Plinthus persicus n. sp. with biogeographic considerations on the P. illotus species group (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Molytinae)

Plinthus persicus n. sp. is described; type locality: Iran, Mazandaran, 10 km SW of Rudbarak. The new species belongs to the group of Plinthus illotus, composed of some species distributed in Armenia and Transcaucasus; it expands the range of the genus to northern Iran. Some biogeographical and ecological notes are discussed. A key to the P. illotus species group is added.     

Rheum neyshabourense sp. nov. (Polygonaceae) from Iran

Rheum neyshabourense Baradaran & Jafari from northeastern Iran (Khorassan Razavi Province) is newly described. It is similar to R. ribes but differs in the number of prominent leaf veins, the position of the joint on the pedicle, fruit shape, epidermal cell shape and the type of stele in the inflorescence axis. A key to Rheum species in Iran is also provided.     

Crataegus grossidentata sp. nov. (Rosaceae–Pyreae), a new hawthorn from northern Iran

Crataegus grossidentata Sharifnia & K. I. Chr., found in northern Iran, is described and illustrated as a species new to science. Its ecology, distribution and taxonomic relationships are discussed. A key to C. grossidentata and other one‐styled taxa of Crataegus occurring in Iran is provided.     

Centaurea rahiminejadii sp. nov. and a new record in the genus Centaurea (Asteraceae,Cardueae–Centaureinae) from Iran

A new species, Centaurea rahiminejadii Negaresh (Asteraceae) in C. sect. Cynaroides Boiss. ex Walp., is described and illustrated from the Kermanshah Province, west Iran. It is morphologically similar to Centaurea regia Boiss. subsp. regia. Diagnostic morphological of this and closely related taxa are discussed and presented. The ecology, habitat and conservation status of the new species are also described. In addition, Centaurea regia subsp. cynarocephala (Wagenitz) Wagenitz is reported as a new record to the flora of Iran. Finally, the geographic distribution of the new species and closely related species is presented and mapped.     

Cousinia brevicaulis sp. nov. (sect. Lasiandra) for the flora of Iran

Cousinia brevicaulis is described and illustrated as a new species from eastern Iran. This species belongs to the C. sect. Lasiandra Bunge as defined by hairy anther tube, yellow, pale yellow or rarely milky flowers, monocarpic growth form and corymbose branching of stem. It is easily distinguished from other species of the section by its very short‐stemmed habit. The new species is distributed in the same region as other species of C. sect. Lasiandra.     

Pyrus cordifolia sp. nov. and two new records of Pyrus (Rosaceae) from Iran

A new species, namely Pyrus cordifolia (P. sect. Pashia) is described as new to science, and two new records including P. tamamschianiae (P. sect. Pyrus) and P. theodorovii var. latifolia (P. sect. Argyromalon) are reported for the flora of Iran. These taxa are compared with their closest relatives. Photographs and a distribution map of these taxa as well as an illustration of the new species are presented. An identification key to members of P. sect. Pashia in Iran is provided.     

Trachyspermum reginei sp. nov. (Apiaceae) from southwest Iran

Trachyspermum reginei Ajani & Mozzaff. sp. nov., is described and illustrated as a new species from Chaharmahale Bakhtiari province, SW Iran. The new species differs from its closest relative T. confusum, endemic to Afghanistan, mainly by stem, leaf and fruit morphological characters. Its taxonomic relationships with T. podlechii and T. ammi are also discussed. The new species is threatened by different factors and its protection is recommended.     

Erysimum damirliense sp. nov. (Brassicaceae) from Iran

Erysimum damirliense, a new species of Brassicaceae from Zanjan and Ardebil provinces (northwest Iran) is described and illustrated. The new species resembles E. uncinatifolium and E. elbrusense, but is easily recognized by its life form, basal leaf margin, indumentum of cauline leaves, number of flowers in the main raceme, fruit width and style length. Phylogenetic analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) DNA sequences confirm that the new species is distinct from morphologically similar species.     

Phylogeny,biogeography and divergence times of Astragalus section Incani DC. (Fabaceae) inferred from nrDNA ITS and plastid rpl32‐trnL(UAG) sequences

Astragalus sect. Incani, one of the most species‐rich sections of Astragalus with ca 140 species, is well known for its taxonomic complexity resulting from overlapping morphological characters and high phenotypic plasticity. Its main centers of diversity are in Iran and Turkey with about 120 species. Using nrDNA ITS and plastid rpl32‐trnL_(UAG) markers, we reconstructed the phylogeny of members of the section by means of maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, Bayesian, Beast and S‐DIVA analyses. This is the first comprehensive work on the section Incani covering its full geographic range. All members of the section (including A. subsecundus) except A. platyphyllus formed a well‐supported clade (Incani s.s.). Within the section, two major groups with different geographic distribution were detected. One group includes nine examined species restricted to eastern Iran and Central Asia and the other group comprises a majority of the species from west and northwestern Iran, Turkey and southern Europe. The Divergence time analysis suggests that Incani s.s. originated in the late Pliocene and a majority of the speciation events dates to the last 1–1.5 Myr. This indicates that the recent diversification of Incani s.s. coincided with climatic changes during the Pliocene and Pleistocene and was followed by complex biogeographical processes in which dispersal have been vital for shaping the current distribution pattern . The S‐DIVA suggested a predominantly east–west route of dispersal from an origin in the east, and a major phylogenetic split between eastern and western lineages. However, the geographical distribution of A. monspessulanus/A. incanus and A. ackerbergensis/A. gueldenstaedtiae does not correspond to their phylogenetic positions. The former species are restricted to southern Europe/North Africa, but belong in two distinct subclades. The latter, restricted to northeastern Iran are phylogenetically close to species of western and northwestern Iran and Turkey. Astragalus sykesiae is resurrected as a distinct species separated from a broadly defined A. mercklinii.     

Taxonomic revision and phytogeographic studies in Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae) in the Khorassan provinces of Iran

This study is focused on the genus Euphorbia L. in a part of northeast Iran, viz. the three Khorassan provinces. Since there are many taxa of Euphorbia in Iran which are used in different industries and have significant effects on human and non‐human life it is important to revise their taxonomy. With about 90 species, following Turkey with 91 species, Iran is the second richest country for Euphorbia in Asia. Of these, 30 species are distributed in the Khorassan provinces. This is the first comprehensive work on the genus in this region. According to ‘Flora Iranica’, there are 17 species of Euphorbia in northeast Iran, while according to our results, there are 30 species of Euphorbia in the Khorassan provinces alone. In addition to various new taxonomic and biogeographic results, a new species, viz. E. chamanbidensis, is described. Euphorbia chamanbidensis is closely related to E. aucheri, but seed micro‐morphological characters differentiate them. Two identification keys to the Euphorbia species of the studied area are provided, one based on macro‐morphological characters and another based on seed micro‐morphological characters. Phytogeographic analysis and distribution maps for all species are also presented.