Zahra Nazem Bokaee’s research while affiliated with Alzahra University and other places

The pollen morphology of 33 species belonging to the genera Lactuca , Launaea , Cicerbita , Sonchus , Condrilla (tribe Cichorieae: Asteraceae) from Iran were studied with light and electron microscopies. The pollen grains of the investigated taxa are almost oblate‐spherical to prolate‐spherical, the shapes are circular in equatorial view, hexagonal in polar view, only Sonchus species are triangular or quadrangular in polar view, isopolar, symmetrical and trizonocolporate, except Sonchus and Chondrilla species, which have tri‐ to tetrazonocolporate pollen grains, and echinolophate. The size and number of spines in the polar area and the number of spines in the paraporal ridges and equatorial ridges proved to be the most taxonomically authentic characteristics in this study. Three pollen types were distinguished, as in alignment with previous studies. Cluster analysis by Ward method based on 10 quantitative morphological characteristics of pollen grains revealed that the species could be grouped based on the pollen characteristics. Moreover, three species of Cicerbita including Cicerbita scoparia (Rech. f. & Köie) Kitam, C . rechingeriana (Tuisl) Coșkunç., M. Güzel & N. Kilian and C . microcephala (DC.) M. Güzel, Coșkunç. & N. Kilian were recorded for the first time in Iran. Although the characteristics of the pollen grains were useful for distinguishing the species in sub‐tribes, in some cases, this did not confirm recent phylogenetic results. The pollen characteristics described in this study provide data that may be useful for future systematic studies aiming to complete the knowledge on Cichorieae species. Research Highlights In the present study, the pollen morphology of 33 species belonging to five genera of the Cichorieae are investigated with scanning electron microscopy and 12 species are analyzed for the first time. The cluster analysis based on the quantitative morphological characteristics of pollen grains revealed that the species could be grouped based on the pollen characteristics. In addition, three species of Cicerbita are reported for the first time in Iran.

Aristolochia (Aristolochiaceae) is composed of three native species in Iran as A. hyrcana, A. olivieri and A. bottae. These medicinal and toxic plants are considered as Irano-Turanian and Zagrosian elements. There are few anatomical studies in this genus. Due to the morphological similarities between these species, in the present study, an attempt is made to evaluate the distinctive value of anatomical and micromorphological traits. The anatomical structure of leaves, stems, and ovaries and micromorphological features of pollen grains, leaf indumentum, epicuticular wax and seed coat of 23 populations of Aristolochia species in Iran has been investigated in the present study. Anatomical features were evaluated by multivariate statistical analyses. Pollen grains are monad, symmetrical, isopolar and non-aperturate. Marginal status, orientation, density and size of epicuticular wax show variation between species studied. The shape, size and surface ornamentation of the seed coat are capable of delimitation of A. hyrcana and A. bottae. Results of the present study show that pollen grains, leaf epicuticular wax and seed coat micromorphology provide diagnostic characteristics to distinguish closely related Aristolochia species. We find that there is a high overlap between A. bottae and A. olivieri. A. hyrcana is different from the other two species in its anatomical structure. Some widely distributed Aristolochia species show hybridization that makes species delimitation difficult. The existence of subspecies levels needs further investigation.

Lycium (Solanaceae) has more than 100 species in arid and semi-arid parts of the world. In Iran, this medicinal plant is represented by 6 species, on which no palynological study has been conducted. Pollen morphology of 7 taxa are considered for the first time to evaluate the species relationships based on palynological data. Observations were made by use of Scanning electron microscopy on untreated pollen grains. Multivariate statistical analyses were carried out for qualitative and quantitative pollen features in the species studied. Results show that all pollen grains were monad, isopolar, zonotricolporate in prolate and preprolate shape. Exine sculpture was of striate and regulate patterns. Variations in pollen grains are considered to overcome the identification problems in species separation in morphologically similar taxa in this genus in Iran. The importance of pollen features in delimitation in some genera of Solanaceae was previously proven and the present study elucidates that some features as exine sculpture and some quantitative characters are of diagnostic importance in Lycium species native to Iran.

