vegetative shoots and unbearded anthers. Piptatherum holciforme subsp. holciforme var. glabrum is not accepted as a distinct variety. Piptatherum sphacelatum formerly known as a synonym of P. molinioides is established as a separate SPECIES due to having distinct morphological characters as well as molecular differences based on literature. Thus, the number of taxa in the genus Piptatherum changes to 9 SPECIES, 2 subSPECIES and 4 varieties in Iran. An identification key to Piptatherum taxa occuring in Iran is provided. The distribution map of P. denaense with P. laterale subsp. laterale and the illustration of the new SPECIES are included.