Astragalus montis-queydari, Ghahremaninejad & Bagheri & Maassoumi, 2012

Ghahremaninejad, Farrokh, Bagheri, Ali & Maassoumi, Ali Asghar, 2012, Two new species of Astragalus L. sect. Incani DC. (Fabaceae) from the Zanjan province (Iran), Adansonia (3) 34 (1), pp. 59-65 : 64-65

Astragalus montis-queydari

F.Ghahrem., Maassoumi & Bagheri, sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 )

Similis A. xiphidiopsi Bornm., sed differt stipulis c. 9-11 (nec 5) mm longis, foliolis 3-6 (nec 8-10) jugis, pedunculo 3-11 (nec 7-20) cm longo, inflorescentiis 4-10 (nec 10-20) floris. TYPUS. — Iran. Zanjan province, Gheidar, on the lower slopes of Gheidar Mt. , 2020 m, 14. V.2009, Bagheri 6491 (holo-, TARI!; iso-, FAR!, MSB!, P!, TARI!).

DESCRIPTION

Plants 15-25 cm tall, with appressed, symmetrically to slightly asymmetrically medifixed hairs 0.5-0.7 mm long, merely white (only at the calyx sometimes with few very short black). Caudex up to 10 mm in diameter, branched, with short subterranean branches, covered with remnants of old leaves. Stipules whitish, 9-15 mm long, adnate to the petiole for 5 mm, the free part, triangularacuminate, densely covered with white hairs. Leaves 8-18 cm long; petiole 3-8 cm long, densely hairy like the rachis. Leaflets in 3-6 pairs, linear to narrowly elliptic, 7-26× 1-3 mm, obtuse to acute, on both sides covered with appressed hairs. Peduncle 3-11 cm long, erect, densely white hairy. Raceme 5-8 cm long, loosely 4-10 flowered; axis densely hairy. Bracts linear to lanceolate, triangular, 3-4 mm long, white hairy, ciliate on the margin with basifixed hairs. Pedicels 2-3 mm long, black and white hairy; flowers mostly erect. Bracteoles whitish, narrowly lanceolate, c. 1 mm long, at the base of calyx. Calyx 9-13 mm long, tubular, obliquely cut at the mouth, densely covered with appressed white hairs 0.3-0.7 mm long, sometimes with few to many much shorter black hairs and few white hairs; teeth unequal in length, subulate, 1-3 mm long, black and white simple hairy on inner side. Petals yellow to greenish-yellow. Standard c. 20 mm long; blade slightly upcurved, c. 10-11 mm wide, oblong-obovate, shortly triangularly narrowed toward, obtuse apex, at the base angularly narrowed into the cuneate claw.Wings 20 mm long, narrowly oblong, dilated toward apex obtuse, 11 × 3 mm; auricle 1.5 mm long, claw 10 mm long. Keel 18- 19 mm long; blades oblong, oblique, subacute, 8-9× 3-4 mm; auricle short, claw 10-11 mm long. Stamen-tube truncate at the mouth. Ovary linear, sessile, c. 10 mm long, glabrous. Legume unknown.

REMARKS

The new species is close to A. xiphidiopsis , but it differs from the new species with having longer stipules (9-11 not 5 mm long), fewer leaflets (3-6 not 8-10 pairs), shorter peduncle (3-11 not 7-20 cm long), inflorescence with fewer flowers (4-10 not 10-20 flowers).

DISTRIBUTION

Astragalus montis-queydari F.Ghahrem., Maassoumi & Bagheri , sp. nov. is endemic to Iran and known only from the type locality. Recently the second author has collected the specimens of this species from Zanjan province, west Iran ( Fig. 3). The species is thriving in Gheidar mountain at an altitude c. 2020-2050 m, a mountainous area with rocky substrate covered with a mixture of gravel and clay. The climate of Gheidar area is cold temperate. This area is located in Irano-Touranian region too.

The flowering and fruiting material was collected in May.

ETYMOLOGY

The specific epithet “montis-queydari” is derived from the type locality, Gheidar Mount , Zanjan province, Iran .

Figures

FIG. 2. — Astragalus montis-queydari F.Ghahrem., Maassoumi & Bagheri, sp. nov. from type specimen. Scale bar: 5 cm. Photo by Mr. Ehsan Hosseini.