MICRO-MACROMORPHOLOGLYCAL STUDY OF THE GENUS CICER L. (FABACEAE) IN IRAN F. Sharifnia, T. Farhani & F. Salimpour Sharifnia, F., Farhani, T. & Salimpour, F., 2006 12 31: Micro-macromorphological study of the genus Cicer L. (Fabaceae) in Iran. -Iran. J. Bot. 12 (2): 147-162. Tehran. In this study, eleven species of genus Cicer L. were studied and morphological and micromorphological characters were evaluated. These species are classified in 4 sections: Monocicer, Chamaecicer, Polycicer and Acanthocicer. The understudied species assessed by biometric study, and about 40 quantitative and 38 qualitative characters were assessed. Phenetic analysis was carried out using SPSS software, and phenograms of these species were prepared. Furthermore, PCA analysis was carried out and the most variable characters were determined. Finally, the seeds and pollen of these species were also investigated using S. E. M electronic microscope, and the tables of characters were formed individually for them. Afterward, phenetic analysis and phenogram preparation were done based on morphological characters of seeds and pollen of the species, and the following results were obtained: 1.Distinction of C. kermanense Bornm., as an independent species, from C. spiroceras Juab. & Spach, in contrary to what mentioned in Flora of Iran. 2. Transferring C. subaphyllum Boiss. from Polycicer section to the Acanthocicer section. 3. In spite of leaf polymorphism seen in C. tragacanthoides Jaub. & Spach, it seems that the pollen characters are sufficient to devide it to varieties. 4. Division of species of this genus using quantitative and qualitative specifications of seeds. 5. Preparation of the table of characters for pollen and seeds of all species . Fariba Sharifnia, Tayebbeh Farhani & Fahimeh Salimpour, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, P. O. BOX 19585-936 Tehran, Iran. Key words. Micro-macromorphology, phenetic analysis, Iran, Cicer. ‫( ﺩﺭ ﺍﻳﺮﺍﻥ‬Cicer L.) ‫ﻣﺎﻛﺮﻭﻣﻮﺭﻓﻮﻟﻮﮊﻱ ﮔﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎﻱ ﺟﻨﺲ ﻧﺨﻮﺩ‬-‫ﻣﻄﺎﻟﻌﻪ ﻣﻴﻜﺮﻭ‬ ‫ ﻃﻴﺒﻪ ﻓﺮﻫﺎﻧﻲ ﻭ ﻓﻬﻴﻤﻪ ﺳﻠﻴﻢ)ﻮﺭ‬،‫ﻓﺮﻳﺒﺎ ﺷﺮﻳﻒ ﻧﻴﺎ‬ ‫ ﻛﻠﻴﻪ اﻳﻦ‬.‫ ﻣﻮرد ﻣﻄﺎﻟﻌﻪ و ﺑﺮرﺳﻲ ﻣﻮرﻓﻮﻟﻮژﻳﻜﻲ و ﻣﻴﻜﺮوﻣﻮرﻓﻮﻟﻮژي ﻗﺮار ﮔﺮﻓﺖ‬Cicer L. ‫ ﮔﻮﻧﻪ از ﺟﻨﺲ‬11 ‫در اﻳﻦ ﻣﻄﺎﻟﻌﻪ‬ ‫ ﮔﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎ ﻣﻮرد ﻣﻄﺎﻟﻌﻪ‬.‫ ﻗﺮار دارﻧﺪ‬Acanthocicer ‫ و‬Polycicer, Chamaecicer, Monocicer ‫ﮔﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎ در ﭼﻬﺎر ﺑﺨﺸﻪ‬ ‫ آﻧﺎﻟﻴﺰ ﻓﻨﺘﻴﻜﻲ ﺑﺎ اﺳﺘﻔﺎده‬.‫ﺑﻴﻮﻣﺘﺮي ﻗﺮار ﮔﺮﻓﺖ و ﺗﻌﺪاد ﭼﻬﻞ ﺻﻔﺖ ﻛﻤﻲ و ﺳﻲ و ﻫﺸﺖ ﺻﻔﺖ ﻛﻴﻔﻲ ﻣﻮرد ﺳﻨﺠﺶ ﻗﺮار ﮔﺮﻓﺖ‬ ‫ اﻧﺠﺎم ﮔﺮﻓﺖ و ﻣﺘﻐﻴﺮﺗﺮﻳﻦ ﺻﻔﺎت ﻣﺸﺨﺺ‬PCA ‫ ﻫﻤﭽﻨﻴﻦ آﻧﺎﻟﻴﺰ‬.‫ اﻧﺠﺎم ﺷﺪ و ﻓﻨﻮﮔﺮام ﮔﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎ ﺗﻬﻴﻪ ﮔﺮدﻳﺪ‬SPSS ‫از ﻧﺮماﻓﺰار‬ ‫ ﻗﺮار ﮔﺮﻓﺖ و ﺟﺪول‬S. E. M. ‫ در ﻧﻬﺎﻳﺖ داﻧﻪ و ﮔﺮدهﻫﺎي اﻳﻦ ﮔﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎ ﻫﻢ ﻣﻮرد ﺑﺮرﺳﻲ ﺑﺎ ﻣﻴﻜﺮوﺳﻜﻮپ اﻟﻜﺘﺮوﻧﻲ‬.‫ﺷﺪﻧﺪ‬ ‫ ﺳﭙﺲ آﻧﺎﻟﻴﺰ ﻓﻨﺘﻴﻜﻲ و ﺗﻬﻴﻪ ﻓﻨﻮﮔﺮام ﺑﺮاﺳﺎس ﺻﻔﺎت ﻣﻮرﻓﻮﻟﻮژي ﺑﺬر و ﮔﺮده ﮔﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎ‬،‫ﺻﻔﺎت ﺟﺪاﮔﺎﻧﻪاي ﺑﺮاي آﻧﻬﺎ ﺗﺸﻜﻴﻞ ﺷﺪ‬ :‫اﻧﺠﺎم ﺷﺪ و ﻧﺘﺎﻳﺞ زﻳﺮ ﺑﻪ دﺳﺖ آﻣﺪ‬ C. spiroceras Jaub. & ‫ ﺑﻪ ﻋﻨﻮان ﻳﻚ ﮔﻮﻧﻪ ﻣﺴﺘﻘﻞ و ﺟﺪا از ﮔﻮﻧﻪ‬C. kermanense Bornm. ‫ ﺟﺪا ﺷﺪن آراﻳﻪ‬-1 .