A floristic study of the Sorkhankol Wildlife Refuge, Guilan province, Iran

Sorkhankol Wildlife Refuge with an area of 1209 ha is located in the central part of Anzali Wetland. In total, 81 species belonging to 35 families and 68 genera were surveyed and identified on the basis of a floristic study from July 2013 through June 2014. The largest families are Poaceae (11 taxa), Asteraceae (8 taxa) Apiaceae, Brassicaceae and Cyperacae (5 taxa). The dominant life forms were cryptophyte (43.21%), followed by the therophytes (39.51%), hemicryptophytes (13.58%) and phanerophytes (3.7%). From the chorological point of view, the largest proportion of the flora belongs to the pluriregional elements (44.44%). A comparison between our study and other parts of the Anzali Wetland showed that Sorkhankol was not particularly species-rich. Currently, the major threats to the research area include eutrophication, pressure from boating and fishing activities, invasion of exotic species and other human induced disturbances

Floristic, life form and chorological studies of the Abshar protected area, Shirgah, Mazandaran Province, north of Iran

The Abshar protected area with 3639 ha and an altitude ranging from 400-855 m a.s.l. is one of the forest areas that due to its topography is covered by Carpinus betulus, Parrotia persica and Diospyros lotus speices. The floristic study of this area is long with sampling plots. The floristic-physiognomic investigation showed that flora of this region included 99 plant species which belonged to 81 genera and 49 families. The largest family was Rosaceae with 10 species. Classification based on life form spectrum indicated that geophytes (31.31%), phanerophytes (29.29%), hemicryptophytes (25.25%) and therophytes (14.14%) comprise the plants in the studied area. The results of chorological studies showed that the chorotype form Euro-Siberian elements (32 taxa, 32.32%) were the most important phytochorion in this area. Long period of wetness during the growing season and relatively high annual precipitation are the reasons of the high proportion of geophytes existence in the studied area. Phytogeographical comparison of the Abshar protected forest and the other forests in north of Iran identified two peaks in phytochoria curves, one in Euro-Siberian and the other one is in the Pluriregional elements

Floristic characteristics of the Hyrcanian submountain forests (case study: Ata-Kuh forest)

Ata-Kuh forest, a preserved area within Hyrcanian relict forests, with an area of 700 ha is located in north of Iran. Based on floristic studies from 2011 through 2012, 194 vascular plant species were identified belonging to 143 genera and 66 families. Among our samples, 24 taxa were endemic to Hyrcanian area. The largest families in the area were Rosaceae (10.3 %), Poaceae (9.7 %), Asteraceae (6.7 %), Fabaceae (5.6 %) and Lamiaceae (5.1 %). The genera represented by the greatest number of species were Rubus (8 species), Carex (7 species), Viola and Euphorbia (each with four species). Classification based on life form indicated that geophytes comprise the largest proportion of the plants in the studied area. From the chorological point of view, the largest proportion of the flora belonged to the Euro-Siberian elements (60 taxa, 31.1%). In this study, a comparison was performed between our results and other studies on the northern Iranian forests with respect to life forms and phytochoria. Psilotum nodum is reported here again from a new locality in North Iran, indicating the old Tertiary history of this forest

Stigma morphological study and numerical taxonomy of genus Pedicularis L. (Orobanchaceae) in Iran

Pedicularis L. (Orobanchaceae) is a large hemiparasitic genus, distributed mostly over boreal and arctic-alpine regions of the northern hemisphere. In the present study 9 species of the genus that are reported in flora of Iran, were undertaken for stigma morphological study and numerical analysis. The stigmatic surface is even in P. pycnantha and P. wilhelmsiana, is expanded into a subspherical shape in P. cabulica, P. caucasica, P. rechingeri, P. sibthorpii, P. condensata and P. strausii and is conical form in P. rhinanthoides. To determine the relationship between species, numerical analysis was carried out using 45 quantitative and qualitative morphological, anatomical and palynological characters. UPGMA and PCA dendrograms were drawn. According to the results some characters such as the thickness of  pericarp, the thickness of  spongy parenchyma, the length of  stem, the thickness of bark, the thickness of  stem and the length of midrib are the most variable, and can be used for identification and determination of relationship between species

