Rhamnus cathartica var. caucasica, Kusnezow (1892: 415)

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 : 132

R. cathartica var. caucasica Kusnezow (1892: 415) .

Syntypi —CAUCASUS, RUSSIA. Terek Province et Regio Tschernomorsch ( LE 01042940, 01042938, 01042941, 01042942, images!). R. elbursensis Gauba & Rechinger f., (1941: 99) .

Typus — IRAN. Mazandaran: In vally Chalus , 2000 m, Gauba 900 ( W 6355 !) .

Description —Young branches and leave are pubescent with orbicular, ovate to elliptic and lanceolate leaves.

Habitat and distribution — The variety is an Euro-Siberian element of Azerbaijan, Kurdistan Mazandaran and Golestan Provinces of N to W & C Iran. It growes at an altitude of 1400-2600 m, between 45° and 53° E and between 35° and 38° N on slopes E & W and E-W aspect, mostly along the rivers in forests, on rocks of pasture lands and forests .

Discussion — R. cathartica subsp. caucasica is very variable in habit and leaves. Leaves are mostly ovoid to elliptic, rarely orbicular or lanceolate, thin herbaceous, base mostly obtus e. They are tall trees or shrubs, erect in forests with a few simple spines, while in the Sad Sia Bishe and Dashte nazir populations, leaves are rhomboid, lanceolate, thick herbaceous to coriaceous, acute at base; the habit of a few specimens in Sad Sia Bisheh population is short (20–120 cm), spreading on the rocks with lots of simple or branches spines.

Examined specimens— IRAN. Azerbaijan ( E): From Ahar towards Kaleybar, beginning of Kaleybar , 47°30ʹ08ʺ E, 38°50ʹ44ʺ N , 2100 m, 31 May 2017, Alijanpoor s.n. ( TARI 103859 !); Kaleybar, Arasbaran forest, Hejran Dust , Darre Makidi , Eastern slope, forest (along river) habitat, 46°54ʹ53ʺ E, 38°51ʹ14ʺ N , 1400 m, 01 June 2017, Alijanpoor s.n. ( TARI 103858 !); Kaleybar, Arasbaran forest, Khoda Afarin area , Kalaleh village , Armani Oland forest , 46°45ʹ12ʺ E, 38°56ʹ31ʺ N , 1230 m, 01 June 2017, Alijanpoor s.n. ( TARI 103816 !) ; Azerbaijan ( W): From Urmia towards Oshnavieh, Darreh-ye Qasemlu , Darreh Khan , Eastern-Westherrn slope, rocky habitat (along river), 45°06ʹ53ʺ E, 37°18ʹ38ʺ N, 1600 m, 29 May 2017, Alijanpoor & Mirzaloo s.n. ( TARI 103852 !) ; Kurdistan: From Marivan towards Saggez, at the end of Sagqez , opposite of Agje village , near to river, pasture land (along river) habitat, 46°25ʹ46ʺ E, 35°47ʹ00ʺ N, 1790 m, 23 May 2017, Alijanpoor & Sabzi s.n. ( TARI 103815 !) ; Mazandaran: From Karaj towards Mazanabad, Kojur road, Dasht-e Nazir village , opposite of Sand company, forest habitat, 51°35ʹ25ʺ E, 36°25ʹ24ʺ N , 980 m, 04 May 2017, Alijanpoor & Azizi s.n. ( TARI 103814 !); From Karaj towards Siah Bisheh, ca . 100 m to Siah Bisheh dam, Western slope, Rocky Forest habitat, 51°18ʹ24ʺ E, 36°14ʹ05ʺ N , 1830 m, 04 May 1830, Alijanpoor & Azizi s.n. ( TARI 103842 !); Kelardasht , 1800 m, Gauba s.n. ( IRAN 35644 !); Chalus to Karaj, Siah Bisheh , 2000 m, 07 June 1960, Pabot s.n. ( IRAN 35645 !); Kudju r, Inter Kudjur et Dashte –e Nazir , 800-1300 m, 09-11 August 1948, K. H. & F . Rechinger s.n. ( B 6617 !); Nowshahr, Neyriz , Bastam , 28 June 1956, Sabeti s.n. ( IRAN 35646 !); Kelardasht , 1800 m, Gauba s.n. ( IRAN 35644 !) ; Golestan: Gorgan , 100 m, 12 May 1966, Pabot s.n. ( IRAN 35647 !); Gorgan , 15 June 1948, Rechinger & Manouchehri s.n. ( IRAN 35648 !); Gorgan, in delivibus montium shahvar prope Hadjilang , 2400– 2600 m, 26–27 July 1948, K. H . Rechinger s.n. ( IRAN 6109 !) ; Markazi: Semna, From Shahmirzad towards Parvar Protected Area , after Fork road Parvar towards Parvar Protected Area , after Kavard village , near to river and bridge, 53°27ʹ55ʺ E, 36°27ʹ54ʺ N, 2300 m, 27 April 2017, Alijanpoor & Hoseinii s.n. ( TARI 103805 !) ; ARMENIA. Kotayk province: bovian, ca. 2 km NW Arzekan, Aghveran gorgeb, 40° 29ʺ E, 44° 36ʺ N , 1630 m, 28 June 2002, Fayvush et al. 2315 ( ERE, PAL., B, SEV, G, W, FL, HJU, CAT, M) ; Lori province, road between Alaverdi and Tumanyan , N Kobair , 41°02’42” N, 44° 37’39”, E , 08 May 2005, Fayvush G . et al, s.n. ( W 0006522 !) ; Syunik, Inter p. Kafan et Sichauz , in silva Uzun-Meša. , 04 Agust 1929, Schelkovnikov , A . & Kara-Murza E . s.n. ( W 0007567 !) ; Syunik, Megri district, Daglidash mountain , 2200 m, 08 June 1947, A . Dolukhanov s.n. ( W 0008181 !); Vayots, Armenia , Vayots Dzor province, area ca. 13 km E of Vayk, near Artavan , ca. 1.4 km SW of village, forest along rivulet, 18 June 2009, M . Oganesyan et. al. s.n. ( W 0011941 !); Vayotsdzor province, Yeghegnadzor distr. , ca. 12 km N Yeghegnadzor, around village Eghegis , 27 June 2002, G . Fayvush , et. al. 2260 s.n. ( W 0011515 !, ERE, PAL, B, BC, G, FI, HUJ, CAT, M, Catanzaro, IBSC); Ashtarak, in declivibus montis Aragas, in valle fluminis Amberd, situ austro-occidentali a vico Byurakan , 1500–1600m, 04 October 1974, V . Vasak s.n. ( G 274882 !) ; GEORGIA. In urba Tbilisi, Ortachala , ad meridiem versus ab horto botanico, 700–800 m, 04 August 1982 s.n. ( G 299113 !) ; TURKEY. Gümüşhane. S of Zigana Dagi Pass on the road from Erzurum to Trrabzom, 1 km S of Gecit village , 1650 m, 22 August 1972, V . Vasak 8037 & I Kukkonen ( W!) .