Onobrychis mucronifolia Ranjbar & Hadadi, 2012

Ranjbar, Massoud, Karamian, Roya, Hadadi, Anahita & Joharchi, Mohammadreza, 2012, Taxonomic notes on Onobrychis sect. Onobrychis subsect. Macropterae (Fabaceae) from Iran, Phytotaxa 39, pp. 51-60 : 57

Onobrychis mucronifolia Ranjbar & Hadadi , sp. nov. ( Figs. 4 & 5 )

Differt ab Onobrychide verae plantis 55−60 cm (nec ad 40 cm) altis; foliolis supra glabris, subtus pilis sparse appressis (nec utrimque dense pilis appressis) obtectis, foliolis 12−25 × 2.8−6 (nec 5−10 × 2−4) mm; racemis 6–8 cm longis, laxe ad dense 38–48-floribus (nec 3–5 cm longis, densiuscule ad 30-floribus); bracteis 3.2−4.8 (nec 2−3) mm longis.

Type:— IRAN. Prov. Khorasan: Ghouchan, southeast Oghazkhoneh , 2150 m, 24 June 1997, Faghihnia & Zangooie 29437 (holotype FUMH!, isotype BASU!, photo and a fragment TARI!, W!) .

Ascending-erect perennial with thick woody rootstock, up to 55−60 cm tall, branched at the base. Indumentum of white hairs on vegetative parts. Stipules of lower leaves connate, ovate-triangular, acuteacuminate; those of upper leaves free, membranous with brownish stripes base, 4.5−7 mm long and 2−2.8 mm wide, sparsely to loosely covered by appressed hairs, ciliate at margins with hairs 0.3−0.4 mm long. Upper leaves 2.5−4 cm long and lower leaves 2.5−6 cm; rachises slender, straight, loosely covered by appressed hairs 0.2−0.5 mm long, upper petiole up to 0.3−0.9 cm long, lower petiole up to 3.5 cm long. Upper leaflets in 2−3 pairs, lower leaflets in 4−5 pairs, linear to oblong-elliptic, rounded to cuneate at base, rounded to obtuse and clearly mucronate at the apex, 12−25 × 2.8−6 mm, upper surface glabrous, lower surface sparsely covered by appressed hairs 0.3−0.6 mm long. Inflorescence 6–8 cm long, oblong before anthesis, 38−48-flowered, elongating in fruit to 10−12 cm. Bracts papery, 3.2−4.8 mm long and 0.6−0.8 mm wide, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, loosely covered by appressed hairs, ciliate at margins with hairs 0.4−0.5 mm long. Pedicel 1.6−1.8 mm long, loosely covered by appressed hairs. Bracteoles narrowly linear to subulate, minutely hairy. Calyx greenish-brown, 6.8−7 mm long, sparsely pubescent or appressed hairy; teeth 4−4.5 mm long, narrowly linear or subulate. Corolla pink-violet or brownish to yellowish when dry. Standard 10.3−10.4 × 5.8−6.2 mm wide, ovate-elliptic, emarginate at the apex, abruptly shortly and cuneatly narrowed at the base. Wings 7.8−8 mm long; blades narrowly oblong, rounded at the apex, 6.1−6.3 × 1.9−2.1 mm; auricle 0.8−0.9 mm long, claw 1.7−1.9 mm long. Keel 9.9−10 mm long; blades triangular, with curved lower edge and straight upper edge, obtuse to subacute at the apex, 6.8−7 × 3.5−3.6 mm; auricle indistinct, claw 2.8−3 mm long. Staminal tube truncate at the mouth. Ovary sessile, semiorbicular, hairy. Pods unknown.

Etymology:— The specific epithet “mucronifolia means “leaves with long sharp points, referring to the mucronate apices of the leaflets.

Specimens examined:— Known only from type material.

Taxonomic and distribution remarks: — Onobrychis mucronifolia is a rare endemic species known only from a locality between the Kopetdagh and Binaloud mountains near Ghouchan in northeastern Iran ( Fig. 3 ). Although some characters of the new species (such as long wings, standard shape and hyaline stipules) are similar to O. verae , the different size of leaflets which are clearly mucronate at the apex, bract size and height of the plants are unique in O. sect. Onobrychis subsect. Macropterae . All these characters can confirm the isolated position of O. mucronifolia .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Distribution map of O. patula (1) and O. mucronifolia (2) in Iran.

FIGURE 4. Onobrychis mucronifolia (from holotype). A. habit. B. calyx. C. standard. D. keel. E. wings. F. androecium. G. gynoecium. Scale A = 2 cm, B−G = 1 cm.

FIGURE 5. Onobrychis mucronifolia (from holotype). A. inflorescence. B. inflorescences with large bracts and violet flowers. C. leaf and leaflets. D. stipules and mucronate leaflets (black arrow). Scale in A−D based on mm.