A CONTRIBUTION TO THE TAXONOMY OF THE GENUS OXYTROPIS (FABACEAE) IN IRAN

A critical taxonomic synopsis of the genus Oxytropis DC. is provided. In this work, 42 species recognized in Flora Iranica is reduced to 38 distinct species, 16 species are synonymyzed. A part of the new synonyms belongs to Astragalus, viz. A. ciceropsis Hamzehee & Maassoumi (= Oxytropis strausii Bornm.), A. podocarpus C. A. Mey. (= O. thaumasiomorpha Rech. f.), A. longirostratus Pau (= O. alavae Rech. f.), A. singarensis Boiss. & Hausskn. (= O. wendelboi Vassilcz. p.p.), A. daenensis Boiss. (= O. kermanica Vassilcz. p.p; O. pussilloides Vassilcz. p.p.), A. aestivorum Podlech (= O. kermanica Vassilcz. p.p.). The remainder of synonyms are O. glabra (Lam.) DC. (= O. sorkhehensis Ranjbar), O. kopetdaghensis Gontsch. (= O. assadliensis Vassilcz.), O. hirsutiuscula Freyn (= O. caraganetorum Vassilcz.), O. sojakii Vassilcz. (= O. lalehzarensis Vassilcz.), O. iranica Vassilcz.(= O. zangolehensis Vassilcz.), O. persica Boiss. (=O. takhti-soleimanii Vassilcz.); O. aucheri Boiss. (= O. mazandaranensis Vassilcz.) and. O. binaludensis Vassilcz. (= O. khorasanica Ranjbar; O. gracillima Vassilcz.); O. Chrysocarpa Boiss.(= O. shirkuhi Vassilcz., O. surmmandehi Vassilcz.). Eleven new species are described as follows: Oxytropis shahvarica Maassoumi, O. pseudosuavis Maassoumi, O. kordkoyensis Maassoumi, O. compacta Maassoumi & Joharchi, O. salukensis Maassoumi, O. sabzavarensis Maassoumi, O. bakhtiarica Maassoumi, O. javaherdehi Maassoumi, O. sivehensis Maassoumi & Amini Rad, O. indurata Maassoumi, O. mahneshanensis Maassoumi. Oxytropis lupinoides is reported as a new record for the Iranian territory, a new combination, A. yezdii (Vassilcz.) Podlech & Maassoumi (= O. yezdii Vassilcz.; A. abditus Podlech) is presented and. O. rudbariensis Vassilcz. is considered as a doubtful species which need more complete material and more investigations. The occurence of O. czapandaghii Boriss. in Iran is not confirmed. Two keys corresponding to flowering and fruiting materials are given. All specimens examined in the present work are deposited in FUMH, IRAN, TARI and TUH.