‫ ﺑﺮﺧﻼف آﻧﭽﻪ ﻛﻪ در ﻓﻠﻮر اﻳﺮان آﻣﺪه اﺳﺖ‬Spach . Acanthocicer ‫ و اﻧﺘﻘﺎل آن ﺑﻪ ﺑﺨﺸﺔ‬Polycicer ‫ از ﺑﺨﺸﺔ‬C. subaphyllum ‫ ﺟﺪاﻳﻲ ﮔﻮﻧﻪ‬-2 ‫ ﺑﻪ ﻧﻈﺮ ﻣﻲ رﺳﺪ ﺻﻔﺎت ﮔﺮده ﻗﺎدر ﺑﻪ‬C. tragacanthoides Jaub. & Spach ‫ ﺑﺎ وﺟﻮد ﭘﻠﻲ ﻣﻮرﻓﻴﺴﻢ ﺑﺮﮔﻲ در ﮔﻮﻧﻪ‬-3 .‫ ﻣﻲﺑﺎﺷﺪ‬C. tragacanthoides ‫ﺗﻔﻜﻴﻚ وارﻳﺘﻪﻫﺎي ﮔﻮﻧﻪ‬ .‫ ﺗﻔﻜﻴﻚ ﮔﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎي اﻳﻦ ﺟﻨﺲ ﺑﺎ اﺳﺘﻔﺎده از ﺧﺼﻮﺻﻴﺎت ﻛﻤﻲ و ﻛﻴﻔﻲ داﻧﻪﻫﺎ‬-4 .‫ ﺗﻬﻴﻪ ﺟﺪول ﺧﺼﻮﺻﻴﺎت ﮔﺮده و داﻧﻪ ﻛﻠﻴﻪ ﮔﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎ‬-5 IRAN. JOURN. BOT. 12 (2), 2006 Introduction Genus Cicer L. belongs to the family Fabaceae and the tribe Cicereae Alef., and it consists of 43 species, ten anuuals and 33 perennials. About 39 species grow in Middle Asia and West Asia, and about 4 species in certain regions of north and northwestern areas of Africa and Europe (van der Maesen 1987). The basic chromosomal number for them is x = 8. This genus consists of some herbaceous and shrubby species which are classified into 4 sections on the basis of morphological specifications and life cycle characteristics (van der Maesen, 1987 and 1972). 1. The section Monocicer consists of the agronomic species C. arietinum and 7 annual species including C. reticulatum, C. bijugum, C. echinospermum, C. judaicum, C. pinnatifidum, C. cuneatum, C. yamashitae. 2. The section Chamaecicer consists of one annual species and one perennial species which grow in mountain areas in West Asia and Kert Island. 3. The section Polycicer consists of 25 perennial species. 4. The section Acanthocicer consists of 7 perennial species growing in mountain regions of Iran, Afghanistan and Middle Asia (van der Maesen, 1987; Popov, 1976). In this paper, micro-macromorphological data was subjected to cluster analysis in order to indicate the Sharifnia & al. 148 species inter-relationship, to evaluate the previous taxonomic treatment of the genus Cicer in Iran, and provide the evidence for efficacy of micromacromorphological data in taxonomic treatment of genus Cicer at sub-generic level. Materials and Methods In order to study morphological charactrs of plant specimens in each species (at least 3 specimens), we chose about 40 quantitative and 38 qualitative characters. The table of morphological characters was prepared based on these qualitative and quantitative characters (Table 1). For statistical analysis, we initially encoded the qualitative characters according to the multi-state method, and the related means were considered for quantitative characters, and then these were standardized. Phenetic analysis was carried out using SPSS, ver. 9 software and Ward method (Norusis1999). Based on this method, we delivered a cluster analysis for morphological characters of species and then hierarchical phenograms of species were prepared. PCA analysis was performed as well and the most variable characters were specified. Table 1. List of characters and related numerical codes used in morphological studies. No. Characters Numerical code 1 Plant height Cm 2 Stem diameter Mm 3 Rachis length Mm 4 Number of leaflets In no. 5 Leaflet length Mm 6 Leaflet width Mm 7 Leaflet length / width ratio In no. 8 Length of leaflet teeth Mm 9 Number of leaflet teeth In no. 10 Number of stipule teeth In no. 11 Stipule length Mm 12 Stipule width Mm 13 Stipule length / width ratio In no. 14 Calyx length Mm 15 Length of calyx tube Mm 16 Length of calyx teeth Mm 17 Number of calyx teeth In no. 18 Peduncle length Mm 19 Pedicel length Mm 20 Corolla length Mm 21 Standard length Mm 22 Standard width Mm 23 Standard length / width ratio In no. 24 Wing length Mm 25 Wing width Mm IRAN. JOURN. BOT. 12 (2), 2006 149 Cicer morphology No. 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 39 40 41 Characters Wing length / width ratio Keel length Keel width Keel length / width ratio Pod length Pod width Pod length / width Arista length Seed length Seed width Seed length/width ratio Pedicel / peduncle length ratio Pedicel & peduncle/rachis length ratio Calyx teeth / tube length ratio Corolla / calyx length ratio Growth period 42 Growth habit 43 44 Stem shape Epigaeal stem 45 Stem hairs 46 47 48 State of stem hairs Size of stem hairs Leaflets arrangment 49 End of rachis 50 Leaflet shape 51 Leaflet base 52 Leaflet apex 53 Leaflet margin 54 Leaflet hairs 55 Shape of upper stipules 56 Shape of lower stipules 57 Calyx gibbousity 58 Shape of calyx teeth 59 Position of calyx teeth 60 Calyx hairs 61 62 State of calyx hairs Number of flowers per peduncle 63 Pedicel hairs 64 State of pedicel hairs 65 Corolla color 66 Standard shape 38 Numerical code In no. Mm Mm In no. Mm Mm In no. Mm Mm Mm In no. In no. In no. In no. In no. 1- annual 2- perennial 1- erect-semi erect 2- prostrate to erect 3- prostrate 4- shrubby 5shrubby – cushion 1- straight to slightly flexuous 2- straight – flexuous 3- flexuous 1- absence 2- presence 1- glandular and simple 2- mostly glandular, rarely simple 3mostly simple, rarely glandular 4- simple 5- glandular 1- less 2-mean 3-more 1-long 2-long and short 3-short 1-imparipinnate 2- paripinnate and imparipinnate 3- paripinnate 1- unileaflet 2- in upper leaves, curled or simple and ramified tendril. in lower leaves, leaflet 3-curled or simple and ramified tendril 4- curled or simple tendril 5-spinelet or curl 6-spinelet 1-elliptic-obovate 2-obovate-oblong 3-cuneate-flabellate 4obovate 5-cuneate-ebovate 6-rounded- flabellate 7-spiny 8-upper leaflet, spiny lower leaflet, fan shaped 9-ovate-flabellate 1-cuneate 2-rounded-cuneate 3-broadly cuneate 1-rounded or acuminate 2- rounded or truncate 3-rounded 4truncate 5-acute 6-upper leaflets acute and lower leaflets, rounded 1-serrate 2-entire 3- dentate at the apex 1- glandular and simple 2- mostly glandular, rarely simple 3mostly simple, rarely glandular 4- simple 5- glandular 1-hastate 2- entire 3- lanceolate 1- ovate or semiovate 2- ovate 3- oblique – triangular incised 4semiovate 5- triangular 6- lanceolate - triangular 1- faintly gibbous 2- middle gibbous 3- strongly gibbous 1- lanceolate 2- lanceolate–triangular 3- broadly lanceolate 4lanceolate – acuminate 1- almost equal 2- unequal 1- glandular and simple 2- mostly glandular, rarely simple 3- mostly simple, rarely glandular 4- simple 5- glandular 1- less 2-mean 3-more 1- 1 2- 1-2 3- 1-4 1- glandular and simple 2- mostly glandular, rarely simple 3mostly simple, rarely glandular 