Astragalus nigriceps Popov (1947: 8)

Ghahremaninejad, Farrokh, Joharchi, Mohammad Reza, Memariani, Farshid & Behroozian, Maryam, 2022, Astragalus nigriceps (Fabaceae, Papilionoideae): an emended description with new data on distribution and conservation status, Phytotaxa 536 (3), pp. 243-251 : 244-245

Astragalus nigriceps Popov (1947: 8) , Figs. 1–4 .

Type : — TURKMENISTAN. Gaudan, in Monte Kular, 30 May1898, D.I. Litwinow 1275 (Lectotype, LE!; isolectotypes LE!, MSB, W!)

Perennial, 28–44 cm tall undershrub, covered in vegetative parts with ± medifixed, appressed hairs. Rootstock slender, branched, with somewhat elongated stolons. Stems branched, the older parts greyish brown, stems of the current year (2.5–)4.0– 13cm, greyish white, rather densely to very densely covered with appressed white hairs, only at the nodes also with black 0.5–1.0 mm hairs. Stipules greenish, 2–8 mm long, at the base 1.5–2.0 mm wide, narrowly triangular to lanceolate, shortly adnate to the petiole, densely white or white and black or predominantly black hairy. Leaves 3–9 cm; petiole 0.5–2.5 cm, slender like the rachis, hairy like the stem. Leaflets in 4–7 pairs, linear, (6–)10–21 × 1–2 mm, acute, on both sides rather densely covered with white 1–1.5 mm hairs. Peduncles 8–24 cm, densely covered with appressed white hairs, towards the raceme also with increasing black and often nearly basifixed and spreading hairs. Racemes subumbellate to subcapitate, nearly oblate, 3–4 cm long, densely (3–)5–14-flowered, not elongating to somewhat elongate in fruit; axis covered with ascending to spreading white and black hairs. Bracts ovate-acuminate to narrowly triangular, 3–6 × 1–2 mm, densely covered with basifixed to subbasifixed, ascending to spreading white and black or predominantly black c. 1 mm hairs. Pedicels 1–2 mm, white and black hairy. Calyx tubular, 13–17 mm, gibbous at the base, obliquely cut at the mouth, rather densely covered with basifixed, tangled, ascending to spreading white 1.5–2 mm hairs and with ± appressed to subappressed, basifixed black 0.3–1 mm hairs in different relations; teeth subulate, 3–4.5 mm; calyx tube 10–13 mm. Petals pale yellowish, with faintly lilac standard. Standard 21–25 × 9–11 mm; blade obovate-orbicular to elliptic, rounded, slightly auriculate-angularly passing into the rather long claw. Wings 20–24 × 6.0– 9.5 mm; blades narrowly obovate, obtuse; claw 14–14.5 mm. Keel 20–21 × 6.0– 8.5 mm; blades semicircular, with widely curved lower edge and ± straight upper edge, acute; claw 12.5–14 mm. Stamens diadelphous (9+1); anthers c. 1 mm; stamen-tube c. 19 mm long, truncate at the mouth. Ovary white hairy c. 1 mm, with a stipe c. 1.5 mm, linear; style glabrous; ovule 0.5–0.6 mm. Legumes rupturing the calyx, sessile, erect, narrowly linear, straight or scarcely curved, 30–42 mm long, 3 mm high, 2.5 mm wide, keeled ventrally, slightly grooved dorsally, acute, nearly fully bilocular; valves covered with subappressed to slightly ascending or even spreading, symmetrically to asymmetrically medifixed, somewhat flexuose black hairs 0.3–1.0 mm and with mostly somewhat longer and often basifixed to subbasifixed white hairs in different relations. Seeds many, rectangular-oblong, 3.0 × 1.2 mm, olive brownish, smooth.

Specimens examined: — IRAN. Razavi Khorassan: N Quchan, Aselmeh Mountains, 2200 m, 15 June 2003, Joharchi & Ghahremaninejad 34736-b, 34738-b (FUMH!, T!); E Bajgiran, Aselmeh Mountains , 11 km on the special road to the border Guard Station , N 37° 38’ 25.5” and E 58° 29’ 58.9”, 1930–1980 m, 2 June 2020, Joharchi & Memariani 46837 (FUMH!) ;— TURKMENISTAN. Ashkabad: Zentr. Kopet Dagh, distr. Geok-Tepe, Gory (Mountain) Duschak , 2000 m, 20 June 1961, Nikitin s.n. (G, M, W!); Gaudan, in Monte Kular, 30 May 1898, Litwinow 1275 (LE!, W!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Scanned image of the isotype specimen of Astragalus nigriceps kept in MSB.

FIGURE 2. A specimen of Astragalus nigriceps (Joharchi & Memariani 46837-FUMH).

FIGURE 3. Astragalus nigriceps in its natural habitat. A) Aselmeh Mountains in NE Iran, where newly discovered populations of A. nigriceps are found on mountain slopes with open Juniperus polycarpos var. turcomanica woodlands; B) Habit; C) Inflorescence; D) Close-up view of the flowers.

FIGURE 4. Some details of morphological characters in Astragalus nigriceps. A) Racemes, covered by black and white hairs; B) Petals (standard, keel, and wings); C) Stipule, covered by black hairs; D) Various hairs on calyx tube and teeth; E) Fruiting stage with legumes. Scale bars: A–B, and E=10 mm; C–D=1 mm. Herbarium specimens: A–D: Joharchi & Memariani 46837-FUMH; E: Joharchi & Ghahremaninejad 34738-b-FUMH.