Erodium is a genus of Geraniaceae with about 75 annual and biennial species which are distributed in almost all continents except Antarctica. In this project pollen morphology of 8 Erodium species of Iran investigated by light and scanning electron microscope. 14 qualitative and quantitative features considered. All studied species showed monad, isopolar, prolate, spheroidal to oblate – spheroidal pollen grains with tricolporate apertures. Exine sculpture was of reticulate – striate to striate and gemmate types. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed the diagnostic value of pollen morphological features in species separation. Based on present study on pollen morphology, grouping result is in concordance with sub-generic classification. Pollen features are capable of Species separation in Erdoium species of Iran.

With 29 species in Iran, Polygonum L. is comprised of annual and perennial plants in different habitats. P. aviculare makes a species complex, hardly distinguished from P. arenastrum and P. patulum. In the present study, pollen grains, fruit surface and petals and leaves epidermis features were used to provide diagnostic features in order to separate species from one another. In Total, 33 populations of 6 annual species, including P. aviculare, P. arenastrum, P. patulum, P. argyrocoleon, P. polycnemoides and P. olivascens were studied. Specimens were gathered during field trips and studied by means of light and scanning electron microscopes. The Pollen grains of all the species which were studied were monad, subprolate or prolate spheroidal and tricolpate. Main differences were also observed in their surface ornamentations. Length of equatorial and polar axes and colpus, granules diameters and the average distance between granules were other diagnostic features of the pollen grains. Statistical analysis of epidermis features revealed that the length and width of epidermis cells and stomata length varied in the species studied. A close relationship was found between P. aviculare and P. arenastrum on the one hand and P. argyrocoleon and P. olivascens on the other. The separation of P. polycnemoides could be attributed to differences in epidermis features. Results showed that a selected set of these features to be of taxonomic importance.

Populus (Salicaceae) comprises four species which are distributed in different parts of Iran. Poplars are of economic, ornamental and medicinal importance. In present project Populus nigra , P. euphratica , P. alba , P. caspica. are studied. Due to difficulties in P. alba and P. caspica identification and presence of intermediate forms in P. nigra, main aim of present study is to study the leaf cross sections of taxa to find diagnostic features. By considering 30 qualitative and quantitative leaf anatomical features we found that main differences between studied taxa were in midrib shape, hair condition and spongy mesophyll layer. Leaf anatomical features showed taxonomic value in Populus specie separation. All four studied specie are clearly separated. There are leaf anatomical similarities between P. alba and P. caspica due to similar lower epidermis thickness, number of spongy layers in mesophyll and hair presence in lower leaf surface. P. euphratica shows a separate position by features as lower epidermis thickness, leaf diameter to mid rib diameter and absence of spongy mesophyll.

Erodium (Geranaiceae) species are distributed in different habitats of Iran. Some species are of medicinal importance while some are well known weeds. There are no chromosome counts for Erdoium species of Iran. Chromosome numbers are given for six taxa of Erodium (Geraniaceae) from Iran: E. cicutarium (2n=36), E. ciconium(2n=18), E. malacoides (2n=20), E. moschatum (2n=20), E. neuradifolium (2n=20) and E. oxyrrhynchum (2n=20). Chromosome numbers of six studied taxa were recorded for the first time from Iran. Dispolidy is recorded for E. cicutarium for the first time. Observed chromosome numbers are mainly in concordant with previous data. Different ploidy in each species was not observed.

ABStrAct Erodium (L.) L'Hér. with 75 species is the third largest genus in Geraniaceae. Ero-dium is distributed in all continents but it shows a great diversity in the Mediterranean region. In Flora Iranica , Schonbeck-Temesy (1970), 15 species, four subsections and three subspecies have been mentioned for Erodium in Iran. Electrophoretic patterns of seed storage proteins in the genus Erodium has not been studied extensively. In this study for the first time seed protein electrophoretic patterns of seven Erodium species from different regions of Iran have been in-vestigated. Protein extracts of seeds were obtained and protein concentration was determined by the Bradford method and analyzed with SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Results were evaluated by multivariate analysis methods including cluster analysis and factor analysis. In the electrophoretic pattern of seed storage proteins, generally, 48 specific bands with molecular weight between 13-102 kDa were detected. Electrophoretic data confirmed sub-generic classification of Erodium (to Plumosa and Erodium sections). Species relationships are discussed. Acta Biol Szeged 58(1): (2014)