4- simple 5- glandular 1- less 2-mean 3-more 1- blue, pink, white 2- purplish pink 3- cream + violet 4- purplish 5- purplish blue 6- lilac – white 7- lavender 8- pink – white 9white 1- obovate 2- ovate 3- elliptic – ovate IRAN. JOURN. BOT. 12 (2), 2006 No. 67 68 69 70 71 72 Characters Standard base Standard apex Wings shape Wings base Keel shape Position of keel adnate 73 Pod shape 74 Pod hairs 75 76 State of pod hairs Seed shape 77 Seed color 78 Seed coat texture Sharifnia & al. 150 Numerical code 1- broad 2- spatula-shaped 3- non 1- less emarginated 2- mean emarginated 1- obovate 2- obovate – oblong 3- triangular 4- oblong 1- auriculate 2- short auriculate 3- long auriculate 1- rhomboid 2- oblong 1- 2/3 of ventral margin 2- 3/4 of ventral margin 1- elliptic - rhomboid 2- elliptic oblong 3- ovoid 4- elliptic obovate 5- elliptic 1- glandular and simple 2- mostly glandular, rarely simple 3- mostly simple, rarely glandular 4- simple 5- glandular 1- less 2-mean 3-more 1- circular 2- subcircular 3- obovate 4- cordate 1- cream 2- brownish with black spot 3- grey brown with black point 4- light brown 5- black brown 6- brown 7- reddish brown 1- wrinkled reticulate 2- spiny hairs + conical projection 3- shallow protuberance 4-tuberculated 5- wrinkled tuberculated + acuminate projection 6- tuberculated + irregularly curved 7- rugose – reticulate + wrinkled tubercle 8- wrinkled tuberculated 9- flat tuberculated 10- tuberculated reticulate 11- rugose For morphological study of pollen and seed, we used herbarium specimens and fresh materials in the field (Table 2 & 3). Pollen grains and seeds were stabilized on aluminum stocks and coated with a thin layer of gold using coating equipment. Then, the specimens were observed under S. E. M. electronic microscope, model LEO 440 at the Islamic Azad University, Research and Sciences Branch. For each species, about 3 specimens of pollen and seeds were studied, and finally the related images and tables of morphological characters of pollen and seeds were prepared. Moore1991, was utilized for the terminology of the pollen as reference and Zohary & Heller, 1984 and Javadi & Yamaguchi, 2004 were utilized for terminology of the seeds as references. Result and Discussion According to the phenogram, (fig. 1) in the linkage distance 11, two original clusters are distinguishable. In the first cluster, the C. incisum and C. chorassanicum pertaining to the section Chamaecicer are located close to each other (subcluster 1). Furthermore, two species of C. arietinum and C. bijugum which belong to the section Monocicer are also located adjacent to each other (subcluster 2). In turn, the 2nd cluster is divided into two subclusters 1 and 2. The subcluster 1 consists of C. anatolicum, C. oxyodon, C. kermanense, and C. spiroceras which are located adjacent to each other. These four species are located into Polycicer section, and in the subcluster 2, C. tragacanthoides (var. tragacanthoides and var. turcomanicum) and C. stapfianum which belong to the section Acanthocicer, are located. However C. subaphyllum from Polycicer section appears in this group. In fact, this species due to having some specifications such as