نشریه رستنیها
سال بیست و یکم شماره 1 (پیاپی 59، بهار و تابستان 1399)

Different species of the Fagaceae family are the principal components of the broad-leaved forests in North of Iran. Because of the large size of trees and their commercial value of the wood, they are considered to be economically important for use as lumber. Despite its economic importance, a review of the systematic studies of this familyshows that, several species have been interpreted differently by various authors due to high variations in morphology and the existence of probable hybrids. The objectives of this study are to elucidate specific characteristics of the wood of the family to obtain evidence regarding taxonomical and ecological relationships among the species occurring in the area. For this purpose, 18 quantitative and qualitative characters from wood were surveyed. Cluster analysis and principal components analysis (PCA) were performed based on Euclidean distance and covariance characteristics, respectively. PCA obtained the same result of the cluster analysis. Results showed that, wood characteristics such as shape and size of vessel elements and fiber and tracheids, growth rings, wood porosity, vessel arrangement together with its grouping, solitary vessel outline, perforation plates and intervessel pits arrangements along with their shape and wood density, varied from species to species. These findings are not only useful for species identification but also showed that, differences and similarities among species are related to ecological environment and habitat conditions.

Athelia rolfsii is a globally distributed soil-borne fungal pathogen causing root rot disease in many crops. In order to study the genetic diversity of this fungus, 90 isolates were collected and isolated from Guilan, Mazandaran and Golestan provinces (North of Iran). Genetic diversity of these isolates was investigated using Mycelial Compatibility Groups tests (MCG) and ISSR and SCoT markers. In this study, nine MCG groups were identified. The MCG3 group (with 36 members) was the most frequent in terms of the number of isolates and the most diverse group in terms of host domain (due to infection of eight host species). This group (MCG3) was also the only group that isolated from specimens in all three provinces. The dendrogram derived from cluster analysis of ISSR primers divided the isolates into four groups at a similarity level of 57%. The dendrogram obtained from cluster analysis of SCoT primers placed the isolates in a similarity level of 59% in three groups. Based on the results of both markers, Golestan isolates (except two isolates) were separated from Guilan and Mazandaran isolates. However, the presence of these two isolates in a separate cluster along with the isolates of Guilan and Mazandaran provinces was consistent with the results of MCG grouping. The results of this study showed that, these two types of markers are useful to differentiate isolates based on geographic regions.

The objective of the present study was to isolate and characterize of fungal species from Persian oak trees rhizosphere in Zagros forests, Ilam province (Iran). For this purpose, sampling was performed from different regions of the above-mentioned forests during 2014–15. The serial dilutions of soil suspensions were cultured on Water agar (WA 2%), Potato dextrose agar (PDA), and Malt extract agar (MEA) media. Fungi were purified by transferring single hyphal tips on PDA medium.  At the first, the fungal isolates were identified using their morphological features. To confirm the morphological identification and taxonomic position of the isolates, molecular studied and phylogenetic analyses were then carried out using amplification and sequencing of ITS region of ribosomal DNA. Finally, the species Mortierella alpina, Penicillago nodositata,and Trichocladium jilongensis were identified based on morphological characters and molecular studies. These species were described and reported as new records for the mycobiota of Iran.

Plantago major L. and P. lanceolata L. are abundantly being found in the north of Iran recognizing as valuable medicinal plants. In this study, populations of these two species from northern parts of the country including Sari, Ziarat, Masouleh and Shurab were collected and a number of qualitative and quantitative traits of their pollen grains were studied and compared using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Pollen morphology of both species showed that, although their pollen grains are monad with small-sized, often prolate-spheroidal, pantoporate, verrucated and granulated ornamentation, but their pore structures are different while P. lanceolata have larger pollen grains and more pores than P. major. The pores of P. lanceolata are small, with annulus and well-defined operculum, whereas the pores of P. major are larger, without annulus and well- or ill-defined operculum. It seems that, their pore structures could be a key trait in the palynological studies. The results suggest that, the palynological results can be effective for these species identification and can help to classification and taxonomy of Plantago L. genus.

An investigation was carried out on the occurrence and distribution of entomopathogenic fungi in 41 soil samples collected from cultivated and natural regions in Kermanshah province (West of Iran) from July 2017 to April 2018. Among 41 soil samples, 114 fungal isolates were recovered with 39 from forests, 38 from fields, 22 from rangelands and 15 from garden soil. Based on the morphological characters and phylogeny of DNA sequence data for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA and comparing the sequences with that available in NCBI database, the entomopathogenic fungi recovered were identified as: Aspergillus nomius*, Fusarium oxysporum, F. equiseti, Fusarium sp., Penicillim solitum, P. sizovae*, Penicillium sp., Alternaria chlamydosporigena, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Paramyrothecium roridum, Chaetomium elatum, Beauveria bassiana*, B. pseudobassiana, and B. tenella*. The asterisk species are the new records for the mycobiota of Iran.

