A New Species of Alyssum (Brassicaceae) from Northeastern Iran Kourosh Kavousi Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. kkavousia697@gmail.com Zahra Nazary Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University, Mashhad, Iran. Nazary.Zahra@gmail.com Farrokh Ghahremani Nejad Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Tarbiat-Moalem University, Tehran, Iran ghahremaninejad@khu.ac.ir ABSTRACT. Alyssum hezarmasjedense Kavousi & Nazary (Brassicaceae) is described as a new species from Khorassan Province in northeastern Iran. The morphological characters of the sepals being dimorphic and appearing connate, with the inner surface indument, support the placement of the new species in Alyssum L. sect. Gamosepalum (Hausskn.) Dudley. The new species is closely related to A. misirdalianum Orcan & Binzet. Key words: Alyssum, Brassicaceae, Iran, IUCN Red List, Khorassan. The genus Alyssum L. (Brassicaceae) includes ca. 31 species across the geographic area covered by the Flora Iranica (Rechinger, 1968). Later studies have added new species (Kavousi, 2001; Kavousi et al., 2010, 2011), and including the new species herein, the total number of Alyssum species in Iran increases to 52. In 2008 during a floristic survey of Chenaran County, at Hezarmasjed Mountain, in Khorassan Province, a specimen of Alyssum was collected. After research in the literature (Dudley, 1964a, 1964b) and examination of other Alyssum specimens at FUMH and TARI, it was determined that the new specimens were different from all other Alyssum collections, particularly within Alyssum sect. Gamosepalum (Hausskn.) Dudley, and thus represent a new taxon. Alyssum hezarmasjedense Kavousi & Nazary, sp. nov. TYPE: Iran. Khorassan: NE Chenaran Co., 31 km from Boghmech to Hezarmasjed Mtn., 2344 m, 22 May 2008, Z. Nazary & H. Zangoii 39391 (holotype, FUMH; isotypes, FUMH [2], MO). Figure 1. Haec species Alysso misirdaliano Orcan & Binzet affinis, sed ab eo caule 3–7(9) cm (vs. 10–20 cm) alto, indumento solum lepidoto (vs. mixto, lepidoto et stellato), petalis spathulatis (vs. obovatis), filamentis bilateraliter alatis exappendiculatisque atque siliculis 3.5–4 × 2.5–3.5 mm (non 6–7 × 3–4.5 mm) differt. Perennial herbs, dwarf, stems erect or ascending from procumbent bases, 3–7(9) cm tall, plant indumentum uniformly of dense, silvery canescent, adpressed lepidote hairs; sterile shoot aggregate raised on the based fertile stem. Sterile shoot leaves, 5–8 × 1–1.5 mm, narrowly oblanceolate to linear, acute, petiolate; leaves on flowering stems 7–10 × 1– 2 mm, narrowly oblanceolate, acuta decreasing in size apically. Inflorescence a congested corymb with 8 to 10 flowers, 1–3 cm; peduncle 12 mm, pedicels erect, patent, 3.5–4.5 mm in fruit. Sepals dimorphic, 3–3.5 × 2.5–3 mm, somewhat saccate, the external pair ovate, the internal pair oblanceolate or obovate, both hyaline, apex acute, densely pubescent; petals 4.5–5.5 mm, yellow, spatulate, patent to adpressed, apex retuse, the claw irregularly denticulate to sinuate; stamens didynamous, the longer four 4.5– 5.5 mm, lacking an appendage, the filaments bilaterally winged, the shorter stamen pair 2.5–3 mm, also winged, with a unilateral appendage, 0.5 mm, at the base; ovary with the style 2.5–3 mm, with lepidote hairs on the base. Fruit as sillicles 3.5–4 × 2.5–3.5 mm, orbicular to ovate, truncate, sessile; seeds uniseriate, wingless; locules 2-ovulate. Distribution and habitat. Alyssum hezarmasjedense was collected from serpentine steppe at an altitude of ca. 2344 m. The new species is endemic to Khorassan Province, Iran, and is known from the type locality. IUCN Red List category. Alyssum hezarmasjedense is endemic to Hezarmasjed Mountain, with the number of mature individuals less than 250 as noted doi: 10.3417/2010116 NOVON 23: 000–000. PUBLISHED ON 00 MONTH 2013. //xinet/production/n/novo/live_jobs/novo-23-01/novo-23-0109/layouts/novo-23-01-09.3d • 12 November 2013 • 11:21 am • Allen Press, Inc. Page1 Novon Figure 1. Alyssum hezarmasjedense Kavousi & Nazary. —A. Fertile habit. —B. Petal. —C. External sepal. —D. Internal sepal. —E. Long stamen. —F. Short