Plant & Fungal Research (2018) 1(1): 52-61 © The Institute of Botany, ANAS, Baku, Azerbaijan http://dx.doi.org/10.29228/plantfungalres.8 December 2018 Ontogenetic structure of coenopopulations and variability of morphoparameters of Iris reticulata M. Bieb. Nigar Mursal1 INTRODUCTION Naiba P. Mehdiyeva One of the important and urgent tasks of modern botany Institute of Botany, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, is the protection of rare species. A significant reduc- Badamdar 40, Baku, AZ1004, Azerbaijan tion in habitat, the loss of any population and especially the extinction of the species is the irretrievable loss of Abstract: Ontogenetic and demographic structure of unique genetic information and causes irreparable dam- coenopopulations (CP) of the rare species Iris reticulata age to biodiversity in general. In the study of rare plant M.Bieb. in Quba region of Azerbaijan is described in species, the using of morphometric methods is one of this article. It has been revealed that all coenopopula- the main methods for obtaining a representative amount tions are left-sided, the highest percentage in CP1 and of data on plant individuals, the status of specific popu- CP2 are generative individuals, in CP3 pregenerative lations growing in different environmental conditions individuals. According to the value of delta (Δ) and and under different degrees of anthropogenic impact omega (ω) all 3 coenopopulations are “young” type. [Rabotnov, 1975; Uranov, 1977]. Morphometric analysis of individuals in coenopopula- The genus Iris L. (family Iridaceae Juss.) includes tion and correlation analysis between morphometric pa- more than 200 species distributed mostly in the northern rameters was performed and have been investigated the part of the world [Alekseyeva, 2008]. According to the effects of climate factors to their variability and plastics. flora of Caucasus [Flora Kavkaza, 1940] this genus is The difference in the number of rainy and frosty days, as represented by 30, in Flora of Azerbaijan [Flora Azer- well as in temperature degrees for 2 years has affected baidjana, 1952] 26 and in “Conspect of the flora of Cau- their morphometric features, variability and plasticity. casus” [Konspekt Flori Kavkaza, 2006] by 37 species. It has been determined that the highest value between Various species of the genus Iris have been re- morphoparameters in CP2 are length of leaf, width of searched the coenopopulations in different areas. E. leaf, length of flower shoot, length of petal, length of Khomann et al. [2016] conducted a monitoring of the root, number of roots but in CP3 width of petal, length coenopopulation of the species I. aphylla L. in Bryansk of bulb, width of bulb. The lowest morphological mea- region during 2010–2015 and determined that the coe- surements were observed in CP1. The variation coef- nopopulations of this species commonly in xeromezo- ficients showed that in all three coenopopulations the phyte broad-leaved forests. M. Senchukova et al. [2017] least varied is length of root (10–12%) and high varied and A. Khapuqin et al. [2015] were investigated the of length of flower shoot (33–35%). In all coenopopu- populations of the species I. aphylla in the territory of lations, the most plastic morphoparameter is length of the National Park of the Republic of Mordovia and they flower shoot (0.6–0.62), in addition to CP2 and CP3 were found that the type of population is vegetative- -width of leaf (0.67–0.72). The least plastic is length oriented. A. Shmareva et al. [2014] were studied two of root (0.25–0.28) for all CP. The result of correlation coenopopulations I. notha M.Bieb. in Azov district of analysis showed that the strong correlation between the Rostov region and revealed that the both coenopopula- parameters in all three coenopopulations is the length tions are mature type and well propagate by seed. V. of flower shoot ~ length of bulb. Investigations showed Mu-Za-Chin and V. Shukal [2016] have studied 6 coe- that anthropogenic and natural factors affect the de- nopopulations of the rare species I. sibirica L. in Bry- creasing the number of I. reticulata in the study area. ansk region and it has been established that growth by seed is weak, vegetative reproduction prevails in these Key Words: ontogenetic structure, variability, plastic- coenopopulations. ity, correlation, climate factor V. Sericova and her colleagues [2013] studied the on- togenetic structure of the species I. pumila L. and found that individuals were vegetated during the summer and Accepted for publication: 5 December 2018 their above ground surface was dried up by mid-Sep- E-mail: [email protected] tember. The transition of the seedlings to the juvenile 52 Mursal and Mehdiyeva: Biological characteristics of Iris reticulata stage is often delayed and reaches to the immature age MATERIAL AND METHODS in the second year, in the third year-the virgin phase be- Description of investigated