Astragalus sect. Elvendia (Fabaceae), a new tragacanthic section recorded from Mt. Alvand, a center of endemism in W Iran

Abstract

A new section of Astragalus from Mt. Alvand, W Iran, was recognized namely Astragalus sect. Elvendia Bagheri & Maassoumi, sect. nov., which is described here based on A. leucargyreus Bornm. A full description and diagnosis of the new section are given and taxonomic relationships of the section and its allied taxa are discussed. Molecular phylogenetic data obtained from the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region as well as plastid ycf1 and matK genes strongly support that the species of the new section is separated from sections Hymenostegis and Adiaspastus, where A. leucargyreus was placed before, and forms a distinct clade. In addition, we discuss the floristic, endemism, and conservation status of the Mt. Alvand region (type locality of the new section).

Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2022.2036846 .

Keywords:

• Astragalus
• endemic
• Leguminosae
• new taxa
• taxonomy

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the University of Isfahan and Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) for supporting this study. Also, we wish to thank the authorities of the herbaria B, HUI, JE, K, P and TARI for providing herbarium facilities and type materials.

Author contributions

A.B., A.A.M., and F.R.B. designed the study; A.B. and A.A.M. recognized the new section and wrote the diagnosis and description; A.B. and F.R.B. performed all the experiments and statistical analyses; A.B. and J.N. gathered the floristic data; J.N. performed the analysis of plant conservation status of Mt. Alvand and took the photos in nature; A.B. wrote the draft of the manuscript; all authors contributed to the manuscript and approved the final version for publication.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was funded partly by the Iranian National Science Foundation to A.B. (INSF, project no. 99004956).