Astragalus orientopersicus, Ghahremaninejad & Joharchi & Fereidounfar & Hoseini, 2016

Ghahremaninejad, Farrokh, Joharchi, Mohammadreza, Fereidounfar, Sogol & Hoseini, Ehsan, 2016, Astragalus orientopersicus, sp. nov. (Fabaceae), a new taxon from the Khorassan province (Iran), Adansonia 38 (1), pp. 29-33 : 32-33

Astragalus orientopersicus F.Ghahrem., Joharchi, Fereid. & Hoseini, sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 2 )

Similis A.austrokhorasanico Podlech sed differt stipulis 16-23 mm longis (nec 10-12 mm), foliolis 7-8 (nec 5-7)-jugis,pedunculo 12-18 (nec 6-11) cm longo, inflorescentiis 3.5-5 (7) cm longis, atque ovario breve stipitato, nullo modo sessili.

TYPUS. — Iran. Khorassan province, NW Darrehgaz, Tandureh National Park, Shekarab, western altitudes of Shekarab station , 2200 m, 37°22’45.8’’N & 58°42’07.7’’E, 27. VI.2004, Memariani & Zangooei 44249 (holo-, FUMH!; iso- FAR!, T!).

DISTRIBUTION. — Astragalus orientopersicus F.Ghahrem., Joharchi, Fereid. & Hoseini , sp. nov. is endemic to Iran and known only from the type locality, in the Khorassan province, E. Iran ( Fig. 3 ). Th e species is thriving in mountains of Shekarab, Tandureh National Park , at an altitude c. 2200 m, a mountainous area covered with a mixture of gravel and clay, in the Irano-Turanian floristic region ( Takhtajan 1986) .

Th e flowering and fruiting material was collected in June.

ETYMOLOGY. — Th e specific epithet is derived from the type locality, East Iran .

DESCRIPTION

Plant caespitose, spiny, c. 18-32 cm tall, covered with solely white, basifixed hairs. Caudex c. 5-8 mm in diameter. Stems 7-15 cm long, the lower parts ligneous, branched, densely covered with blackish remnants of old leaves. Stipules membranaceous, yellowish, ± hyaline towards the tips, 16-23 mm, adnate to the petiole for 11-18 mm, connate behind the stem for 4-6 mm, the free tips acuminate, many-nerved, glabrous or ciliate at the margins with ascending hairs up to 1mm. Leaves 4.5-7.5 cm; petiole 1-2 cm, like the rachis densely covered with appressed to subappressed-ascending hairs ca. 0.5 mm, spiny. Leaflets in 7-8 pairs, narrowly elliptic, 10-16 × 1.5-3 mm, acuminate, pungent, with a cusp c. 1.5-2 mm, on the both sides densely covered with appressed to subappressed-ascending hairs. Peduncles 12-18 cm, longer than the leaves, recurved, densely covered with ascending to nearly spreading hairs 0.5-0.6 mm and with much fewer hairs 1 mm. Racemes ovoid to shortly cylindrical, 3.5-5 cm long and 2.5-3 cm in diameter, densely many-flowered. Bracts membranaceous, mostly narrowly hyaline at the margins and tip, pale yellowish, 7-10 × 2-3 mm, lanceolate-ovate, aristate, hairy, especially at the middle line, ciliate at the margins. Calyx tubular-inflated, 16-20 mm long, 4-5(7) mm wide, mostly purplish especially in upper part, with purplish parallel nerves, densely covered with ascending-spreading hairs, short hairs 0.2-0.4 mm and rather densely with subappressed to ascending hairs 1-2.5 (3) mm; teeth subulate, 5-6 mm. Petals purplish, fading to yellow-pale orange. Standard 20- 24 mm; blade 7-8 mm wide, elliptic, rounded, distinctly constricted in lower part. Wings 20-21 mm; blades ellipticovate, obtuse, 6-7 × 2.5-3 mm; auricle c. 0.5 mm, claw 12.5-13 mm. Keel 19-20 mm; blades obliquely obovate, obtuse, 5-6 × 2.5-3 mm; auricle short, claw 12-14 mm. Ovary shortly stipitate, c. 5 × 0.9 mm, ellipsoid, densely subappressed hairy; style hairy in lower quarter. Legumes immature, 6.5 × 1.5 mm.

REMARKS

Th e new species is close to A. austrokhorasanicus Podlech. But the new species differs from it in having longer stipules (16-23 not 10-12 mm), more leaflets (7-8 not 5-7 pairs), different peduncles (12-18 not 6-11 cm long; longer than the leaves not ± as long as leaves), smaller racemes (3.5- 5 × 2.5-3 not 7 × 4 cm), narrower bracts (2-3 not 4-8 mm wide), longer standard (20-24 not 20 mm long) and different ovary (shortly stipitate not sessile).

DISTRIBUTION

Section Hymenostegis species are concentrated in the west of the country. From west to the east the richness of the section strongly decreases and this never spreads beyond Iran towards the eastern areas like Afghanistan and Pakistan countries. It enters to Turkmenistan with A.chrysostachys . The most eastern province of Iran, province Khorassan, neighbor of Afghanistan, includes two species based on Podlech & Zarre (2013) for this section: A.chrysostachys Boiss. and A. austrokhorasanicus Podlech. A. austrokhorasanicus is a narrow rare endemic species for the province and is known only from the type specimen from steppic area of a protected region (Dashtabeh). But this locality is out of Khorassan and belongs to the western neighbor province of Khorassan: Semnan province. Thus of this section in Khorassan province only A.chrysostachys can be mentioned. It is a widespread species with a distribution area from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkmenistan. Existence of this species is possible in western part of Afghanistan too, but it will need more field trips.

Astragalus sect. Hymenostegis includes 62 (based on Podlech & Zarre 2013; Bagheri et al. 2013, 2014; Nikitin & Geldikhanov 1988) species. Iran is the center of genetic diversity of this section with 60 species, with a concentration in NW Iran (with 42 species). Gradually towards the east the richness of this section is decreased whereas in E Iran for this section there are just two representatives (including our new species) and this is indeed the ultimate penetration to the east with no entrance to Afghanistan (eastern neighboring of Iran).

CONCLUSION

Our new species is the most eastern known for the section. It thrives there with Astragalus chrysostachys , whose the distribution area is the biggest for the section Hymenostegis from E Turkey to E Iran. But our new species, like the most of the section species is a narrow endemics and so rare.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Astragalus orientopersicus F.Ghahrem., Joharchi, Fereid. & Hoseini, sp. nov. from type specimen.

FIG. 2. — Astragalus orientopersicus F.Ghahrem., Joharchi, Fereid. & Hoseini, sp. nov. in the field. Photo by Dr Farshid Memariani.

FIG. 3. — Distribution of Astragalus orientopersicus F.Ghahrem., Joharchi, Fereid. & Hoseini, sp. nov.