spinous leaflets, presence of spine or curl at the end of rachis and its suffruticose appearance becomes distinguishable from the other species in the section Polycicer, and instead it should be placed in Acanthocicer section. The differences between these two original clusters mainly underlies even or odd arrangement of leaves, status of the end of rachis and the calyx gibbousity positioning. The PCA analysis revealed that the most variable characters are calyx gibbousity positioning, specifications of ending of rachis, type of penducle hairs, growth habit, length of vexillum, length of carina, type of pod and calyx hairs, shape of lower stipules, type of division of leaf, length of wing and shape of leaflet, respectively. The ordination of the species based on PCA is also compatible highly with the related phenogram (Fig. 1). In order to study relationship among the species based on pollen morphology, (Figs. 4-9) the cluster analysis under Ward method and based on understudied characters was performed and the result is delineated in Fig. 2. According to this phenogram, in the linkage distance 12, two main clusters are observed. The first cluster includes two subclusters 1 and 2. In the first subcluster, C. bijugum from the section Monocicer is Table 2. Cicer species, their localities and voucher numbers in pollen study. Species Locality IRAN. JOURN. BOT. 12 (2), 2006 151 Cicer morphology Section 1: Monocicer C. arietinum L. C. bijugum Rech. f. Section 2: Chamaecicer C. chorassanicum (Bge.) M. Pop. C. incisum (Willd.) K. Maly. Section 3: Polycicer C. anatolicum Alef. C. kermanense Bornm. C. spiroceras Jaub.& Spach C. oxyodon Boiss. & Hoh. C. subaphyllum Boiss. Section 4: Acanthocicer C. stapfianum Rech. f. C. tragacanthoides Jaub. & Spach Var. tragacanthoides var. turcomanicum M. Pop. Tehran: Karaj, farm of Genebank 1321m, Mesbah & Roohnavaz 1400. Kermanshah: Gahvareh, 5 km. E. of Changar, 1880m, Jalilian et al. 1402. Khorasan: Esfaraien to Sabzevar, 5-20 km Sabzevar, Termeh 39956-E. Lorestan: Oshtoran kouh, Ghaleh Rostam to Gahar, 2400-2700m, Iranshahr 14626. Hamadan: Gardaneh Asadabad , Galehbour, 2250, Kalvandi et al. 1403. Kerman: Baft, Siah kouh, Hamzehnejad H-1529. Bakhtiari: Ardal, Sarhang Mahmoud, 1800m, Iranshahr & Moussavi 39966-E. Tehran : Shahrestanac, 2300m, Pakravan 1408. Fars: Shiraz, near Marvdasht, Kouh – e- Ayyoub, 2100m, Neamati & Jalilian 1412. Fars: Shiraz, Eghlid, Kouh-e-Bel, Sardab, 2900m, Jalilian et al . 1413. Semnan: Shahroud , Gharieh-e-Tash to Kouh-e-Shahvar, 2600-3300m, Moussavi & Karavar 33605-E. Khorasan: Kopet Dagh, 45km N.N.E of Shirvan, Kouh-e-Alam, 2400m, Edmonson 26921-E. Table 3. Cicer species, their localities and voucher numbers in seed study. Spicies Locality Section 1: Monocicer C. arietinum L. Azerbaijan: Tabriz, Benis, Jalilian 1401. C. bijugum Rech. f. Kermanshah: Gahvareh, 5 km. E. Changar, 1880m, Jalilian et al 1402. Section 2: Chamaecicer C. chorassanicum (Bge.) M. Khorasan: Esfaraien to Sabzevar, 5-20 km Sabzevar, Termeh 39956-E. Pop. C. incisum (Willd.) K. Maly. Lorestan: Oshtoran kouh, Ghaleh Rostam to Gahar, 2400-2700m, Iranshahr 14626. Section 3: Polycicer C. anatolicum