Onobrychis farimanensis Ranjbar & Askari, 2018

Ranjbar, Massoud, Askari, Ali, Karamian, Roya, Joharchi, Mohmad Reza & Tolui, Zeinab, 2018, A new species of Onobrychis sect. Onobrychis (Fabaceae) from Iran, Phytotaxa 347 (4), pp. 285-291 : 286

Onobrychis farimanensis Ranjbar & Askari , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–2 )

Type: — IRAN. Prov. Khorasan Razavi: between Torbat-e Heydarieh and Fariman, Zharf Mtns., 1950 m, 25 June 1993, Joharchi & Zangooei 23506 (Holotype FUMH!, BASU fragm.).

Ascending to erect perennial with thick woody rootstock, up to 0.46 m tall, branched at the base. Stipules of lower leaves connate, ovate-triangular, acute-acuminate, those of upper leaves free, papery with brownish base; 4–9 mm long and 2.1–3.5 mm wide, loosely covered by appressed hairs, ciliate at margins with 0.4–0.8 mm long. Upper leaves 23–36 mm long and lower leaves 100–125 mm long; rachis slender, straight or curved-ascending, loosely covered by appressed hairs, ciliate hairs at the margins 0.5–1.2 mm long; upper petiole up to ca. 15 mm long, lower petiole up to 30 mm long. Upper leaflets in 5–7 pairs, lower leaflets in 3–6 pairs, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, rounded to cuneate at the base, obtuse or slightly mucronate at the apex, 15–20 × 4–5 mm, upper surface loosely covered by subappressed or appressed hairs, 0.2–0.4 mm long, lower surface densely covered by subappressed or appressed hairs, 2–3 mm long. Inflorescence a raceme, 4–9 cm long, rather dense before anthesis, 16–24-flowered, elongating in fruit to 8–13 cm long. Bracts papery, 1.8–4.0 mm long and 0.5–1.3 mm wide, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, loosely appressed hairs, at the margins with ciliate hairs, 0.3–0.5 mm long. Pedicel 1–3 mm long. Bracteoles narrowly linear to subulate, minutely hairy. Calyx greenish-brown, 5–7 mm long, loosely covered by appressed hairs; teeth 3–4 mm long, narrowly linear or subulate. Corolla pale pink-violet or brownish to yellowish when dry. Standard 11–13 × 7.5–8.0 mm, ovate-elliptic, emarginate at the apex, abruptly cuneatly narrowed at the base. Wings 9–11 mm long; blades narrowly oblong, rounded at the apex, 7.5–8.0 × 2.0– 2.4 mm; auricle 1.3–1.5 mm; claw 2.1–2.3 mm long. Keel 10–11 mm long; blades obliquely obovate, with curved lower edge and nearly straight upper edge, obtuse to subacute at the apex, 7.5–8.0 × 4.0– 4.5 mm; auricle indistinct; claw 2.0– 2.3 mm long. Stamens diadelphous, 9 + 1, anthers uniform, staminal tube truncate at the mouth. Ovary sessile, semiglobular. Pods sessile, semiorbicular, erect to ascending, 11–14 mm long and 6–7 mm wide, loosely covered by appressed hairs 0.3–0.4 mm long, without prickles on disc, crest 6–7-toothed, serrate; teeth 1.0– 2.2 mm long and 1.0– 1.8 mm wide.

Etymology: —The new species is named after the type locality, Fariman city.

Distribution: — Onobrychis farimanensis is a narrowly endemic species known only from the dry-steppe zone of the mountainous regions near north Zharf, Torbat-e Heydarieh in the Razavi Khorasan Province ( Fig. 3). It is only known from the type collection.

Diagnostic characters: —The new species displays a remarkable similarity to O. alamutensis Amirah., Kaz. Osaloo & Charkhch. (2014: 659) in the elliptic to oblong or obovate-oblong leaflets, triangular membranous stipules that connate at the base with brownish stripes, large wing petal (12–14) mm long, and large pod (9–14) mm long. However, it can be recognized by its plant height of up to 46 cm (vs. up to 70 cm) tall, leaflets 15–20 mm (vs. 10–28 mm) long, corolla pale pink-violet (vs. milky yellowish), keel 10–11 mm (vs. ca. 14 mm) long, pod 11−14 mm (vs. 9–12 mm) long and number of teeth 6−7 (vs. 7–10). Also, it is similar to O. major (Boiss. & Kotschy 1872: 533) ex Hand.-Mazz. (1910: 6) in the elliptic to oblong or obovate-oblong shape of the leaflets, stipules connate at the base, inflorescences to 90 mm long, papery bracts, number of pod teeth (5–7), and large standard petal (12–14) mm long, but differs from this species by its plant height of up to 46 cm (vs. up to 100 cm) tall, stems loosely covered by appressed hairs (vs. sparsely appressed pilose), stipules 4−9 mm (vs. 10–12 mm) long, leaflets 15−20 mm (vs. 15–35 mm) long and loosely covered by appressed to subappressed hairs (vs. appressed pilose hairs at lower surface and glabrous at upper surface), calyx 5–7 mm (vs. 8–10 mm) long, corolla pale pink-violet (vs. pink to rose), wing 9−11 mm (vs. (4) 5–6 mm) long, keel 10–11 mm (vs. to 14 mm) long and pod 11−14 mm (vs. 8–9(11) mm) long ( Table 1).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Onobrychis farimanensis (from holotype). A. habit. B. inflorescence with flowers. C. flower. D. pod. Scale A = 5 cm, B–D = 5 mm (Joharchi & Zangooei 23506, FUMH!).

FIGURE 2. Onobrychis farimanensis (from holotype).A. calyx. B. standard. C. wings. D. keel. E. androecium.F. pod and O. alamutensis (from holotype). A1. calyx. B1. standard. C1. wings. D1. keel. E1. androecium. F1. pod (Joharchi & Zangooei 23506, FUMH!). Drawn by A. Askari