Abstract

Heliotropium spp. is distributed worldwide mainly in tropical and subtropical regions, with dry and warm temperate to semi-arid regions so that Southwest and center of Asia have considered as the main centre of origin and diversity of Heliotropium genus. Iran, with 32 species and 14 (sub) endemic species, has the highest diversity in the world followed by Pakistan and Turkey with 15 species and only one endemic species and the Arabian Peninsula with 15 species and three endemic species are in the next ranks. In order to anatomical studies on Heliotropium, twelve species of this genus were selected from different regions of Iran. The selected species included: H. bacciferum Forssk., H. ramossisimum BGE., H. brevilimb Boiss., H. transoxanum BGE., H. dasycarpum Ledeb, H. dyginum Forssk., H. aucheri Dc., H. carmanicum BGE. As perennial group and H. ellipticum Ledeb., H. lasiocarpum Fisch., H. suaveolens M.B. as annual group. In order to add more data to leaf anatomy characters, evaluating of systematic relevance and/or adaptive value of the morphological and anatomical diversity we have studied 24 anatomical characters in theses 12 species. For example shape and vascular bundles of main midrib, type of parenchyma cells located under lower epidermis of midrib, distance between vascular bundles and lower or upper epidermis, angle of between two parts of blade, number of cellular layers in lower or upper mesophylla, length of upper and lower mesophylla, type of cell wall in lower and upper mesophylla and thickness of lamina were investigated in this study. In order to this present obtained H. aucheri can be separated from H. carmanicum in H. aucheri subsp. carmanicum. It can be conclude that two species H. aucheri and H. carmanicum are independent species and can accept H. transoxanum as a sub group of H. dasycarpum.

Highlights

  • Heliotropium is the second large genus in the borage family (Boraginaceae) in Iran

  • The area covered by Flora Iranica, which includes the whole of Iran, Afghanistan, and some surrounding highlands in Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Iraq, and Pakistan, harbors the majority of the Euro-Asiatic species

  • Based on a recent revision of this genus in the area covered by Flora Iranica (Akhani and Förther, 1994; Akhani, 2007), the total number of all Southwest Asian species is around 70 (Akhani, 2007), still a remarkable number, comparable with the diversity of the genus in Australia with 78 species (Craven, 1996)

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Summary

Introduction

Heliotropium is the second large genus in the borage family (Boraginaceae) in Iran. There are 70 species in this genus, which are commonly known as heliotropes (Akhani and Förther, 1994; Akhani, 2007). The perennial species included Heliotropium bacciferum, H. ramossisimum, H. brevilimb, H. transoxanum, H. dasycarpum, H. dyginum, H. aucheri, H. carmanicum, and H.remotiflorum and the annual species are H. ellipticum, H. lasiocarpum, and H. suaveolens. Palisade parenchyma of lower epidermis consists of two layers, short, with 0.21 mm length serrate wall.

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