Alef. Hamadan: Gardaneh Asadabad, Galehbour, 2250, Kalvandi et al. 1403. C. kermanense Bornm. Kerman: Mahan, Darreh-e-Kahnouj, Farhani 1411. C. spiroceras Jaub. & Spach Bakhtiari: Ardal, Sarhang Mahmoud, 1800m, Iranshahr & Moussavi 39966-E. C. oxyodon Boiss. & Hoh. Ghazvin: Alamout 2300-2400m, Farhani 1404-A. C. subaphyllum Boiss. Fars: Shiraz, near Marvdasht, Kouh – e Ayyoub, 2100m, Neamati & Jalilian 1412. Section 4: Acanthocicer C. stapfianum Rech. f. Fars: Shiraz, Eghlid, Kouh-e-Bel, Sardab, 1900m, Jalilian et al . 1413. C. tragacanthoides Jaub. & Spach var. tragacanthoides Semnan: Damghan to Shahroud, Gharieh-e-Tazareh, Kouh-e-Sefid-Shekar, 27003000, Moussavi & Karavar 33590E. var. turcomanicum M. Pop. Khorasan: Kopet Dagh, 45km N. N. E of Shirvan, Kouh-e-Alam, 2400m, Edmondson 26921-E. located near the species C. incisum and C. chorassanicum from the section Chamaecicer which they are nearly incompatible with the morphological phenogram. In the second subcluster, the species C. subaphyllum from the section Polycicer is located close to C. tragacanthoides var. turcomanicum, belonging to the section Acanthocicer. And the two species C. stapfianum and C. tragacanthoides, var. tragacanthoides from the section Acanthocicer are located close to each other, as well. These species which belong to the two mentioned sections are located near together according to the classic classification. IRAN. JOURN. BOT. 12 (2), 2006 Sharifnia & al. 152 Fig. 1. Phenogram and ordination based on morphological data of Cicer species. –Abbreviations, inc= C. incisum; cho= C. chorassanicum; ari= C. arietimum; bij = C. bijugum, ker= C. kermanense; spi= C. spiroceras; ana= C. anatolicum; oxy= C. oxyodon; var. tra= C. tragacanthoides, var. tragacanthoides, var. tur=C. tragacanthoides var. turcomanicum; s.c= subcluster 153 Cicer morphology IRAN. JOURN. BOT. 12 (2), 2006 Fig. 2. Phenogram and ordination based on palynological data of Cicer species. Abbreviation as in fig. 1 IRAN. JOURN. BOT. 12 (2), 2006 Sharifnia & al. 154 Fig. 3. Phenogram and ordination based on seed characters of Cicer species. Abbreviation as in fig. 1 155 Cicer morphology IRAN. JOURN. BOT. 12 (2), 2006 Fig. 4. A. Pollen grains of Cicer species. 1-3. Cicer arietinum, 1) Equatorial view (x 1300), 2) Polar view (x 2000), 3) Ornamentation (x 4000); 4-6. Cicer bijugum, 4) Equatorial view (x 2000), 5) Polar view (1300), 6) Ornamentation (x 1400). IRAN. JOURN. BOT. 12 (2), 2006 Sharifnia & al. 156 Fig. 5. Pollen grains of Cicer species. 7-9. Cicer chorassanicum, 7) Equatorial view (x 2000), 8) Polar view (x 2000), 9) Ornamentation (x 4000); 10-12. Cicer anatolicum, 10) Equatorial view (x 1300), 11) Polar view (x 1800), 12) Ornamentation (x 4300). 