The Iranian Journal of Botany
Volume:30 Issue: 1, Spring and Summer 2024

Species of Teucrim section polium are widely distributed in the Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian regions. This section contains the most diverse and taxonomically complicated taxa. Iran represents four species of section Polium including T. polium, T. stocksianum, T. capitatum, and the new species described in this paper, T. khuzistanicum sp. nov. During the floristic studies in Khuzistan province, interesting plant materials of the genus Teucrium were collected, expanding our understanding of this genus and resulting in some discoveries. Teucrium khuzestanicum is described as a new species from Iran. The new species is characterized by caespitose habit, long, dense oblong-cylindrical spike-like inflorescence, 1-3 mm long pedicles, and leaf dentations. It is closely related to T. yemenense, but differs from it in indumentum, calyx shape, and flower size and color. Teucrium capitatum, T. polium, and T. stocksianum are the other related species that differ from T. khuzestanicum in their habit, leaf shape, and inflorescence. Furthermore, Teucrium capitatum L. is reported here for the first time in the flora of Iran. In addition, illustrations of the new species, images of the herbarium specimens and living plants in their natural habitat, and an identification key to the species of section polium in Iran are presented, and a geographical distribution map of the new species and its relatives in Iran is provided.

A new species of Tragopogon is described. As of now, the total number of species within the genus in Iran stands at 27, with 11 of them being endemic to Iran. The specimens of Tragopogon taleghanensis Safavi & Mahmoodi have been collected from Takhte-e-Valian Mountain in Central Alborz. It is related to the Tragopogon jezdianus Boiss. & Buhse., of which it can be distinguished by the plant habit and size, leaf size and arrangement, peduncle length and diameter, involucral bracts size, ligules color, and achene size.

Onosma safaie-fari (of O. subsect. Asterotricha) is described as a new species from western Iran. Onosma safaie-fari is morphologically similar to O. iranshahrii, but it is distinct in terms of the shape of sterile shoots and cauline leaves; length of fruiting calyx, shape, and width of calyx lobes; and color of the corolla. In addition, O. safaie-fari is similar to O. bisotunensis, but it is distinguished by the shape and length of lower bracts; length of the fruiting calyx; color and length of the corolla; length of the free part of filaments; the position of filaments arising from the corolla, and length of anthers. Onosma safaie-fari is close to O. shehbazii, but it can be distinguished from it based on the shape and length of sterile shoots and cauline leaves, length of lower bracts, length of fruiting calyx, color and length of the corolla, length of anthers, and the presence of a hairy nectary ring. Detailed descriptions, diagnostic characters, original photographs, illustrations, a geographical distribution map, habitat information, an image of the holotype specimen, and an identification key are presented.

In recent studies on Astragalus specimens at the herbarium of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center (D), two new species have been identified: A. boldajiensis (sect. Microphysa) and A. centro-zagrosicus (sect. Anthylloidei). These species are only found in the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province and are considered local endemics. A. boldajiensis is closely related to A. cephalanthus, but can be distinguished by its remotely flowered cylindric raceme, 12 mm long standard, 4 long and 2 mm wide calyx, and obtuse leaflets. On the other hand, A. centro–zagrosicus is similar to A. melanogramma, but can be differentiated by its yellowish flowers and distinct enervate calyx. Illustrations of the new species, diagnostic characters, and distribution map are provided. Also, the conservation status of these species has been assessed.

During a floristic study of the Hyrcanian region, Anthyllis vulneraria L. subsp. polyphylla (DC.) Nyman was identified for the first time from Mazandaran province and reported as a new record to the flora of Iran. This taxon's most important morphological traits have been compared with its only related taxon in Iran, A. vulneraria subsp. boissieri (Sagorski) Bornm. Additionally, a distribution map and detailed photos of both taxa are provided.

Ranunculus is the largest genus of Ranunculaceae, with an estimated 600 species distributed worldwide, especially with numerous species in the temperate zones. Based on collecting living plants in the field and analysis of 750 specimens from various herbaria, 59 species were recognized from Iran. In this paper, the taxonomy of the genus mainly follows that of Farsi version of the genus in Flora of Iran with some changes where necessary. According to these data one new species, four new records, three synonyms, and one status change were proposed during the last 30 years. The taxa are differentiated mainly by the shape and size of their leaves, calyx form, and fruits. Correct names and synonyms are presented. Ecological conditions and habitat of many species were studied by sampling in the habitat. An identification key was prepared and the synopsis of the species is proposed here. Diagnostic characteristic traits are presented for most of the taxa. Selected examined specimens are given for all the taxa.

