A new variety of Trigonella persica (Fabaceae) from Iran

Introduction

Trigonella L. (Fabaceae) includes about 135 species in worldwide, and the most of the species are distributed in the dry regions around Mediterranean, West Asia, Europe, North and South Africa, North America, and with only two species being present in South Australia (Mabberly, 1997). The members of Trigonella are hairless annual or perennial herbs or sometimes covered with simple hairs originate in the Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian regions (Yilmaz et al., 2009; Ranjbar et al., 2010, 2011).After revising the genus for the flora of Iran by Rechinger (1984), six new species and one new variety have been described from the country (Ranjbar et al., 2011, 2012) and seven taxa were added as new records (Hamzeh’ee, 2000; Janighorban, 2004; Badrzadeh et al., 2009; Ranjbar and Hajmoradi 2012).

Trigonella sect. Bucerates (Boiss.) Sirj. is represented with one endemic species and four subspecies in Iran (Rechinger, 1984). Trigonella persica Boiss. is only endemic species of the sectionin Iran. In this paper, T. persica var. gandomanica Ranjbar and Hajmoradi is described as a new variety from Iran. It was collected in a locality along with T. persica var. persica. Now with this variety, the total number of Trigonella taxa occurring in Iran increased to 47.

Taxonomy

Trigonella persicaBoiss. var. gandomanica Ranjbar and Hajmoradi, var. nov. (Figure 1)

Trigonellae persicae var. persicae affinis, a qua leguminis glabrescentibus (nec pilis appresso-albis) differt.

Holotype: Iran. Gandoman to Yasuj, Gereh-Bass bridge, 31°75´N, 51°25´E, 1734 m a.s.l., 5 April 2010, Ranjbar and Hajmoradi 23536 (BASU!; isotypes W, TARI).

Figure 1. Trigonella persica Boiss. var. gandomanica Ranjbar and Hajmoradi (Ranjbar and Hajmoradi 23536, BASU). A. Habit (with flowers and pods); B. Calyx; C. Standard; D. Keel; E. Wings; F. Ovary; G. Androecium; H and I. Glabrous pods. J and K. Pubescent pods in T. persica var. persica

Annual herbs, stem usaully branched from base, often ascending, 8-16 cm tall, sparingly pilose. Stipules semisagittate, 2-4 × 1-1.3 mm. Leaves 3-26 mm long, sparsely to loosely covered with hairs, 0.3-0.5 mm long, petiole 2-23 mm long. Leaflets obdeltoid, sharp dentate, 2-6 × 2-5 mm, sparsely covered with appressed white hairs on both sides, 0.3-0.5 mm long. Peduncle slender, 12-26 mm long. Flowers 2-6, umbellate, subsessile. Calyx shorter than corolla, 3.5-4 mm long, sparsely or loosely hairy; teeth lanceolate, ca. 1 mm long. Corolla yellow, standard 9-10 × ca. 5 mm, wings ca. 9 × ca. 2 mm, oblong, round at tip; claw ca. 4 mm long, keel ca. 8 × ca. 2 mm; stamen ca. 8 mm long. Legume linear, 20-40 × 1 1.5 mm, rarely compressed, semicircular-incurved, transversely reticulate, beak very short.

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to Gandoman city, where the new variety is found

Taxonomic and distributional remarks

Trigonella persica var. gandomanica is a narrowly endemic variety known only from the stony-steppe zone of the Kallar mountain, south Gandoman in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari province (Figure 2). New variety shows remarkable similarities to T. persica var. persica in the shape and size of petals and pods and also in the sculpturing of pods. Both varieties are distributed in southwest Iran. However, T. persica var. gandomanica can be recognized well by its glabrous pods (Figure 1 H-K).

Figure 2. Distribution map of Trigonella persica Boiss. var. gandomanica Ranjbar and Hajmoradi

Specimens examined

Trigonella persica var. persica

Iran. Lorestan province: Dow Rud toward lake, 1450 m a.s.l., 22 April 2009, Ranjbar and Hajmoradi 23664 (BASU!); Lorestan university, 1250 m a.s.l., 22 April 2009, Ranjbar and Hajmoradi 23661 (BASU!). Kordestan province: 5 km after Sanandaj toward Divandarreh, 1500 m a.s.l., 16 May 2011, Ranjbar and Hajmoradi 24923 (BASU!); Sanandaj toward Divandarreh, after Khamush Abad village, 1560 m a.s.l., 16 May 2011, Ranjbar and Hajmoradi 26493 (BASU!). Hamedan province: Hamedan toward Qorveh, before Veynesar village, 1830 m a.s.l., 16 May 2011, Ranjbar and Hajmoradi 24770 (BASU!); 30 km before Qorveh, 1800 m a.s.l., 21 May 2005, Ranjbar 7081 (BASU!); Hamedan toward Malayer, after Ekbatan dam, before Ghahavand bifurcate, 1950 m a.s.l., 7 Jan 2004, Ranjbar 5889 (BASU!). Kohgiluyeh va Boyer Ahmad province: Dena mountain, 2247 m a.s.l., 27 April 2011, Ranjbar and Hajmoradi 23878 (BASU!). Fars province: Sepidan to Nor Abad, 5 km after first neck of Nor Abad, 20 km before Dowlat Abad Hasani emergency, 1882 m a.s.l., 7 April 2010, Ranjbar and Hajmoradi 23530 (BASU!). Markazi province: Tafresh, 1963 m a.s.l., 22 April 2010, Ranjbar and Hajmoradi 23697 (BASU!).

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the director of the Herbarium Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands (TARI), the herbarium of Ferdousi University of Mashhad, and the Herbarium Research Centre of Natural Resources and Animal Affairs of Mashhad, Isfahan, Kerman, Shiraz, and Zahedan for making herbarium facilities available for our study and for loans of herbarium specimens.