نشریه رستنیها
سال بیست و چهارم شماره 1 (پیاپی 68، Spring and Summer 2023)

In this research, biosystematics of some species of Nyctaginaceae in Iran were studied using morphological and micromorphological characters for the first time. Statistical results using SPSS Ver. 20 and Past Ver. 1.98 softwares showed that, the most important characters for determinating Nyctaginaceae species are length to wide ratio of achene, length of filament, type of infloresence, number of flowers in peduncles, shape and length of bracts, style length, smallest leaf length, and length to a wide ratio of bracts. Anatomical studies using cross sections of stems, leaves, petiole, and epidermis of the species were also carried out. The main characteristics such as the thickness and number of the vascular bundle of leaf and stem, the shape of the petiole in the cross section, the thickness of the secondary and primary phloem as well as primary xylem in the leaf cross section showed significant differences. The diagnostic characteristics in the epidermis were the stomatal type and shape of epidermis cells. In addition, an identification key is provided based on anatomical features. This is the first report on the anatomical structure of this family in Iran. In palynological studies, the pollen grains of C. stenocarpus and B. elegans have been investigated for the first time. Pollen grains were spherical to oblate-spheroidal with spinulose ornamentation and reticulate. The present study proved that, pollen characters are mostly useful in determination at the generic level. Finally, anatomical features such as the anatomical structure of Kranz, thickness of the parenchyma layer and stomatal type of leaf epidermis as well as morphological features confirmed separation of Boerhavia and Commicarpus as two distinct genera.

Desert truffles are hypogeous edible fungi from the Ascomycetes group that grow in arid and semi-arid areas of the Mediterranean region, including Iran. In addition to the economic role, they also play an important role in preserving and maintaining the ecosystem of rangelands from an ecological point of view by preventing erosion and desertification. In this study, the mycorrhizal association between the Terfezia claveryi Chatin (Cistaceae) with the perennial plant species Cistus ladanifer, C. laurifolius, Helianthemum lippii, and H. almeriense was investigated. The results of this study showed the mycorrhizal association as ect-endo mycorrhization with varying degrees of sheath development among the four investigated plant species. Mycorrhization rate and the relative mycorrhizal dependency (RMD) for T. claveryi/H. lippii combination was 87% and 48.18%, followed H. almeriense with mycorrhization rate and relative mycorrhizal dependency 80% and 17.92%, respectively. Growth parameters of the inoculated plants including plant height and weight, root height and weight, and shoot height and weight were statistically significant compared to control plants. The mycorrhizal relationship of T. claveryi with inoculated plant species was confirmed using Nested-polymerase chain reaction and specific primer pairs designed for this species from the sequence of the internal transcribed space regions.

During the study of fungal taxa in different regions of Markazi province (Iran) in spring of 2022, a fungal isolate with similar characteristics of Circinella Tiegh. & G. Le Monn. was obtained from the leaf spot symptom of Ficus altissima Blume. Based on the combined morphological characteristics and the sequence data of the ITS-nrDNA regions, recovered isolate (UTR29) was identified as C. muscae (Sorokin) Berl. & De Toni. Sporangiophores arising from the substrate or aerial mycelia, at first colorless then becoming pale brown, 6–11 μm in diam., erect, growing indefinitely, branching sympodial; branches sometimes 2–3- septate, at the end, bearing a single fertile sporangium, two fertile sporangia or a single fertile sporangium and a sterile spine; spines sterile, pale brown and cut off by a septum; sporangia diverse in size, multispored, globose to slightly dorsiventrally, with persistent wall, smooth, breaking, at first hyaline then becoming brownish yellow to gray with age, 30–61 × 29–58 μm in size; collumellae mostly hyaline, rarely light brown, diverse in shape, pyriform, oval, conical, subglobose, 18–30 × 15–28 μm in size; sporangiospores globose to oval, aseptate, grayish brown in color, black color in mass (inside of the sporangium), smooth, 3–7 × 3–6 μm in size. The nuclear ITS-rDNA of the isolate was amplified by ITS1/ITS4 primer pairs and the PCR product was sequenced. The resulting sequence was deposited in the GenBank (NCBI) with accession number of OQ550282. In the ML phylogenetic tree, isolate UTR29 was clustered with the other Circinella species with a bootstrap support of 100%. In addition, UTR29 was grouped with the other isolates of C. muscae (KF805762, KF805763 and MN431502) with a bootstrap support of 80%. Based on the bibliography, C. muscae is a new taxon for funga of Iran and Ficus altissima Blume is a new host (matrix nova) for C. circinans in the world. Living culture of isolate UTR29 was deposited in Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran Culture Collection (Karaj, Iran) under accession number ABRIICC 10371.

