DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22092/ijb.2012.12944 A NEW SPECIES AND A NEW RECORD OF ACANTHOPHYLLUM C. A. MEY. (CARYOPHYLLACEAE) FROM NORTHEAST OF IRAN M. Mahmoudi Shamsabad, J. Vaezi , F. Memariani & M. R. Joharchi Received 10.12.2011. Accepted for publication 21.02.2012. Mahmoudi Shamsabad, M., Vaezi , J. Memariani, F. & Joharchi, M. R. 2012. 06. 31: A new species and a new record of Acanthophyllum C. A. Mey. (Caryophyllaceae) from northeast of Iran. –Iran. J. Bot. 18(1): 59-63. Tehran. Acanthophyllum ejtehadii (sect. Oligosperma) is described as a new species to the science from Khorassan, NE Iran, which is closely related to A. diezianum. Acanthophyllum maimanense, hitherto known only from NW Afghanistan, is a new record for the flora of Iran. These species are compared with the closely related species of sect. Oligosperma and their distribution data and pictures are provided. Masoumeh Mahmoudi Shamsabad (correspondence, ma_ma648@stu-mail.um.ac.ir), Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. -Jamil Vaezi, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran. -Farshid Memariani & Mohammad Reza Joharchi, Research Centre for Plant Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. Key words: Acanthophyllum, sect. Oligosperma, new species, new record, endemic, Khorassan, Iran. Acanthophyllum C. A. Mey. . ! # $% . . # ! 4 '( 5$ 5$ ;< # ./0 6 # 6 = - A. maimanense 6+ - 2- 3# 0 ./0 : : =8 9 0 . !' ( $ )* + , 1 + 0+ ! -F !"# $% & -0 Oligosperma ./0 + : . 3 INTRODUCTION Acanthophyllum C. A. Mey. (Caryophyllaceae, Caryophylloideae, Caryophylleae) with about 60 species is distributed in the Irano-Turanian region (Takhtajan 1986, Ghaffari 2004). It comprises 33 species distributed in Iran from which 23 species are endemic to the country. In previous investigation a taxonomic study was carried out by Basiri & al. (2011) to solve the problems in species delimitation of this genus. They suggested seven synonyms and five reductions to the rank of variety for the genus in Iran. Acanthophyllum species are adapted to desert, mountain and temperate areas (Heywood 1985). Geographical distribution of this genus is in Iran, - 6- + 0 0 :A + 0 ( ) DE C= % & Acanthophyllum ejtehadii - A. diezianum 8 9 . !B 9 # @2 ! ) - ! 7! 7! # & @ > ? <! Sect. Oligosperma Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Western China, Armenia, Iraq, Turkey and Syria. Khorassan-Kopetdagh floristic province located in the northeast of Iran and adjacent areas in south Turkmenistan and northwest of Afghanistan has been considered as the most important centers of diversity of the genus with 23 recorded species (Schiman-Czeika 1988, Ghaffari 2002). In Flora Iranica area, the genus has been divided into seven sections; of these, four sections including Oligosperma Schischk., Macrostegia Boiss., Acanthophyllum and Plesiosperma Boiss. have been reported for the flora of Iran (Schiman-Czeika 1988). IRAN. J. BOT. 18 (1), 2012 Mahmoudi Shamsabad & al. 60 Fig. 1. Acanthophyllum ejtehadii Mahmoudi & Vaezi – 44247 (FUMH). Section Oligosperma with 23 species worldwide is the largest section of the genus, of which 16 species occur in Iran. This section was firstly described by Shishkin (1936) in Flora of USSR. The members of the section are identified by dense flowers, spherical terminal heads, (4) 6-12 mm long calyx, 1-2 mm long calyxteeth and 4-ovuled ovary (Shishkin 1936, SchimanCzeika 1988). Generally, variation of morphological characters within the family of Caryophyllaceae makes the taxa complicated to be delineated and identified (Fior & al. 2006). In Acanthophyllum species, like other Caryophyllaceae genera, there are specimens with doubtful position. Therefore, a detailed morphological, palynological and anatomical investigation of Acanthophyllum