object. I. reticulata - is a gins and they remain at that stage for 2 years. The plant perennial herb with 10–20 (30) cm height. The bulb grows to the generative stage in 5th year and takes on is ovoid, 1.5–2.5 cm wide, outside is dressed with the structure of the last vital form of the species. brown mesh-fibrous sheaths, with rope roots. Leaves Isoflavanoids [Morita et al., 1972; Wu, Xu, 1992], 2–4 green, thin, tetrahedral with whitish tip. Flower xinons [Seki et al., 1994] and triterpenoids [Krick et one or two, apical, on the short flower shoot. Perianth al., 1983] were found in species belonging to the genus funnel, purple. The box is cylindrical, tapered to both Iris. Ch. Williams [1997] proved that there are 17 gly- ends. Flowering and fruiting in March–April. Crypto- cosylphlavons in this genus. J. Harborne, C. Williams phyte-geophyte. It is distributed from the lowland to the [2000] also note that the second metabolites are rich in middle mountain zone in 7 botanical and geographical Iridaceae family. Isoflavones were discovered firstly in regions of Azerbaijan (Quba part of the Greater Cauca- I. florentina L., then in I. pseudopumila Tineo. Gener- sus, Samur-Devechi lowlands, Kur-Araz lowlands, Kur ally, in all Iris plants have different flavonoids [Rastitel- plain, Qobustan and Diabar). Distributed on the edges nye resursy, 2014]. of forest, on grassy slopes, sown fields and in bushes Some of Iris species includes medicinal herbs. One [Flora Azerbaidjana, 1952]. The study was conducted of these species is I. pseudocorus L. This species is of- in March–April, 2017–2018 in the districts Gedik, Uch- ficinal medicinal plant, is widely used in folk medicine, kun-Kupchal, Isnov of Quba region (Fig.1). homeopathy and experimental studies in the disease of gastroenterostomy, urinary, epilepsy, diabetes, acute respiratory infections [Rastitelniye resursi, 1994]. Pre- cious biologically active substances of the underground part have viral, inflammatory and antibacterial proper- ties [Alekseyeva, 2008]. I. musulmanica Fomin is used in the treatment of trichophytics (fungal disease of skin) in Indian medicine and scrophylaxis in folk medicine. In I. pumila has been found substance which charac- terized by detoxication (rabies) in folk medicine and antifungal activity in experimental studies [Rastitelniye resursi, 1994]. The majority of Iris species are used as decorative, as food (I. reticulata), as fodder for horse, camel, sheep (I. biglumis Vahl s.l., I. ensata Thunb., I. pumila, I. ruthenica Ker-Gawl., I. setosa Pall.ex Link, I. Figure 1. The routes of research sibirica), as dye (I. alberti Regel, I. setosa), as aromatic (I. imbricata Lindl.) and as honey resource (I. pseud- Description of investigation area. Mild-warm climate acorus, I. pumila, I. ruthenica) [Rastitelniye resursi, and cold dry winter weather types with precipitation are 1994]. equally distributed in Quba. The territory of the district A wide range of using of Iris species leads to a sig- is located between the altitudes of 200–4500 m above nificant reduction in their natural habitats. Thus, 17 spe- sea level, so the climatic indicates very depending on cies of Iris are included in the Red Book of Azerbai- the altitude. The average annual temperature of the air jan [2013] (I. acutiloba C.A. Mey, I. annae Grossh., I. varies between 0–10°C, in January to -2–14°C, and in camillae Grossh., etc.). One of them is I. reticulata with July 5–23°C. The maximum air temperature increases to category NT - “Being in a state close to threatening.” 30–40°C degrees, the minimum temperature decreases This species has not been studied in terms of studying to -30°C in the cold months of the year. The average an- ontogenetic features, the structure of coenopopulations nual temperature on the surface of the soil varies from and morphometric changes. The aim of the research is 12 degrees in the mountain ranges and ranges from -2°C studying the ontogenetic properties, status of coenopop- to + 27°C per year. Average annual amount of precipita- ulation (CP), variability of morphological features and tion varies from 500 to 1500 mm. The rain falls mainly plasticity of I. reticulata in Quba region and determin- in the autumn. The possible evaporation from the sur- ing correlations between morphoparameters. face cover is 300–700 mm [Əsədov et al., 2008]. 53 Plant & Fungal Research Methods of research. The description of vegetation (Equation 3) of morphological parameters was used the and phytocenoses was carried out according to the method of Y. Zlobin [1989a]. generally accepted methods in geobotany [Polevaya The method of Y. Odum [1952] was used to esti- goebotanika, 1964]. In studying the ontogenetic and mate the characteristics of individuals in the population demographic structure of the coenopopulation, the prin- (Equation 4). ciples and methods adopted by T. Rabotnov, A. Uranov and their followers [Uranov, 1975; Zauqolnova et al., Ip= (A-B)/A 1988].