نشریه رستنیها
سال بیست و سوم شماره 1 (پیاپی 64، بهار و تابستان 1401)

Members of Penicillium and Talaromyces that are among the most frequent fungi in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) rhizosphere, gain attention from various research fields such as agriculture, medicine, biotechnology and food industry. To evaluate the species diversity of these fungi in sugarcane rhizosphere in Khuzestan province of Iran, 64 samples were collected from eight sugarcane agro-industrial plantations, from which 187 isolates of Penicillium and eight isolates of Talaromyces were obtained. Penicillium isolates were recovered largely from the sugarcane cultivation areas Karoon (39 isolates), Amir Kabir (33 isolates) and Hafttappeh (30 isolates), respectively. To select representative isolates for morphological studies, the amplified parts of the β-tubulin gene of all strains were subjected to PCR-RFLPs. Based on morphological and molecular data (sequences of β-tubulin gene), Talaromyces pinophilus and 11 species of Penicillium including P. chrysogenum, P. citrinum, P. crocicola, P. crustosum, P. oxalicum, P. palitans, P. parvulum, P. polonicum, P. restrictum, P. rubens, and P. simile were identified. Among these, P. parvulum, and P. simile are new to the Iranian funga. The results indicate that, Penicillium citrinum, isolated from all examined sugarcane cultivation areas, was the most frequent species (64.61%). Species diversity of Penicillium was highest in Salman Farsi sugarcane agro-industry plantation while members of Talaromyces were less frequent and diverse as they were only recovered from Amir Kabir, Debel Khazaei, Salman Farsi and Karoon sites.

Pollen grains of 33 species species belonging to 20 genera of the family Lamiaceae distributed in some habitats in Iran were studied using light and scanning electron microscope. For this purpose, pollen grains of Otostegia persica, Hymenocrater oxyodontus, and exine sculpture of three species, namely, Salvia splendens, S. hypoleuca, and Phlomis herba-venti subsp. lenkoranica were studied for the first time based on pollen morphology. The present study, therefore, showed considerable variation from very small, small, and medium to large size in pollen grains. In addition, the shapes varied from prolate-spheroidal, sub-prolate, sub-spheroidal, and sub-oblate to spheroidal in our study. The pollen grains colps observed into two different shapes i.e. tricolpate and hexacolpate, although octacolpate was observed in two species of Ziziphora clinopodioides and Z. tenuior. In the present study, 10 different exine ornamentation of pollen grains viz. micro-reticulate, reticulate, foveolate, foveolate-rugulose, foveolate-reticulate, bi-reticulate, rugolate-foveolate rugulose, regulate, and micro-foveolate-rugolate were also found. The present survey, therefore, indicateed that, pollen characters are valuable for taxonomic applications and may be a useful tool to differentiate variation between genera and species in the family Lamiaceae classification.

Nectary morphology of Matthiola species (Brassicaceae) in the Flora Iranica area was examined using a stereomicroscope to evaluate its systematic significance and assess infrageneric relationships. The study demonstrated that, most characters of the nectaries were constant among different populations of a given species and were taxonomically useful in the delimitation of species, and their grouping. However, nectary morphology was variable in some species. Reliable diagnostic features included; type and number of nectaries, morphology of lateral nectary, presence vs. absence, length, and distance of ramifications extending of lateral nectaries. The type and number of nectaries were useful in grouping of species. Three basic types of nectaries were present in the genus of which two lunar-shaped nectaries were predominated. The type and number of nectaries were unique in Matthiola alyssifolia and M. longipetala. The nectar structure was usually constant among individuals of different populations of polymorphic species of M. chenopodiifolia, M. revolute, and M. longipetala.

Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae) with more than 2000 species is the second largest giant genus distributed throughout the continent except the Arctic. Iran with four subgenera, 19 sections, three subsections, and 93 species is the second richest country after Turkey and one of the most important biodiversity centers in west Asia. Iran, is the richest concentration of endemic and subendemic Euphorbia species among West Asian countries with 21 and 33 species, respectively. Four northern provinces of Iran viz. Mazandaran, Khorasan, Alborz, and Eastern Azarbaijan, are the most diverse ones with 30, 27, 26, and 26 species, respectively. The lowest diversity of the genus with six and eight species occur in Qom and Bushehr provinces, respectively. The highest number of endemics was observed in Esfahan and Fars with eight and seven species, respectively, followed by Kerman, Khorasan and Mazandaran provinces with five species each. There is no endemics in Qom and Kermanshah provinces. All endemic and subendemic species in Iran were evaluated by the IUCN Red List categories and criteria. Of the 60 known evaluated species at the country level, 27 species was classified under threatened categories including, CR, EN, and VU with nine species each. The 33 remaining species were considered as NT and LC with three and 30 species, respectively.