sect. Oligosperma has been done by Mahmoudi (2011). In this paper, new additions to the Iranian flora including a new species and a new record are reported. NEW SPECIES In September 2010, we observed an imperfect specimen of Acanthophyllum without herbarium number in herbarium of Mashhad School of Pharmacy. A visit to the locality of the specimens was made to collect living materials and to investigate their morphological features in the field, in June 2011. This plant was characterized by some features including narrow floral leaves, bracts and bracteoles spread upright and short, dense branches and short internodes and is described as a new species here. Acanthophyllum ejtehadii Mahmoudi & Vaezi , sp. nov. (Fig. 1). Typus: Iran, Khorassan, Chenaran, 5 km from Radkan towards Merichgan, 1237m, 4.5.2011, Basiri & Mahmoudi 44247 (holotypus FUMH; isotypus TARI). Valde affinis A. diezianum sed differt basi prostrati, ramis ascendentibus (nec basi ramosi), pilis brevissmis, glanduliferis, inflorescentia pilis longioribus raro immixtis (nec pilis crispulis, pluricellularibus, simplicibus, ad calyces pilis glanduliferis raro immixtis), foliis floralibus 8×1.5-2 mm (nec 12-15(20)×1.5-2 mm), bracteis 6×±1 mm (nec 9-13×±1.5 mm). Bracteolis ±4×.5 mm, lineari-subulatis (nec 610×1-1.5 mm, triquetro-acuminatis). Other material studied. Khorassan, Mashhad, Amarghan, Borzesh Abad, Ghorashi Al-Hosseini 1609G (FUMH); Khorassan, Chenaran, 5 km from Radkan to Merichgan, 1250 m, Mehregan s.n. [Herbarium of Mashhad School of Pharmacy]. Etymology. Acanthophyllum ejtehadii named in honor of Prof. Dr. Hamid Ejtehadi, the Iranian ecologist in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Suffrutex parvus, a basi prostratus ramis ascendentibus, pilis brevibus glanduliferis praeditis raro pilis crispulis pluricellularibus immixtis. Rami floriferi 5-10 cm longi, internodiis 1-6 mm longis. Folia 7-15 × 0.5-1 mm, lineari-triangularia, erecto-patentia. Ramuli in 61 New species and record of Acanthophyllum IRAN. J. BOT. 18 (1), 2012 Table 1. Diagnostic morphological characters of Acanthophyllum ejtehadii and the closest relative species. Character A. ejtehadii A. diezianum A. pachystegium A. lilacinum A. pulchrum Prostrate at base, Branched at Prostrate at base, Branched at base Prostrate at Plant state Indumentum Floral leaves Bracts Bracteoles Calyx Petals branches ascending base branches ascending Short glandular hairs, sometimes covered with sparsely long simple hairs 8-10×1-1.5 mm, upright. 8-9×1 mm, linearsubulate Long and crisped simple hairs, on calyx rarely covered with glandular hairs 12-17×±1.5-2 mm, upright 8-12×1.5 mm, triquita-acuminate 5-6×0.5 mm 9 mm 12-14×1.5-2 mm 6-8×1-1.5 mm 8-10 mm 12-16×1.5-2 mm Short glandular hairs, in inflorescence covered with short simple hairs 8-11×2.5-3 mm, recurved 6-8 × 2-2.5 mm, lanceolateacuminate 4-6×1.5-2 mm 6-8 mm 11-15×1.5-2 mm Simple hairs intermixed with scattered glndular hairs 9-13×2.5-3 mm, squarrose 8-12 × 2-3 mm, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate 4-7×1-2 mm 7-8 mm 12-15×1.5-2 mm Fig. 2. Acanthophyllum maimanense Rech. f. & Schiman-Czeika – 34612 (FUMH). base, branches ascending Short glandular hairs (10-)13-16×11.5 mm, upright (10-)12-15 mm, linear-triangular 7-12×±1 mm (9-)10-13 mm (16-)-22×±2 mm IRAN. J. BOT. 18 (1), 2012 Mahmoudi Shamsabad & al. 62 Table 2. Diagnostic morphological characters of Acanthophyllum maimanense, A. laxiusculum and A. heratense. Characters A. maimanense A. heratense A. laxiusculum Leaves 10-17 × 0.5-1 mm, acerose, 15-30 × 1-1.5 mm, triangular, rigid thin 18-40 × 1-1.5 mm, triangular, rigid Floral leaves 8-10×1 mm 8-15×1.5-2 mm 6-9×1.5-2 mm Buds length on vegetative well developed, sometimes shorter than leaves longer than leaves branches shorter than