Rhamnus oleoides Linnaeus (1762: 279)

Alijanpoor, Behnaz, Khodayari, Hamed, Assadi, Mostafa, Rahiminejad, Mohammadreza & Mehregan, Iraj, 2021, A taxonomic revision of Rhamnus L. and Atadinus Raf. (Rhamnaceae) in Iran, Phytotaxa 521 (3), pp. 127-158 : 146-147

6. Rhamnus oleoides Linnaeus (1762: 279) .

Syn.: Rhamnus lycioides Linnaeus. subsp. oleoides (L.) Jahandiez & Maire (1932: 476).

Typus — Unknown (Unknown) location ( HL 262-4 image!) .

Description —Shrubs, spreading on rocks or sometimes erect, 10–60(–100) cm high, wide 12–80 cm. Stems mainly greyish red and brownish red. Branches very dense, pubescent, two types of branches: long (spiny) branches ending in spines, buds and rarely alternate leaves at the tip, of high density branches, alternate or opposite and short (scaly) branches bearing flowers, fruits or fasciculate leaves at the end. Spines simple, when old white, when young red, 1–7 cm long; the angles between branches mostly acute and sometime stright in each specimen; rarely with parallel branches. Buds red on branches. Leaves 0.5–1.5 × 4–6 mm, leathery or sometime herbaceous, thick, pubescent, dimorphic (oblong and obovoid) in each specimen, fasciculate and alternate, mostly silver green and rarely dark green; cuneate or rarely rounded at base, obtuse or rarely acute at the apex; mostly without teeth or with 3-5 pairs of teeth in upper part, without glands; lateral nerves clearly conspicuous, 3–5 pairs, curved or straight, opposite (vernation pinnate); secondary lateral nerves reticulate; petioles unequal, 1–4 or rarely 6 mm long, pubescent. Inflorescence fasciculate. Flowers in leaf axils, bisexual, 3 mm long, 4- merous; calyx campanulate, 3 mm long, lobes 2 mm long; sometimes without petals; disk very small; ovary mostly with 3 locular and with 3 styls; peduncles 3–5 mm long, unequal (longer than petioles); calyx campanulate, 3 mm long, lobes 2 mm long. Fruits fleshy or deried spherical, with 2–4 seeds, in mature fruits bright red, immature green or yellow, with 2–4 furrows. Seeds 3–4 mm long.

Discussion — R. oleoides is not synonymous with R. lycioides L., because R. lycoides has linear leaves and black fruits, whereas R. oleoides has oblong leaves and red fruits.

Habitat and distribution— IRAN, GREECE, MOROCCO, SPAIN, TUNISIA and TURKEY.

The species is an Irano-Turanian elemet of C & W Iran. It grows at an atitude of 1010–2500 m, between 40° and 50° E and between 33° and 37° N. The species occurs in on slopes of N, S, NE & WS aspect, on rocky-pasture lands, rocky sandy and sandy soil .

Phenology—Flowering is in May, fruits and seeds maturie in the second half of August.

Examined specimens—Azarbayjan (w): Naqad, Kouh-e Sultan yaqub, Northern slope, destructive rocky- Pasture habitat, 45°22ʹ05ʺ E, 36°53ʹ16ʺN, 1400 m, 29 May 2017, Alijanpoor & Mirzalo s.n. ( TARI 103824 !); From Urmia towards Oshnavieh, Darreh-ye Qasemlu, Darreh Khan, Southern slope, rocky habitat, 45°06ʹ53ʺ E, 37°18ʹ38ʺ N, 1600 m, 29 May 2017, Alijanpoor & Mirzalo s.n. ( TARI 103896 !); Kermanshah: From Eslam Abad towards Gahvareh, ca. 15 Km to Chenar village , North Easternern and South Western slopes, rocky and rarely pasture habitat, 46°27ʹ07ʺ E, 34°13ʹ04ʺ N, 1490 m, 21 May 2017, Alijanpoor & Karimi s.n. ( TARI 103868 !); From Ilam towards Kermanshah, Goaver road, Gholi Gholi village , On the Mts., habitat rocky, 40°04ʹ12ʺ E, 34°22ʹ47ʺ N, 1010 m, 21 May 2017, Alijanpoor & Karimi s.n. ( TARI 103865 !); Isfahan: From Najafabd towards Trian, Kurd-e Olya village , Faridel, Tang-e Kolang, habitat rocky, 50°38ʹ08ʺ E, 33°00ʹ20ʺ N, 2490 m, 06 May 2017; Alijanpoor s.n. ( TARI 103850 !); Ilam: From Ilam towards Eyvan Gharb, Mt. Renow , Mt. Eyvan , beside Gadim tunnel, 26 August 2017, Alijanpoor & Feyzi s.n. ( TARI 103832 !); GREECE. Griechenland, Kreta, Lefka-Gebirge, 2 km unterhalb, 25 April 1988, R . Albert s.n. ( W 0014281 !); Kreta, Nordküste-nahe Trachinos (9), 26 April 1988, R . Albert s.n. ( W 0007029 !); Kreta, Psichro. , 11 May 1971, H . Malicky ( W 0003161 !); MOROCCO. Marrakech: 96 km WSW Marrakech, road Chichaoua-Agadir , WSW of Imi-h-Tanoute , 19 June 1996, Achhal el A . Kadmiri & E . Vitek s.n. ( W 0006545 !); SPAIN. Andalucía, España, Granada , Busquistar , Cercanias del Portichuelo de Castaras, Escobar García P , 31 May 2016, s.n. ( W 0006977 !); Andalucia, Malaga, Marbella, Dunas de Artola , 10 m, 10 May 2017, P . Escobar Garcia s.n. ( W 0006601 !); TUNISIA. Banzart, Tunisia, Gouvernorat Bizerte, S of road Mateur–Tabar ca. 2–3.5 km SW of Sidi Abdallah Ben Saiden, 37°01’39” N, 9°09’21” E - 37°00’46” N, 9°19’43” E, 235–450 m, 01 April 2014, G . Domina & Alii 1088 ( W 0017429 !); Nabul, Tunisia, Gouvernorat Nabeul, toad from Kelibia to Manzil Tamin , ca. 4.6. km NE Manzil Tamim , S of bridge crossing small river, 36°48’06” N, 11°01’40” E, 5–15 m, 26 March 2014, A Smaoui. & Alii 0383 s.n. ( W 0007003 !); S Nebeur , March 1989, R . Albert s.n. ( W 0000516 !); TURKEY. Goreme B5 Nevsehir, sandiges Tal, 1200 m, 1977 August 26, s.n. ( W 9102 !); Lcel: nbrdlich von Tarsus , bei sanlyayla, 200 m, 29 June 1984, I . Berolensis ( B!); 16 km W Silifke, Garigue , 10–100 m, 09 April 1985, ( W 9100 !); B7 Tunceli, Munzurgebirge NW Ovacik ( Bekirdsshe Da. Schutt u. Felsfluren ), 1500–2900 m, 17 August 1902, K . Browicz , s.n. ( W 06935!)