Ali Haloob Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. (2016) 14 (2): 179-184 Short Communications A NEW RECORD OF ZIZIPHORA SPECIES (LAMIACEAE) FOR IRAQ Ali Haloob Ministry of Agriculture of Iraq, Directorate of seed testing and certification, Plant department, National Herbarium, Baghdad, Iraq e-mail: biology_a2000@yahoo.com ABSTRACT Ziziphora persica Bunge is recorded as a new Study in Iraq. This species has been collected from Jabal Sinjar in Nineveh province in the north western part of Iraq. The morphological characters, habitat and geographical distribution of the species with a key to Ziziphora L. species in Iraq have been provided. Key words: Iraq, Jabal Sinjar, Lamiaceae, New record, Ziziphora. INTRODUCTION Ziziphora comprises some 25-30 species of annual and perennial herbs, distributed throughout Africa, Asia and Europe (Li and Hedge, 1994). Boissier (1879) in Flora Orientalis recognized one taxon belong to Ziziphora in Iraq which is Z. clinopodioides var. canescens (Benth.) Boiss. Later Blacklock (1948) listed 4 taxa that distributed in Iraq: Z. capitata L., Z. clinopodioides var. canescens, Z. clinopodioides var. dasyantha (M.B.) Boiss. and Z. tenuior L, then Zohary (1950) in his study ”The Flora of Iraq and its phytogeographical subdivision” listed 4 species Z. canescens Benth., Z. capitata, Z. abd-elasisii Hand.-Mazz.and Z. tenuior, while Al-Rawi (1964) collected all taxa that were mentioned in previous studies and he listed 6 taxa that are recorded from Iraq, however, the first revision of Ziziphora in Iraq was made by Al-Bayati (2001) in her thesis, she recognized only 6 taxa: Z. capitata subsp. capitata, Z. capitata subsp. orientalis Samuelsson ex Rech. f., Z. tenuior, Z. clinopodioides subsp. rigida (Boiss.) Rech. f., Z. clinopodioides subsp. kurdica (Rech. f.) Rech. f. and Z. clinopodioides subsp. elbursensis (Rech. f.) Rech. f., Edmondson (1982) in Flora of Turkey mentioned 5 species and reported that only 2 of them are distributed in Iraq which are Z. capitata and Z. clinopodioides. While Rechinger (1982) in Flora Iranica mentioned 14 taxa (4 species and 10 subspecies) and recorded that 6 taxa distributed in Iraq which are Z. clinopodioides subsp. rigida, Z. clinopodioides subsp. kurdica, Z. clinopodioides subsp. elbursensis, Z. capitata subsp. capitata, Z. capitata subsp. orientalis and Z. tenuior. During the time of writing, the account of the genus Ziziphora for the Flora of Iraq, the author observed one specimen identified as Ziziphora acutifolia Montbret & Aucher ex Benth. collected from Jabal Sinjar in northwestern Iraq at the National Herbarium of Iraq (BAG). After closer examination with the Flora of Turkey (Edmondson, 1982) and Flora Iranica (Rechinger, 1982), it was identified as Z. persica. The present study aims to report the occurrence of Z. persica in Flora of Iraq for the first time and to study morphological characters, habitat and geographical distribution of the species. 179 A new record of Ziziphora species TAXONOMIC TREATMENT Ziziphora persica Bunge, Labiat. Persic.: 39 (1873). (Figure 1) Synonyms: Faldermannia persica (Bunge) Nevski, Trudy Bot. Inst. Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R., Ser. 1, Fl. Sist. Vyssh. Rast. 4: 328 (1937). Ziziphora acinoides L., Sp. Pl.: 22 (1753). Ziziphora thymifolia Salisb., Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 72 (1796), nom. superfl. Ziziphora subcapitata Hausskn. & Bornm., Mitth. Thüring. Bot. Vereins, n.f., 6: 67 (1894). Annual herb. Stem erect-ascending, 9-15 cm long, branches at each node below the inflorescences, dense eglandular white pubescent-villose hairs. Leaves lanceolate-linear or ovate, 8-25 × 3-10 mm, margin entire or obsolescent serrulate, apex