hosein maroofi

Scorzonera nivalis Boiss. & Hausskn (Asteraceae) is one of the narrowest endemic species in Iran's flora, restricted to the Schahu and Avroman Mountains. IUCN criteria and GeoCAT data (EOO= 339.736 km2; AOO= 4.41 km2) classify this species as Critically Endangered (CR). This species was not collected after it was introduced 156 years ago by Boissier and Haussknecht until 2013 when it was collected for the second time from Schahu Mountain. Later studies conducted in Kurdistan Province added other populations from the Avroaman Mountains to the samples of this valuable species. The most efficient way to protect this species is to help its propagation through seeding and sowing in other similar habitats in the Schahu and Avroman Mountains. Introducing Schahu Mountain as a protected area by the Department of Environment of Iran, preventing livestock from entering the top of the mountain, collecting seeds, and storing them in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran are other effective ways to protect this valuable reserve.

Geranium kurdicum Bornm. (Geraniaceae), is reported here as a new record from Dalanpar Mountain for the flora of Iran. The geographical distribution of the new record and its distinguishing characters, plus its detailed photo are presented.

Assessing the floristic resources of each region is very important because it serves to identify it’s the genetic potential. The Lailakh region with about 13600 hectares, is located in the west of Iran, neighboaring the Dehgolan city. In order to identify the flora, life form and chorology, plants of the region were collected during the growing seasons of 2015 and 2016. 261 species belonging to 197 genera and 50 families of vascular plants were recognized in the region. Asteraceae with 36 species, Lamiaceae with 23, Fabaceae with 20, Poaceae with 21, Apiaceae with 18, Brassicaceae and Boraginaceae each with 16 species are the largest families of this region flora. The largest genera were Astragalus, Salvia, Silene, Vicia, Centaurea, Euphorbia, Amaranthus, Allium , Bromus and Veronica each with 8, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3 species, respectively. Studying the biological spectrum of species showed that Hemicryptophytes with 49 % is the dominant life form. The largest proportion of the chorological elements belonged to Irano-Turanian floristic region (52%), followed by Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian elements (11%), which indicated that the area was strongly influenced by Irano-Turanian floristic elements. Thirteen species (0.7 percent) in this habitat are endemic for Iran. In addition, 103 species used as medicinal plants.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of grazing intensity and type of livestock and environmental factors on vegetation composition and diversity in five areas with different livestock types (cattle, Markhoz goat, Mo goat, and sheep) and different grazing intensities (five treatments) at the forests of Armardeh. In total, 34 sample plots (100 m^2) for vegetation cover sampling were taken. Differences between regions in terms of species diversity were analyzed using analysis of variance and the effect of livestock grazing on vegetation composition using Redundancy Analysis (RDA). Result indicates that, control and the region with four livestock types have highest and lowest diversity respectievely. Canopy cover (percent), elevation, Quercues branti- Q. infectoria type, and stocking rate where the most important environmental factors are driving vegetation composition. Livestock type and grazing intensity with some environmental variables shape affect significantly the vegetation composition, in a way that with increasing grazing intensity and livestock type, annual and invasive plants appear in highest presence and with decreasing of those, forbs, shrubs, and geophyte plants are widely spread in the vegetation composition.

Consideration to Natural compounds that have antibiotic and allelopatic effects increased because generally have fewer side effects. Studies on secondary metabolites and biological effects of compounds of other species of the Ferula have been carried out but there was no report about the Ferula oopoda in Iran. In this study, the chemical compounds found in the leaves of Ferula oopoda were identified and measured. Allelopathic effects on total germination, Speed of germination, Coefficient of the rate of germination indices, of wheat and rye seeds were investigated. Antioxidant properties and antimicrobial effects of leaf and root extract of Ferula oopoda were also measured. the aqueous leaf extract of Ferula Opuda significantly reduces total germination, Speed of germination, Coefficient of the rate of germination in wheat and rye seeds. the radical inhibitory potency and the antioxidant potential of the extract of Leaf and Root of Ferula oopoda are comparable to vitamin C. the Relative inhibitory zone diameter of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli due to different concentrations of Leaf and Root of Ferula oopoda extract significantly confirms its antimicrobial effects. chemical composition of the Ferula oopoda leaf extract showed the presence of compounds such as alpha pinin betamircin and caryophylline. Many of the biological effects can be attributed to these compounds. Thus, Ferula oopoda can be a good source for production of natural antibiotics and herbicides the numerous and varied compounds in the organs of this plant also show the capacity to use it for the preparation of new herbal remedies.