Ramichloridium is a genus of dematiaceous hyphomycetes which belongs to the family Dissoconiaceae in the order Mycosphaerellales. In a survey of fungi associated with leaf spot symptoms of various plants in the north of Iran, an isolate of the genus Ramichloridium was recovered from leaves of Sesbania punicea (Cav.) Benth. Integration of morphological characteristics and sequence data obtained from the LSU, ITS and tef1 loci were applied to identify this isolate. The results revealed that the isolate belongs to a species of the genus Ramichloridium, namely, R. punctatum. This is the first report of Dissoconiaceae and genus Ramichloridium for funga of Iran and first record of the species R. punctatum for funga of the Middle East region. In addition, S. punicea represents first host record for the R. punctatum in the world.

In order to study the taxonomy of Pyrenophora species in Iran, infected Poaceae specimens were obtained from West Azerbaijan province during the years 2018–21. Twenty specimens of Pyrenophora were isolated from Poaceae. Based on the morphological characteristics and molecular data [the internal transcribed spacer (ITS-rDNA) region and GAPDH (Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) gene], three species of Pyrenophora viz. eight isolates of P. chaetomioides on Avena sativa, four isolates of P. catenaria on Poa sp., and eight isolates of P. semeniperda on Hordeum vulgare were identified. In the present paper, Pyrenophora chaetomioides and P. catenaria are introduced as new records for the funga of Iran. Full descriptions and illustrations as well as the economic significance and host range of new species are provided.

During the assessment and monitoring of Hyrcanian forests, an alien species, Gamochaeta americana (Mill.) Wedd (Asteraceae) was observed and identified from the forests of Gilan province (north of Iran). The new alien plant grows in disturbance and roadside in the forest dominated or co-dominated by Quercus castaneifolia and Carpinus betulus. Gamochaeta americana is native to the new world but has been able to be introduced around the world. This paper provides a detailed description, distribution map, photographs, and diagnostic features, which will help prepare a continuous monitoring and management plan. Considering the traits of this new alien plant, which has high reproductive potential, G. americana can have a wide distribution in Iran. Therefore, further field investigations on its distribution and prioritizing, an eradication intervention for this alien weed is suggested before it spreads widely and aggressively.

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is one of the important agricultural plants adapted to tropical and subtropical areas of the world which has been cultivated for hundreds of years in different regions of Iran. Due to the high dependency of this plant to mycorrhizal fungi for higher growth and yield, the flora of mycorrhizal fungi of sugarcane fields was investigated in Khuzestan province. For this purpose, 64 mixed soil samples were collected from the fields belonged to eight large sugarcane cultivation and industry companies and transferred to the Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection (Tehran, Iran). Collected spores by wet sieving and decanting method followed by sucrose density gradient centrifugation were used for preparing permanent slides. By examining diagnostic morphological characteristics, 30 species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, namely, Acaulospora gedanensis, A. herrerae, A. scrobiculata, Archaeospora schenckii, A. trappei, Claroideoglomus claroideum, C. etunicatum, Dentiscutata erythropus, Diversispora gibbosa, Dominikia aurea, Entrophospora infrequens, E. kentinensis, Funneliformis constrictus, F. coronatus, F. geosporus, F. mosseae, Gigaspora rosea, Glomus corymbiforme, G. macrocarpum, G. nanolumen, Oehlia diaphana, Paraglomus albidum, Rhizoglomus microaggregatum, Rhizophagus aggregatus, R. custos, R. fasciculatus, R. intraradices, R. invermaius, Scutellospora calospora, and Tricispora nevadensis were identified of which six species viz. Diversispora gibbosa, Dominikia aurea, Entrophospora kentinensis, Glomus corymbiforme, Rhizophagus custos, and Tricispora nevadensis were found new for Iran and described here.