The genus Aubrieta Adan. (Brassicaceae) is widely distributed and diverged across different elevations. The genome components and organization of this plant are still less understood. Tandemly repeated sequences were examined in whole genome raw reads of four Aubrieta species using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics techniques. Six clusters of tandem repeats were found based on RepeatExplorer and TAREAN pipelines; one cluster in A. pinardii (ApinSAT1L) and A. scardica (AscaSAT95 H), two clusters in A. erubescens (AeurSAT132L and AeurSAT230L), and A. gracilis (AgraSAT2L and AgraSAT15H) with the GenBank accession numbers (PP391544, PP391547, PP391548, PP391549, PP391545, PP391546) respectively, have been found within all examined genomes. The tandem repeated features were confirmed using de novo assembly contigs. Variable numbers of genome proportions and copies have been recorded for these elements. Aubrieta erubescens has a high copy number compared to A. scardica which has lower copies. The arrangement of tandem repeat clusters within the genome was tandemly organized except for A. scardica (AscaSAT95 H) which was dispersed. Therefore, these genomes can be explained in terms of composition, structure, and evolutionary relationships.

The family Araceae includes 2500 species within 110 genera they protect themselves from weeds and animal predators by forming insoluble salts in the form of calcium oxalate crystals in specialized cells called idioblasts. This research investigates the types of calcium oxalate crystals in three species of the Araceae family, namely Arum palaestinum, Arum dioscoridis, and Arisarum vulgare. Based on the transverse section of different plant parts including tubers, leaves, spathe, appendix, male flowers, and female flowers five forms including raphide crystal, star crystal, prismatic crystal, styloid crystal, and sand crystal were identified. Raphides were uniformly present in all parts of the three species, but the positions of other crystal forms varied within their organs. This study also confirmed different types of specialized cells (idioblasts) containing raphid crystals. Idioblasts are unaltered cells with wide, elongated, tubular, and spindle shapes, housing simple, compound, and oblique-overlapping bundles. Additionally, certain plant parts displayed calcium oxalate crystals on their exterior surfaces, detached from the tissues.

In Asteraceae, the remarkable feature of cypsela plays a significant role in the taxonomic treatment of species. In this research, we aim to assess the significance of the micro-morphological diversity of cypsela at a lower taxonomic level, alongside its corresponding phylogeny. Cypselas of 11 taxa viz., Blainvillea acmella (L.) Philip., Eclipta prostrata (L.) L., Helianthus annuus L., Helianthus tuberosus L., Parthenium hysterophorus L., Sphagneticola calendulaceae (L.) Pruski, Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski, Verbesina encelioides (Cav.) Benth. & Hook. f. ex A. Gray, Xanthium spinosum L., Xanthium strumarium L., and Zinnia elegans Jacquin were examined for the first time from the study area. Cypselas are usually isomorphic (except in Zinnia elegans), light to dark brown or blackish with a carbonized layer in the pericarp, often monotypic, oblanceolate to oblong or obovate. The characters including the size, surface, number of ribs, angle, apex, and appearance of awns, pappus, beak, and wings were evaluated. Studied taxa are grouped into two contrasting cypsela types (viz., Type I and Type II). Cypselas types with their species are presented through the artificial key. Thirteen qualitative and quantitative variables were utilized to construct cluster analysis, including hilum position, degree of pubescence (surface hair), apex, presence or absence of pappus and awns. The variations among these features were the cornerstone to delineating studied taxa. Here we report the cypsela morphological characteristics of 11 species from 8 genera of Heliantheae (Asteraceae) for the first time in Pakistan and Kashmir, using Stereomicroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy.

Three species of Arthoniales are reported from Iran (Golestan province) for the first time: Opegrapha niveoatra (Borrer) J.R. Laundon (Opegraphaceae), Pachnolepia pruinata (Torss.) Frisch & G. Thor (Arthoniaceae) and Enterographa elaborata (Lyell ex Leight.) Coppins & P. James (Roccellaceae). They grow on the bark of trees in broad-leaf forests and woodland (Alangdarreh, Shastkolateh, and Bandargaz forests) in Golestan Province. The morphological characteristics, images, habitat, and geographic distribution of these species are discussed.

The Hyrcanian Forest is a green belt in the north of Iran, and one of its distinctive features is the presence of an extraordinary variety of moss species. The Brachytheciaceae is distributed worldwide and comprises 62 genera and almost 570 species. Sciuro-hypnum curtum is one of the most variable species of the Brachytheciaceae and is here reported for the first time for the moss flora of Iran. The specimen was collected from northern Iran in the autumn of 2018 at an altitude of 581m in the southeast of Rezvanshahr city in Guilan Province. Here we provide description, illustrations, geographic distribution, and the locality and habitat of the new record.