Sternbergia colchiciflora (Amaryllidaceea) is recorded for the flora of Iran from Kurdistan province (West Iran). The species has been collected from rocky oak forests around Bandol Village in Marivan.The geographical distribution of the new record and its distinguishing characters are discussed.

Trifolium kurdistanicum S.Yousefi, Assadi & Ghaderi(Fabaceae) is one of the endemic species in the flora of Kurdistan province, distributed in the mountains of Bendol village in the southwest of Marivan. Based on IUCN criteria and categorizes, this species is assigned as Critically Endangered (CR). This species has only one population. Although isolation of the species in a restricted habitat is the main reason for its conservation, it is also the main inhibitor factor for its expansion to create larger populations. Extreme rockfall and soil instability of the habitat of this species are serious threats to its survival. Due to lacking natural corridors for expanding and migration of the species to other similar habitats in the Avroman area, the best ways for such an aim are seeding and sowing in the area that requires sufficient funding and skilled people to be fully familiar with the area and its flora. Botanical gardens and research farms will be other destinations for propagation of this valuable species.

Trifolium longidentatum Nabelek is reported as a new record from the Kurdistan province, West of Iran. It belongs to the section Trifolium, subsect. Ochroleuca. This species, is characterized by long calyx teeth, oblong-lanceolate stipules that adnate to petiole in four-fifths of their lengths, pale pink flowers and bent beak pods. It is taxonomically an isolated species and there is no very close species to it in the Flora Iranica area. Morphological characteristics, habitats and geographical distribution of T. longidentatum are presented. An identification key to the Iranian members of Trifolium sect. Trifolium subsect. Ochroleuca is also provided.

Zarivar region, with about 12,000 km2 area, is located in the west of Iran, neighboaring the Marivan city. This region has a rich floral diversity due to some ecological factors such as: the average annual precipitation (about 997 mm/year), influence of the mediteranean water masses and situation within zagros mountain. The purpose of this study was to introduce floristic list, life forms and chorology of species of zarivar region. plant specimens were collected during years 2014-2016. Totally, 590 plant species belonging to 355 genera and 81 families were determined. Among the studied plants, 472 dicots and 116 monocots and two pteridophytes were recognized. The largest family was Compositae with 46 genera and 72 species, and the largest genus was Trifolium (Papilionaceae) with 10 species. Hemicryptophytes were the dominant life form and comprised 40% of the flora. From chorological point of view, the largest proportion of the flora belonged to the Iran-Turanian elements (38%). Among the 590 species of flora this region 160 species are medicinal plants, 43 species endangered Plants and 50 species endemic in Iran.

The natural rangeland changing into dryland is one of the important agents for destruction of rangelands in Iran. The destruction and landuse conversion can impress various constituents of rangeland ecosystems. This research mainly attempts to investigate the vegetation transitions in species diversity in the years following destruction.
The natural rangelands (key area) and the converted adjacent lands into drylands (critical area) were selected for sampling by using random-systematic plan in Dehgolan of Kurdistan Province. Three transects along a slope with 100 m length for each and 50 m distance between them were set at two herbal mentioned areas. Based on minimal area method, five quadrats of one square meter area were set along each transect. The species list with their self-relative frequency was registered in quadrats. The species evenness based on four numerical indices including Simpson's evenness, Camargo, Smith-Wilson and Modified Nee, the species richness according to two indices including Jackknife estimate and Rarefraction method and the species diversity by four indices including Shannon-Wiener, Brillouin, McIntosh and Simpson were analyzed and compared together.
26 herbal species at the natural rangeland and 18 species at the land converted into dryland were gathered. The results obtained from data analysis showed that species diversity and richnessof plants have had degradation and species evenness has dad enhancement at the land converted into dryland. However, statistical T-Test did not show a significant difference between the two mentioned fields. Generally, it was concluded that rangeland changing into dryland reduced the species diversity of range plants and its statistical non-significance was of multiple reasons.

