Onosma farsistanica Attar & Mirtadz., 2025

Attar, Farideh, Mirtadzadini, Mansour, Binzet, Rıza & Sotoodeh, Arash, 2025, New taxa of Onosma L. (Boraginaceae, Lithospermeae) from Iran, Adansonia (3) 47 (16), pp. 299-310 : 307-308

Onosma farsistanica Attar & Mirtadz. , sp. nov.

( Figs 6; 7)

TYPE MATERIAL. — Iran • SW, Fars province, between Shiraz and Kazerun , Dasht-e Arjan ; 29°39’41.33”N, 51°58’59.36”E; 6.V.2016; Attar, Mirtadzadini & Raie Niaki 46769; holotype: MIR!; isotype: TUH! • Same locality; 28.IV.2011; Mirtadzadini 3124; paratype: MIR • Same locality, between Shiraz and Kazerun , Dasht-e Arjan ; 27.VI.2006; Attar & Zamani 36296 (Attar collection); paratype: TUH. DIAGNOSIS. — Differt ab O. bilabiata Boiss. & Buhse : folia basalia 20-40 × 5-10 mm (nec 30-11 × 7-25 mm); calyx 14-16 mm longus (nec 18-20 mm longus); corolla 20-22 mm longa (nec 25-30 mm longa) et flava vel flavo-rubra (nec pallide flava); antherae 8 mm longae (nec 9-10 mm); Nuculae 4 mm longae, 3 mm latae (nec 6 mm longae, nec 5 mm latae).

RECOGNITION. — Onosma farsistanica sp. nov. is related to O. bilabiata which is distributed in mountainous steppes of Azerbaijan in northwest of Iran. Despite that, the latter have variable characters throughout its distribution range, but their morphological differences are remarkable. The least distance between these two species is about 550 km. In addition to differences in the type of habitat and geographical distance, these two species have some important and remarkable morphological differences including the size of the corolla, calyx and leaves ( Table 3 ).

DISTRIBUTION, ECOLOGY AND PHENOLOGY. — Onosma farsistanica sp. nov. grows in the oak ( Quercus brantii Lind. var. persica (Jaub. & Spach) Zohary ) woodland, at an elevation of about 2200 m in the southern Zagros mountain range. It is an endemic species to Iran. The species present in the type locality are as follow: Astragalus sp. sect. Caprini, Pterocephalus plumosus (L.) Coult., Amygdalus lycioides Spach , A. scoparia Spach , A. eburnea Spach , Juniperus exscelsa M.B., Quercus brantii Lindl. var. persica , Crataegus asarolus L. subsp. aronia (L.) H.Riedl, Cerasus microcarpa (C.A.Mey.) Boiss. subsp. diffusa (Boiss. & Hausskn.) Browicz , Pistacia atlantica Desf. subsp. atlantica , Paracaryum undulatum Boiss. Flowering June-July , fruiting July-August.

ETYMOLOGY. — The epithet of “farsistanica ” refers to type locality “Farsistan”, the old name of Fars province.

CONSERVATION STATUS. — O. farsistanica sp. nov. is endemic to the Dasht-e Arjan area (between Shiraz and Kazerun) and is known from few, small and scattered populations within a narrow range. Given its restricted AOO, ≤ a few locations, and an inferred continuing decline in habitat quality, we assess it as Endangered (EN) under criterion B2ab(iii) (IUCN 2012).

DESCRIPTION

Caespitose perennial with lignified sub-horizontal thick rootstocks, with few stems, branched from the base, up to 18 cm long, with sterile shoots at the base, usually ascending, covered with white appressed setae, setae arising from stellate-hairy tubercles, between setae covered with spreading to spreading-appressed short hairs. Basal leaves 20-40 × 5-10 mm, spathulate, acute, attenuate towards base into 10-15 mm long petiole; middle leaves sessile, elliptic, 20- 40 × 7-15 mm; upper leaves similar to the middle ones but smaller. Cymes terminal, many-flowered, scorpioid-capitate, c. 3 cm long, up to 4.5 cm in fruiting stage. Bracts narrowly lanceolate, 16 mm long, 1.5 mm wide. Pedicels 1-2 mm long with spreading setae. Calyx 14-16 mm long, up to 17 mm in fruiting state, covered with white dense appressed-spreading setae outside and with short hairs inside, tubercles indistinct; lobes linear or linear-lanceolate, c. 4 mm wide, sometimes, two lobes are coherent up to near the apex, with only the terminal 1 mm remaining free, acute. Corolla 20-21 mm long, cylindrical-campanulate, yellow or yellow and red, in dry state blue, pubescent outside, glabrous inside, lobes triangular, acute, 3 mm wide and 1.5 mm long. Annulus glabrous, lobulate. Anthers sagittate, included, 8 mm long, connate at base. Filaments c. 3 mm long, arising from below the middle of the corolla. Nutlets 4 × 3 mm, often solitary, ovate, yellowish-milky, shiny, irregularly brown-dotted, gradually and shortly beaked ( Figs 6; 7; 9).