Anatomical study on some species of genus Cyperus in northern Iran

Comparative anatomy of six taxa of Cyperus distributed in the north of Iran was studied. The investigated species are: C. difformis, C. distachyos, C. fuscus, C. pygmaeus, C. odoratus subsp. transcaucasicus, and C. rotundus. Cross sections of stems and leaves of these species were examined. The following characters were determined to be taxonomically informative: cross-section shape of the aerial stem, presence or absence of vascular bundle in the central part of stem cross-sections, the diameter of mesophyll and air cavities in stem and leaf cross-sections. Cyperus fuscus and C. difformis differ from other studied species in having large air cavities in stem and leaf cross section. Our results show that comparative anatomy of lateral stems and leaves may provide additional characters to be considered in taxonomic studies within this genus.Проведене порівняльне вивчення анатомії шести таксонів роду Cyperus, поширених на півночі Ірану: C. difformis, C. distachyos, C. fuscus, C. pygmaeus, C. odoratus subsp. transcaucasicus і C. rotundus. Досліджували поперечні зрізи стебел і листків цих видів. Таксономічно важливими визначені такі ознаки: форма поперечного зрізу повітряного стебла, наявність або відсутність судинного пучка в центральній частині поперечних зрізів стебла, діаметр мезофіла і повітряних порожнин в поперечних зрізах стебел і листя. Cyperus fuscus і C. difformis відрізняються від інших вивчених видів наявністю великих повітряних порожнин в поперечних зрізах стебел і листків. Наші результати показують, що порівняльна анатомія бічних стебел і листків може забезпечити додаткові ознаки для таксономічних досліджень цього роду.Проведено сравнительное изучение анатомии шести таксонов рода Cyperus, распространенных на севере Ирана: C. difformis, C. distachyos, C. fuscus, C. pygmaeus, C. odoratus subsp. transcaucasicus и C. rotundus. Исследовали поперечные срезы стеблей и листьев этих видов. Таксономически важными определены следующие признаки: форма поперечного среза воздушного стебля, наличие или отсутствие сосудистого пучка в центральной части поперечных срезов стебля, диаметр мезофилла и воздушных полостей в поперечных срезах стеблей и листьев. Cyperus fuscus и C. difformis отличаются от других изученных видов наличием больших воздушных полостей в поперечных срезах стеблей и листьев. Наши результаты показывают, что сравнительная анатомия боковых стеблей и листьев может обеспечить дополнительные признаки для таксономических исследований этого рода

Chromosome counts of some Veronica L. (Scrophulariaceae) species from Iran

The chromosome numbers of 10 Veronica L. species belonging to sect. Alsinebe (Griseb.) Lehm. and sect. Beccabunga Griseb. from northern Iran are given. The chromosome numbers for 3 of the 10 studied taxa, i.e. V. siaretensis E. Lehm., V. ceratocarpa C.A.Mey. (2n = 14) and V. hederifolia L. (2n = 36) are presented for the first time. Our results are compared with previous records

Floristic study of the pure beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) stands in eastern Guilan, Iran

Hyrcanian forests in northern Iran have important tree and shrub elements of Euro-Siberian and rare forest communities, among them beech community widely covers the mountainous forests from Western to Eastern (Gorgan) Hyrcanian region. In order to identify the floristic characteristics and affecting factors on the species richness in pure beech stands in Eastern Guilan, using systematic-random method 54 plots were recorded. A total of 111 plant species belonging to 84 genera and 44 families were identified, with Orchidaceae having 9 species and genus Carex with 6 species being the largest family and genus, respectively. The highest frequency inter-species is Galium odoratum, an understory herb species forming communities in different areas of beech forests in Hyrcanian region. Since the studied region is forest and mountainous, hemicryptophytes and geophytes are the most life forms, respectively in these areas and Euro-Siberian elements (with 30.6 %) form the highest frequency from a chorological point of view. Also, the size of the microrelief and percentage of tree cover create different ecological conditions in plots such as moisture retention and change in the amount of incoming light into the plots, which are the most influential factors on species richness of these areas

The genus Allium (Amaryllidaceae) in Iran: on the status of Allium ampeloprasum L. and its relatives

Allium ampeloprasum (Amaryllidaceae) is recorded as a new taxon for the flora of Iran. It is morphologically most similar to Allium atroviolaceum and Allium iranicum. This species is compared with its two aforementioned relative species and some notes are given on its affinities. A full description, images and a distribution map are also provided. In addition, a lectotype is selected for A. atroviolaceum