stamen. —G. Silicule. A is drawn from the holotype, Z. Nazary & H. Zangoii 39391 (FUMH); B–G are taken from the isotype at FUMH. Scale bars for B–G 1 mm. from the type locality. The population is not in good condition due to grazing. The new species should Phenology. Alyssum hezarmasjedense has been observed to flower in April and May and to fruit in May and June therefore be regarded as Critically Endangered (CR), Etymology. The new species is named for the type locality, in honor of Hezarmasjed Mountain according to IUCN Red List categories and criteria(IUCN, 2001). . Kavousi et al. Alyssum (Brassicaceae) from Northeastern Volume 23, Number 1 2013 Iran Table 1. Morphological comparison of Alyssum hezarmasjedense Kavousi & Nazary with the related species A. misirdalianum Orcan & Binzet in Turkey. A. misirdalianum 10–20 5–15 ×2–3 mm, oblanceolate, obtuse obovate 3–3.5 mm, appendaged, either connected or free 6–7 × 3–4.5 Mixed, with both lepidote and stellate trichomes A. hezarmasjedense 3–7(9) 5–10 × 1–2 mm, narrowly oblanceolate, acute spatulate 4.5–5.5 mm, not appendaged, bilaterally winged 3.5–4 × 2.5–3.5 consistently with dense silvery canescent, lepidote trichomes South Anatolia, Turkey, Mersin Province Northeastern Iran, Khorasan Province, Discussion. Alyssum hezarmasjedense is placed in Alyssum sect. Gamosepalum because of its perennial habit, the dimorphic sepals, and the 2ovulate locules. Alyssum hezarmasjedense is morphologically the nearest species to A. misirdalianum, which is not found in Iran. Alyssum hezarmasjedense is endemic to Hezarmasjed Mountain in Khorassan Province, whereas A. misirdalianum has been only known from south Anatolia in Turkey (Orcan & Mısırdalı, 1998). Alyssum misirdalianum is also placed in Alyssum sect. Gamosepalum. Both species have stem leaves that acropetally decrease in size upward and belong to Alyssum sect. Gamosepalum, ser. Libera Dudley. Alyssum hezarmasjedense is distinguished from A. misirdalianum in its plant height, 3–7(9) cm (vs. 10– 20 cm in A. misirdalianum); the densely and consistently silvery canescent indumentum, with only adpressed lepidote trichomes (vs. mixed trichome types, lepidote and stellate); and the spatulate petals (vs.obovate petal shape ;see Table1). following key couplet: 1a. Plants 10–20 cm; petals obovate, with indument of both stellate and lepidote trichomes . .. A. misirdalianum 1b. Plants 3–7(9) cm; petals spatulate, with indument of only lepidote trichomes . . . . . . …..A. hezarmasjedense Plant height (cm) Leaves Petal shape Stamens, didynamous, the longer four Silicles (mm) Plant indument Geographic distribution Acknowledgments. We are deeply indebted to Victoria C. Hollowell for her editorial advice and review of the manuscript. We want to thank Mohamad Reza Joharchi, president of FUMH, for allowing us to study Alyssum specimens. We express our gratitude to other professors at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad for their help with this study. Literature Cited Dudley, T. R. 1964a. Studies in Alyssum: Near eastern representatives and their allies I. J. Arnold Arbor. 45: 57–100. Dudley, T. R. 1964b. Synopsis of the genus Alyssum.J. Arnold Arbor. 45: 358–373. IUCN. 2001. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, Version 3.1. Prepared by the IUCN Species Survival Commission. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, United Kingdom. Kavousi, K. 2001. Notes on the plant family Cruciferae in Iran, new taxa and new records. Iranian J. Bot. 9(1): 47–54. Kavousi, K., H. Duman, Z.Nazary & M. R. Joharchi. 2010. Additions to the flora of Iran. Kanitzia J. Bot. 17: 29–31. Kavousi, K., H. Duman, Z. Nazary & M. R. Joharchi. 2011. The genus Alyssum section Gamosepalum in Iran. Acta Bot. Hung. 53(1):145–149. Orcan, N. & H. Mısırdalı. 1998. A new Alyssum for the Flora of Turkey. Coll. Bot. (Barcelona) 23: 142–144. Rechinger, K. H. (editor). 1968. Flora Iranica, Vol. 57. Akademische Druck-und Verlagsanstalt, Graz. //xinet/production/n/novo/live_jobs/novo-23-01/novo-23-0109/layouts/novo-23-01-09.3d • 12 November 2013 • 11:22 am • Allen Press, Inc. Page3 View publication stats