This study aimed to investigate phylogenetic relationships of cyanobacteria based on the 16S rRNA, ITS genes and palindromic sequences of HIP, ERIC, and STRR. The use of Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region secondary structures has been proposed for phylogenetic reconstructions. Sampling was done from five Ghanats of shallow aqueducts located at Gonbad Kavous villages (Golestan province, NE of Iran), and purified in Z8 culture medium. After DNA extraction, 16S rRNA and ITS genes were amplified and sequenced. The phylogenetic tree was created using the Likelihood Maximum method and the appropriate model with the help of Iqtree online web server. The secondary structure of ITS was drawn in different parts of helix D1-D1′, D2, D3, tRNAIle, tRNAAla, BOX B, BOX A, and V3 using Mfold program. Then, phylogenetic analysis of fingerprints was converted to binary information with the presence and absence of separate, and reproducible bands in each DNA fingerprint pattern generated by PCR profiles of HIP, ERIC and STRR, and binary information was used to construct a composite dendrograms. The results showed that, the studied strains belonged to four families viz. Aphanizomenonaceae, Nostocaceae, Hapalosiphonaceae, and Calotrichaceae of subsections of order Nostocales. The results of the dendrograms clusters drawn from the proliferation of palindrome sequences confirmed the clustering of phylogenetic trees. However, the results of the variable sections found in sections D1-D1′ and Box-B of the ITS gene revealed unique secondary structures that did not have a similar pattern to their close counterparts. The overall results showed that, the data obtained from genomic fingerprints, in silico and phylogenetic analysis are very useful for distinguishing closely related strains of cyanobacteria.

The genus Sedlitzia (Amaranthaceae) includes four herbaceous and one shrubby species. Sedlitzia rosmarinus is resistant to salinity that plays an important role in soil conservation. In this research, RAPD molecular markers were used to evaluate the genetic diversity among 85 plant samples from 17 populations of S. rosmarinus. Five primers were used to perform RAPD reactions and a total of 400 DNA bands were obtained. After forming 0 and 1 matrix with the help of GenAlex 6.41 and UPGMA methods using SHAN clustering model, NTSYS Ver. 2.02 software was used to interpret RAPD analysis data. Molecular analysis of variance (AMOVA) was performed to estimate genetic diversity out of 85 individuals. Out of the total diversity, it was calculated that, the highest amount of genetic diversity i.e. 69% was related to intra-population and 31% to inter-population diversity, respectively.

During the summer and autumn of 2020, in order to identification of some fungal taxa associated with plants, gardens, weeds and forests of Alborz, Gorgan, Guilan and Mazandaran provinces (north of Iran) were surveyed and infected plant samples were collected from grapevine (Vitis vinifera), Mediterranean cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), and little seed canary grass (Phalaris minor) plants. After isolation and purification of fungal strains, morphological and molecular investigations were performed using the sequences of the ITS rDNA genomic regions. Based on combined morphology and molecular data, four fungal species belonging to four different genera of Chaetomiaceae (Sordariales, Sordariomycetes) including Ovatospora brasiliensis from grapevine tree, Dichotomopilus erectus from Mediterranean cypress and Staphylotrichum longicolle from little seed canary grass, and Didymosphaeriaceae (Pleosporales, Dothideomycetes) including Pseudopithomyces chartarum from blackthorn are identified and introduced here for the first time. In the present study, all identified genera and species are new for the funga of Iran. In addition, little seed canary grass, grapevine tree, blackthorn, and Mediterranean cypress are reported as new hosts (matrix nova) for these recovered fungal taxa in the world.

Since establishment of the Herbarium Ministerii Iranici Agriculturae ("IRAN") in 1945, during field excursions to different regions of Iran, while sampling flowering plants along with some minor collections of mosses, after establishment of the herbarium of mosses in 1997, in order to expanding the said herbarium, regular samplings were started by the author in the form of research projects. While trying to identify the moss samples, taking into consideration of extensive molecular researches and phylogenetic analyses which are being carried out worlwidely, the scientific names of this group of plants, resembling other plants, are always subject to change at different taxonomic levels, hence it becomes necessary to update this information every now and then. Based on this, by reviewing all the moss samples in the above-mentioned herbarium using reliable sources, more than 240 species were identified, of which the names of 39 taxa were updated. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to present the first list of mosses of the “IRAN” herbarium including 248 species, 92 genera belonging to 37 families under 12 orders and four classes.

Specimens belonging to the species Daphne L. (Thymelaeaceae) were collected from the northern parts of the country, which has the following morphological specifications:Shrub to 1 m high, stems firm, older ones brown, younger ones green; bark brown; leaves leathery, crowded at ends of branches, obovate-lanceolate or oblong-elliptical, acute, narrowed at base, glabrous, 3-9 cm × 1.5-3.5; inflorescence axillary, 2-flowered; peduncles axillary, 10-25 mm long; pedicles 3-8 mm long; flowers yellowish green; hypanthium narrow, lanceolate, unequal, two lobes shorter than others; ovary glabrous; drupe red, 5-6 mm long, 3-4 broad. (Fig. 1)In view of these specifications, and taking into account the available references (Boissier et al. 1879, Pobedimova 1949, Parsa 1951, Peterson 1972, Tan 1982), the specimen were identified as Daphne pontica subsp. haematocarpa G. Woronow. It is reported for the first time for the flora of Iran. Distributed from the Eastern Europe to Caucasia, this subspecies grows in the woods or shrubby slopes. It is evergreen, with many flowers and fruits, and it has a strong scent, especially in the evenings. In the existing classifications, the species Daphne albowiana is made a synonym of this subspecies (theplantlist.org).