Helictotrichon turcomanicum Czopanov (1970: 23)

Memariani, Farshid, Joharchi, Mohammad Reza & Akhani, Hossein, 2016, Plant diversity of Ghorkhod Protected Area, NE Iran, Phytotaxa 249 (1), pp. 118-158 : 122

Helictotrichon turcomanicum Czopanov (1970: 23) . Figure 2e

Material examined. IRAN. Central part of GPA: south of Kani-e Saran valley , northern slopes of Ghorkhod Mt., 37°27ʹ21ʺ N, 56°28ʹ32ʺ E, 2625 m, 18.06.2011, Memariani & Arjmandi 44438 ( FUMH, Hb. Akhani). Localities outside GPA: SW Bojnurd: Salook Mt., 13 km on the special road towards Salook P. A., 37°17ʹ14ʺ N, 57°06ʹ02ʺ E, 2500–2580 m, 10.06.2010, Memariani & Arjmandi 43943 ( FUMH) ; SW Bojnurd: Salook Mt. , on the special road towards Salook P. A., 37°17ʹ09ʺ N, 57°05ʹ48ʺ E, 2502 m, 01.06.2008, Joharchi & Zangooei 40614 ( FUMH) ; SW Bojnurd: Rein towards Marjan rangelands, Bali, northern slopes of Aladagh Mt., 37°22ʹ33ʺ N, 57°03ʹ12ʺ E, 2350– 2400 m, 28.05.2006, Memariani & Zangooei 37797 ( FUMH) .

The genus Helictotrichon Besser in Schultes & Schultes (1827: 526) was not recorded from Iran in Flora Iranica ( Bor 1970). Termeh (1987) recorded H. pubescens ( Hudson 1762: 42) Pilger (1938: 6) from Kalardasht, Mazandaran province, as new genus and species for the Iranian grass flora. Then, two other species, H. pratense ( L.) Pilger (1938: 6) and H. armeniacum ( Schischkin 1928: 418) Grossheim (1939: 214) , were recorded by Assadi (1988, 1998) from Azarbaijan Province, NW Iran. Helictotrichon turcomanicum is the fourth species of the genus in Iran. This was hitherto known only from the type locality in Messinev Mt., Central Kopet Dagh, Turkmenistan ( Tzvelev 1976; Nikitin & Gel’dikhanov 1988). The above cited specimens extend its distribution range to western Khorassan-Kopet Dagh at middle to higher elevations of Ghorkhod, Salook and Aladagh ranges. This species is morphologically distinct from the others by filiform and convolute leaves, puberulous panicle axis and branches, and relatively shorter glumes and lemmas ( Tzvelev 1976; Clayton et al. 2002).

Figures

FIGURE 2. New plant records in their habitats; a–b: Allium transvestiens on gypsum foothills, c–d: Agropyron desertorum on disturbed slopes, e: Helictotrichon turcomanicum in high mountain steppes, f–g: Piptatherum latifolium in Paliurus spina-christi scrubs.