leaves Lateral flowers pedicel present absent absent linear- Fig. 3. Distribution map of Acanthophyllum ejtehadii and A. maimanense. axillis rami abbreviati interdum evoluti. Folia vernalia ad basin caules presistantia. Inflorescentia 20-30 mm diametro, e dichasio terminali et e verticillastris 1-3 inter se 0-2 mm remotis composita; inflorescentia partialis paulo inaequalia, inferiora pedunculo 1-4 mm longo; cymae partiales multiflorae; flores sessiles. Folia floralia 8-10×1-1.5 mm, lineari-subulata, bracteis similia. Bracteae 8-9×±1 mm, rectae. Bracteolae 56×0.5 mm, plerumque calyce breviores. Calyx 9 mm longus, quinquecostatus; dentes ± aequilongi, 0.75-1 mm longi, anguste triangulares, in mucronem 0.5 mm longum attenuati. Petalorum laminae ±5 mm e calyce exsertae, ±1.5 mm latae, lineari-obovatae, acutae, in sicco roseae, basi interdum pallide purpureae. Acanthophyllum ejtehadii is simillar to A. diezianum and A. pulchrum for the shape and state of bract and floral leaves and for the indumentum are simillar to A. pachystegium and A. lilacinum (Table 1). The collected material of this species deposited in the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Herbarium (FUMH). NEW RECORD Acanthophyllum maimanense Rech. f. & SchimanCzeika, Fl. Iranica, 163: 306 (1988). Material studied: Iran, Khorassan, Torbat-e Jam, Salehabad, N Kal-Karab, 800 m, Joharchi & Zangooei 34612 (FUMH). During the identification process and review of the specimens of Acanthophyllum species in the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Herbarium (FUMH), a specimen collected along the eastern boundaries of Khorassan was distinguished with certain characters 63 New species and record of Acanthophyllum such as narrow, needlelike and delicate leaves, expanded buds and horizontal floral leaves. According to Flora Iranica (Schiman-Czeika, 1988), this specimen was identified as A. maimanense Rech.f. & SchimanCzeika. This species (Fig. 2) was firstly collected in 1962 by Hedge & Wendelbo from Maimana as an endemic species to Afghanistan. The most distinguishing features of the species compared to the closely related species A. heratense and A. laxiusculum are shown in Table 2. The distribution range of this species is here extended westward to NE Iran (Fig. 3). ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We wish to thank Mr. Ali Asghar Basiri, the cocollector of the type materials in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, for his field assistance. REFERENCES Basiri, Sh., Bidi, B., Assadi, M., & Rahimi Nejad, M. 2011: A taxonomic study of Acanthophyllum C. A. Mey. (Caryophyllaceae) in Iran. -Iran. Journ. Bot. 17 (1): 24-39. Fior, S., Karis, P., Gabriele. C., Minuto, L., & Sala, F. 2006: Molecular phylogeny of the Caryophyllaceae IRAN. J. BOT. 18 (1), 2012 (Caryophyllales) inferred from chloroplast matk and nuclear rDNA ITS sequences. -American Journal of Botany 3: 399–411. Ghaffari, M., 2002: Biosystematic study of some Acanthophyllum species. -PhD thesis, University of Tehran. Ghaffari, M. 2004: Cytotaxonomy of some species of Acanthophyllum (Caryophyllaceae) from Iran. Biologia, Bratislava 59 (1): 53-60. Heywood, V. H. 1985: Flowering plants of the World. Croop Helm. London, pp. 63-70. Mahmoudi, M. 2011: Biosystematic study of Acanthophyllum C. A. Mey. sect. Oligosperma in Khorassan provinces. -MSc thesis, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Schiman-Czeika, H., 1988: Acanthophyllum in Rechinger, K. H. (ed.) Flora Iranica, no. 163: 253330. -Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsantalt, Graz. Pp.. Shishkin, B. K. 1936: Acanthophyllum in Komarov, V. L. (ed.) Flora of USSR, vol. 6: 781-802. –Moskva & Leningrad. Takhtajan, A. L., 1986. Floristic Regions of the World. -University of California Press, Berkley.