The Iranian materials of the genus Vicia were reviewed. A critical study of 500 specimens collected for this study and additional herbarium specimens led to reporting a new subspecies، V. villosa Roth. subsp. dasycarpa (Ten.) Cav. from Iran. In addition، recollection and identification of two species، V. mollis and V. lathyroides which were not deposited in any of the Iranian herbaria before. According to the results of this study15 sections within the Iranian materials of Vicia were recognized. Also the following changes were applied: revival of two sections Crocea and Lenticula; transferring the members of sect. Cassubicae to sect. Vicilla; V. koeieana from sect. Anatropostyla to sect. Ervilia; V. hirsuta from sect. Ervum to sect. Ervilia; V. crocea from sect. Vicilla to sect. Crocea; recognition of the subgen. Cracca. Four new synonymes made: subgen. Vicilla as synonym of subgen. Cracca; sect. Cassubicae as synonym of sect. Vicilla; V. sojakii as synonym to V. ciceroideae; V. michauxii var. stenophylla as synonym to V. michauxii. Furthermore، V. lutea var. lutea is deleted from the flora of Iran and V. canescens is recognized as its sensu lato with no infra-specific taxa in. A taxonomic key to the Vicia taxais presented here.

During the study of plant specimens in Kurdistan herbarium, two new records for the Flora of Iran including Codonocephalum inuloides and Delphinium micranthum were identified. They have been collected in Kurdistan province. Taxonomic characters and illustrations for the new records are provided.

Tragopogon kurdicus Safavi & Maroofi is described from Iran, Kurdistan province, Avalan Mountain; it is similar to T. erostris which is an endemic species in the flora of Iran, growing in Kermanshah and Kurdistan provinces. The new species mainly differs from T. erostris in its higher stem, larger leaves, longer peduncles, larger involucres of capitula, longer pappus and longer achenes with serrulate–scabrid apex.

The essential oil of Fumaria Vaillantii Loisel was isolated by hydrodistillation using a Clevenger-type apparatus. In order to, identification of chemical composition, the obtained essential oil was injected to GC/MS instrument. Thirty six components were identified, the major components more than 1 percent include: trans anethole (14.97%), 1,8-cineole (13.01%), menthole (9.34 %), menthone (5.18%), beta-inone (5.02%), cyclopentadecanolide (4.53%), myristicine (3.67%), alpha-pinene (3.58%), thymole (3.19 %) and isomenthone(3.14%). In this study also we evaluated the antibacterial activity of essential oil of Fumaria vaillantii Loisel against the growth of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli using agar disc diffusion method. The results showed that the antibacterial activity of the essential oil was well.

Acer tataricum is reported for the first time from West of Iran, it has been collected from the oak forests near the village Kani-Bard, Baneh, Kurdista.

Tragopogon bornmuelleri M. Ownbey & Rech. f. var. latifolius Safavi is described here as a new variety from Iran.The difference with related variety is also discussed.

Paeonia mascula subsp. mascula has been collected from the oak forests near the village Chenareh, Marivan, Kurdistan. Neither this species nor its synonym P. kavachensis has been included in the floras covering Iranian terittory.

Corydalis integra is reported for the first time for the flora of Iran. It has been collected from Marivan area inKurdistan province. The plant is rather characteristic by having undivided tuber, entire bracts, pale purplish flowers, etc.