157 Cicer morphology IRAN. JOURN. BOT. 12 (2), 2006 Therefore, pollen morphology phenogram also confirm this similarity. The second cluster is also consisted of two subclusters (subclusters 1 and 2 ). The first subcluster, consists of C. anatolicum, C. spiroceras, and C. oxyodon from the section Polycicer, and also the 2nd subcluster including C. arietinum from the section Monocicer are located near the species C. kermanense from the section Polycicer. According to the table of morphological characters of pollen (table 4), these two latter species, in spite that they belong to separate sections but have similar pollen specifications including similarity in equatorial view, polar view, colpi position and length of them. Therefore, these two species are isolated from the other related species of sections in terms of pollen specifications, and this status does not confirm the classic classification. With regard to the results obtained, we observed that two taxa of C. kermanense and C. spiroceras are different in all pollen specifications, as it was true for differences in morphological specifications. Therefore, it validates the distinction of them as two separate species. Meanwhile, in this phenogram similar to morphological phenogram C. subaphyllum appears isolated from other species of the section Polycicer within the 2nd cluster, indicating that this species is different from the other species of Polycicer section in terms of pollen specifications. This is true as the ornamentation of exin surface in C. subaphyllatum is reticulate but, in the other 3 species of the section is reticulate-areolate. Also, the shape of pollen in this species is oblate–spheroidal and in the other 3 species is prolate. PCA analysis was also carried out and the most variable characters are: P/E ratio, length of polar axis and shape of pollen grains. Fig. 6. Pollen grains of Cicer oxyodon. 13) Equatorial view (x 1500), 14) Polar view (x 2000), 15) Ornamentation (x 4300). The ordination of species based on PCA is also comparable highly with the pollen morphological phenogram (Fig. 2). The seed morphology of Cicer species were studied (Fig. G-L) Cluster analysis using Ward method and based on understudied seed characters was also carried out. The result of this analysis is shown on phenogram 3. According to this phenogram in the linkage distance 9, two main clusters observed. The first, includes two subclusters which in the first subcluster, two varieties of C. tragacanthoides are observed. As expected, they are completely similar and are located near each other. Near these two varieties C. spiroceras belonging to Polycicer section is located. Comparing to table 5, the specifications keeping these 3 species belonging to two different sections close to each other, are mainly seed circular shape and after that seed coat texture and seed color which are similar in high extent in these 3 species. IRAN. JOURN. BOT. 12 (2), 2006 Sharifnia & al. 158 Fig. 7. Pollen grains of Cicer species. 16-18. Cicer kermanense, 16) Equatorial view (x 1300), 17) Ornamentation (x 3500), 18) Polar view (x 2000); 19-20. Cicer spiroceras, 19) Equatorial view (x 1300), 20) Ornamentation (x 4000). 159 Cicer morphology IRAN. JOURN. BOT. 12 (2), 2006 Fig. 8. Pollen grains of Cicer species. 21-23. Cicer Subaphyllum, 21) Equatorial view (x 2000) 22) Polar view (x 1800), 23) Ornamentation (x 4000). 24-26. Cicer stapfianum, 24) Equatorial view (x 1300), 25) Polar view (x 2200), 26) Ornamentation (x 4100) IRAN. JOURN. BOT. 12 (2), 2006 Fig. 9. Pollen grains of Cicer species. 27-29. Cicer tragacanthoides, var. Sharifnia & al. 160