Articles
Iranian Journal Of Science (27318095)49(2)pp. 297-306
The genus Potamogeton L. is an aquatic plant belonging to the Potamogetonaceae. Eleven species have been reported for this genus in Iran. This genus is located in the most of the water habitats of the country and has importance in various fields such as the purification of polluted water, absorption of heavy metals, and medicinal uses. One of the important species of this genus is Potamogeton nodosus Poir. which shows great morphological diversity in different aquatic habitats. In this study, we first studied the quantitative and qualitative morphological characters among different populations of this species. Since the morphological marker may be affected by the environment, we also used molecular markers. For molecular study, six pairs of SRAP primers and four ISSR primers were used. The results of the combination of two markers showed the intraspecific relationships of different populations of P. nodosus better than each of the two markers alone. According to the results, the populations were divided into four geographical groups: north, center, southwest, and southeast. The populations of the southeast region showed more genetic differentiation than other regions. Molecular variance analysis showed intra-population variations slightly higher than inter-population variations. Regarding to relatively high genetic diversity of populations of this species, conservational strategies for aquatic ecosystems of Iran is needed. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Shiraz University 2024.
Phytotaxa (11793163)700(1)pp. 1-17
Rubus L. is a taxonomically intricate genus of flowering plants characterized by extensive hybridization, polyploidy, and facultative apomixis. This study aims to revise and update the taxonomy and nomenclature of Rubus in Iran, a region recognized for its rich but underexplored diversity. Utilizing recent biosystematic data from ploidy level estimation and DNA analyses, combined with extensive fieldwork across various ecological regions and herbarium studies, we identify four sexual species—R. dolichocarpus, R. ulmifolius (both diploids) and R. caesius, R. glandulosus (both tetraploids), and one frequent group of polyploid apomicts (R. ser. Discolores). Among these taxa, R. ulmifolius and R. caesius are widely distributed, while the others are found in northern Iran, mostly in the Hyrcanian forest ecoregion. Additionally, we document three rare taxa—R. ser. Hystrix, R. ser. Sylvatici, R. sect. Corylifolii, and two primary hybrids—R. dolichocarpus × R. glandulosus and R. caesius × R. ulmifolius. This contribution provides a comprehensive field guide with morphological descriptions, diagnostic characters, notes on nomenclature, distribution, and ecology, a determination key, and photographic documentation. Copyright © 2025 Magnolia Press.