Members belonging to the genus Penicillium have a worldwide distribution and to date contains 359 accepted species divided among 25 sections, some of which have a considerable economic effect. The most important foodstuff which is the ecological nich of species of this genus is bread, as microbial decay agents, and citrus fruits, as postharvest pathogens. In this study, during winter 2018, spring and autumn 2019, samples were collected from infected citrus fruit (orange, tangerine, sour orange, lemon, lemon thistle, key lime, bergamot, grapefruit, bael, and kumquat) and various types of infested wheat bread from Shiraz (Iran). Species were identified based on morphological characteristics including microscopic (i.e.conidia dimensions, conidial ornamentation, phialide and metulae length, conidiophore width and ornamentation, and conidiophore branching pattern) as well as macroscopic features (including growth rate, obverse and reverse color of the colony, colony texture, and sporulation rate). Ten species were identified according to morphological features. Four species, including Penicillium italicum, P. ulaiense, P. digitatum,and P.discolor,belonging to sections Penicillium, Digitata, and Viridicata, were identified on citrus fruits and six species, including P. chrysogenum, P. atramentosum,P. polonicum, P. roqueforti, P. citrinum,and P.oxalicum, belonging to sections Chrysogena, Viridicata, Roqueforti, Citrina, and Lanata-Divaricata, were characterized from infested bread. Penicillium ulaiense and P. atramentosum are new for Iran mycobiota and it is the first world report of P.discolors as a citrus pathogen.

An investigation was carried out on the occurrence of thermotolerantand thermophilic fungi in 11 soil samples collected from cultivated and natural regions in Kermanshah province (Mahidasht, Harsin, Kerend, Eslamabad-e Gharb, Qasr-e Shirin, Sarpol-e Zahab, Javanrood, Gilan-e Gharb), municipal waste compost and mushroom compost, 2017–19. Fungal isolates were recovered using the soil dilution plate method on potato dextrose agar at 45 and 50 °C. Totally, 24 isolates were obtained that were primarily identified using morphological characters and referring to valid taxonomic keys. DNA extraction was carried out using a Genomic DNA Purification kit. The ITS region (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) of the ribosomal DNA was amplified using ITS1 and ITS4 primers. Fragments about 500–700 bp were amplified after sequencing deposited in GenBank. Based on morphological characters and sequence data of the ITS rDNA, these fungi were identified as: Aspergillus fumigatus, A. nidulans, A. niger, A. terrus, Melanocarpus albomyces*, Malbranchea cinnamomea*, Thermomyces dupontii*, Th. lanuginosus*, and Thielavia arenaria*. Asterisks indicate species that are new records for the mycobiota of Iran. The abundance of thermophilic fungi in municipal waste compost was higher than soil, and Aspergillus species were the most abundant fungi identified in this study.

In a taxonomic study of Exserohilum and Pyrenophora species in Iran, infected plant materials were obtained from different provinces (West and East Azerbaijan, Guilan, Mazandaran, Isfahan and Khuzestan), during the years 2013–16. A total number of fourty eight isolates including 26 Exserohilum and 22 Pyrenophora isolates were obtained from various plants. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and GPDH (Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) gene were amplified and sequenced for representative isolates. Based on a combination of morphological characteristics and sequence data, six species of Exserohilum viz., E. monoceras (three isolates), E. oryzicola (five isolates), E. rostratum (12 isolates), E. turcicum (six isolates),and Pyrenophora viz., P. dictyoides (one isolate) P. graminea (19 isolates), and P. lolii (two isolates) were identified. Among the species, E. oryzicola is new species for the mycobiota of Iran. Full description and illustration for the new species are provided herewith. New hosts are also reported for E. rostratum,and P. lolii.

Some taxonomic and morphologic notes about the genus Amaranthus (Amaranthaceae) in Iran are here presented. More than 400 specimens were examined as well as extensive pieces of literature were analyzed. As a result, 17 taxa were recognized based on available literature. Information about their nomenclature (accepted names, main synonyms, and types), main morphological features and diagnostic keys at species and infraspecific levels were prepared. Pictures of inflorescences, fruits and tepals of all taxa in Iran were also provided in order to obtain undoubted and clear descriptions of Amaranthus taxa in the country and a functional identification key on the basis of the features of the reproductive organs was constructed. The distribution of this genus in Iran has also been briefly discussed.

In order to identify some fungi associated with leaf spot symptoms of some self-growing plants, infected plant samples were collected from fields, gardens and natural habitats in different regions of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province of Iran during the spring and summer of 2018. After isolation and purification of fungal strains, morphological and molecular investigations were performed using the nucleotide sequences of one or few genomic regions (depending on the studied fungal genus). Based on combined data, finally, 11 different fungal species belonging to nine different genera including Calophoma complanata, Colletotrichum lini, Didymella pisi, Fusarium acuminatum, F. equiseti, Gnomoniopsis idaeicola, Nothophoma gossypiicola, Petriella sordida, Pyrenophora seminiperida, Sporormiella intermedia,and S. similis are identified and introduced from new host plants. In the present study, among the identified taxa, four species including C. complanata from Falcaria vulgaris, N. gossypiicola from Euphorbia helioscopia, S. intermedia from Mentha pulegium, and S. similis from Euphorbia helioscopia are reported for the first time as new records for mycobiota of Iran.