acute, base attenuate or cuneate, eglandular puberulent hair with sessile yellow glands; petiole 1-2 mm. Inflorescences dense oblong terminal spike, 3-8.5 cm long, verticillasters 2-6 flowered; bract with ± 1 mm long petiole, ovate-broad lanceolate, 6-14 × 3-6 mm, margin ciliate, apex acuteacuminate, base obtuse-rounded. Calyx tubular, swollen at base, 7-8 mm long, throat hairy, upper lip 3-toothed, 1 mm long, lower lip 2-toothed, 1.5-2 mm long, teeth connivent in fruit, dense eglandular hirsute and puberulent hairs with dense sessile yellow glands between veins outside. Corolla pink, 8-10 mm long, tube slightly exserted, upper lip 2-lobed, 1.5-1.7 mm long, apex emarginate, lower lip 3-lobed, c. 2 mm long, lateral 2-lobed broader and shouter than the middle one, tube hairy inside, with the dense puberulent eglandular hair outside. Stamens 2, anthers without appendage. Style branches unequal (Figure 1). Specimen seen (BAG). Iraq: Jabal Sinjar N slope, 5/6/1979, Al-Kaisi, Al-Khayat & F. Karim 50917. Habitat: Rocky Mountain; alt. 1100 m. Distribution: Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan and Transcaucasia (Edmondson, 1982; Rechinger, 1982). Therefore our specimen show range extension for this species (Figure 2). Key to Ziziphora species in Iraq 1. Perennial herbs…………………….………...………...…………..…..…Z. clinopodioides 1. Annual herbs …..............................................................................................2 2. Inflorescence crowded terminal capitate, bracts broad ovate …………...……..Z capitata 2. Inflorescence spicate, bracts ovate or lanceolate-linear ……………………...………… 3 3. Corolla 12-15 mm long, twice as long as the calyx…………………………….Z. taurica 3. Corolla 8-10 mm long, slightly longer than calyx…………………………….………… 4 4. Bracts ovate-broad lanceolate, apex acute. Anthers not appendiculate.……….Z. persica 4. Bracts lanceolate-linear, apex acuminate. Anthers appendiculate .…………….. Z. tenuior 180 Ali Haloob Figure (1): Ziziphora persica Bunge (50917 BAG); A: Habit; B: Bracts; C: Calyx. 181 A new record of Ziziphora species Figure (2): Distribution map of Z. persica in Iraq. LITERATURE CITED Al-Bayati, M.K. 2001. A comparative systematic study to species of the genera Mentha L., Micromeria Benth, Thymbra L., Thymus L. and Ziziphora L. (Labiatae) in Iraq. Ph D thesis.Coll. of Sci., Uni. of Baghdad, Iraq. AL-Rawi, A.H. 1964.Wild Plants of Iraq With their distribution. Tech.Bull.14, Dir Gen of Agr.Res. Iraq.Tech. plant.,15.Gover. Bull .Press, Baghdad,109 pp. Blacklock, R.A. 1948. The Rustam herbarium, Iraq. Part (1) Kew Bulletin, 4: 517-553. Boissier, P.E. 1879. Flora Orientalis, Vol. 4. Geneva et Basileae. Apud H. George. Biliopolan lungdunt. Edmondson, J. R. 1982. Ziziphora L. in: Davis, P.H. (Ed.), Flora of Turkey and East Aegean Island. Vol. 7. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh. Li, H.W. and Hedge, I.C. 1994. Lamiaceae in: Wu, Z.Y. & P.H. Raven, (Ed.), Flora of China. Vol. 17. Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis. Rechinger, K.H. 1982. Flora Iranica. Vol. 150. Akademische Druck und Verlagsanstalt, Graz. 182 Ali Haloob Zohary, M. 1950. The Flora of Iraq and its phytogeographical subdivision. Dep. Agr. Iraq. Bull. The Government Press, Baghdad. 183 ‫‪A new record of Ziziphora species‬‬ ‫‪Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus.‬‬ ‫‪(2016) 14 (2): 179-184‬‬ ‫تس يل ن‬ ‫جديد لل نس ‪ (Lamiaceae) Ziziphora‬في لع‬ ‫لز ع ‪ /‬ئ‬ ‫علي ح ل‬ ‫‪ /‬قسم لن‬ ‫فحص تصديق ل‬ ‫ بغد‬‫لع‬ ‫ل اص‬ ‫‪ /‬لمعشب ل طني‬ ‫س لت لد س لح لي ‪ Ziziphora persica Bunge‬كن جديد للع ‪ ،‬حيث تم‬ ‫لع ‪ .‬قد قدمت لد س‬ ‫في مح ف نين شم ل غ‬ ‫جمع ه لن من ج ل سن‬ ‫لت يع ل غ في للن مع م ت تصني ي‬ ‫لم ي ل جي ل ي‬ ‫صف للص‬ ‫ل نس في لع ‪.‬‬ ‫ان‬ ‫‪184‬‬