A REVIEW OF THE GENUS TILIA L. (TILIACEAE) IN IRAN, NEW RECORDS AND NEW SPECIES H. Zare, T. Amini & M. Assadi Received 19.04.2011. Accepted for publication 21.02.2012. Zare, H, Amini, T. & Assadi, M. 2012 012 31: A review of the genus Tilia L. (Tiliaceae) in Iran, new records and new species. -Iran. J. Bot. 18 (2): 175-190.Tehran. Natural sites were selected as sampling areas in most parts of Hyrcanian forests to study the taxonomical parameters during 2005 – 2010. The range and frequency distribution of Tilia trees were studied via searching on the forestry projects and documents, local inquiry and finally controlling the field data towards finding the trees from each forest type during the study period. Corresponding field data included taxonomical details of the specimens and environmental variables. This also accounted for local morphological variation within the different sites of each ecosystem. All studies were performed on living and herbarium specimens, and on some of the most important local herbarium materials. Results of morphological study and biometry of specimens showed that there are clear differences between trees and herbarium specimens. According to summarized data from the obtained results, six distinct species were identified that include: Tilia cordata, Tilia dasystyla, Tilia rubra subsp. caucasica, Tilia begonifolia, Tilia sabetii and Tilia stellato-pilosa. Of these six species, the last two species are new to science. Nevertheless variation and presence of these species reveal high degree of diversity of this genus in Iran. To provide new identification key for the species, most important botanical characteristics and their ecology and geographical distributions are described. Habib Zare (correspondence < [email protected]>) and Tayebeh Amini Eshkevari, Herbarium of Nowshahr Botanical Garden, Agricultural and Natural Resources Center of Mazandaran. Nowshahr, Iran. -Mostafa Assadi, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, P. O. Box 13185-116, Tehran. Iran. Key words. Tilia, Hyrcanian forests, new species, Taxonomy, Iran. ﻣﺮوري ﺑﺮ ﺟﻨﺲ ﻧﻤﺪار در اﻳﺮان، ﮔﺰارشﻫﺎ و ﮔﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎي ﺟﺪﻳﺪ ﺣﺒﻴﺐ زارع، اﺳﺘﺎدﻳﺎر ﭘﮋوﻫﺶ ﻣﺮﻛﺰ ﺗﺤﻘﻴﻘﺎت ﻛﺸﺎورزي و ﻣﻨﺎﺑﻊ ﻃﺒﻴﻌﻲ ﻣﺎزﻧﺪران. ﻃﻴﺒﻪ اﻣﻴﻨﻲ اﺷﻜﻮري، ﻣﺮﺑﻲ ﭘﮋوﻫﺶ ﻣﺮﻛﺰ ﺗﺤﻘﻴﻘﺎت ﻛﺸﺎورزي و ﻣﻨﺎﺑﻊ ﻃﺒﻴﻌﻲ ﻣﺎزﻧﺪران. ﻣﺼﻄﻔﻲ اﺳﺪي، اﺳﺘﺎد ﭘﮋوﻫﺶ ﻣﻮﺳﺴﻪ ﺗﺤﻘﻴﻘﺎت ﺟﻨﮕﻠﻬﺎ و ﻣﺮاﺗﻊ ﻛﺸﻮر. در اﻳﻦ ﻣﻄﺎﻟﻌﻪ، ﺗﻌﺪاد زﻳﺎدي ﻧﻤﻮﻧﻪ درﺧﺘﻲ از روﻳﺸﮕﺎهﻫﺎي ﻣﺨﺘﻠﻒ و ﻧﻤ ﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎي ﻫﺮﺑﺎرﻳﻮﻣﻲ ﻣﻮرد ﻣﻄﺎﻟﻌﻪ ﻗﺮار ﮔﺮﻓﺖ. ﻣﺸﻜﻼت ﺗﺎﻛﺴﻮﻧﻮﻣﻴﻚ ﻓﺮاواﻧﻲ در راﺑﻄﻪ ﺑﺎ ﺷﻨﺎﺳﺎﻳﻲ ﮔﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎي ﺟﻨﺲ ﻧﻤﺪار در اﻳﺮان وﺟﻮد دارد، ﻧﺘﺎﻳﺞ ﻣﻄﺎﻟﻌﺎت ﺗﻌﺪادي از ﮔﻴﺎهﺷﻨﺎﺳﺎن ﺑﺮ روي اﻳﻦ ﺟﻨﺲ، ﺗﻨﻬﺎ ﻧﻤﺎﻳﺎﻧﮕﺮ ﺣﻀﻮر ﮔﻮﻧﻪ Tilia platyphyllos و در ﻣﻄﺎﻟﻌﺎت ﺑﺮﺧﻲ ﮔﻮﻧﻪ Tilia dasystyla و در ﺗﻌﺪادي ﻫﻢ ﮔﻮﻧﻪ Tilia rubra در اﻳﺮان اﺳﺖ. در واﻗﻊ ﻧﺘﺎﻳﺞ ﻣﻄﺎﻟﻌﺎت اﻛﺜﺮ اﻳﻦ ﮔﻴﺎه ﺷﻨﺎﺳﺎن، ﺣﺎﺻﻞ ﻣﻄﺎﻟﻌﻪ ﺑﺮ روي ﺗﻌﺪادي ﻣﻌﺪود ﻧﻤﻮﻧﻪ ﻫﺮﺑﺎرﻳﻮﻣﻲ و ﻧﻤﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎي زﻧﺪه ﺑﻮد و ﻧﻤﻲ ﺗﻮاﻧﺪ ﻣﻨﺒﻊ ﻛﺎﻣﻠﻲ در ﺧﺼﻮص ﻗﻀﺎوت ﺑﺮ روي ﻧﻤﺪارﻫﺎي اﻳﺮان ﺑﺎﺷﺪ. ﻧﺘﺎﻳﺞ ﻣﻄﺎﻟﻌﻪ 6 ﺳﺎﻟﻪ در اﻳﻦ ﺑﺮرﺳﻲ، ﻧﺸﺎن داد ﻛﻪ ﮔﻮﻧﻪ Tilia platyphyllos در اﻳﺮان اﻧﺘﺸﺎر ﻧﺪاﺷﺘﻪ زﻳﺮا ﻣﺸﺨﺼﻪ ﻣﻬﻢ اﻳﻦ ﮔﻮﻧﻪ ﻋﺪم وﺟﻮد ﺳﻴﺨﻚ در ﻧﻮك دﻧﺪاﻧﻪﻫﺎ اﺳﺖ ﻛﻪ در ﻧﻤﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎي ﻧﻤﺪار اﻳﺮان ﺑﻪ ﭼﺸﻢ ﻧﻤﻲﺧﻮرد. ﺗﻌﺪاد ﮔﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎي ﻧﻤﺪار اﻳﺮان در اﻳﻦ ﻣﻄﺎﻟﻌﻪ از 1 ﮔﻮﻧﻪ ﺑﻪ 6 ﮔﻮﻧﻪ اﻓﺰاﻳﺶ ﻳﺎﻓﺖ و ﻳﻚ ﮔﻮﻧﻪ ﻫﻴﺒﺮﻳﺪ (Tilia xeuchlora) ﻧﻴﺰ ﺷﻨﺎﺳﺎﻳﻲ ﺷﺪ. ﺗﻌﺪادي ﮔﻮﻧﻪ ﺷﺎﻣﻞ T. dasystyla, T. begonifolia, T. rubra و T. cordata ﺑﻪ ﻋﻨﻮان اوﻟﻴﻦ ﮔﺰارش و ﮔﻮﻧﻪ ﻫﺎي Tilia sabetii و Tilia stellato-pillosa ﺑﻪ ﻋﻨﻮان ﮔﻮﻧﻪ ﻫﺎي ﺟﺪﻳﺪ ﺑﺮاي اوﻟﻴﻦ ﺑﺎر ﻧﺎﻣﮕﺬاري و ﺷﺮح داده ﻣﻲﺷﻮﻧﺪ. ﻛﻠﻴﺪ ﺷﻨﺎﺳﺎﻳﻲ ﺟﺪﻳﺪ، ﻣﺸﺨﺼﺎت ﮔﻴﺎه ﺷﻨﺎﺳﻲ، روﻳﺸﮕﺎﻫﻲ و اﻛﻮﻟﻮژي ﮔﻮﻧﻪﻫﺎ ﺑﻪ ﻫﻤﺮاه ﺷﻜﻞ و ﻧﻘﺸﻪ اﻧﺘﺸﺎرآﻧﻬﺎ ﻧﻴﺰ اراﺋﻪ ﺷﺪه اﺳﺖ. IRAN. J. BOT. 18 (2), 2012 Zare & al. 176 INTRODUCTION mainly affected by studies done on herbarium Tiliaceae is a family of trees, shrubs or rarely herbs; it specimens by foreign botanists like Browičz (1981), includes 400 woody species, among them 30–40 Pigott and Francis (1999). In spite of a few studies species of Tilia that most of them are found in the done in the past, the fact of the presence of different Asian tropics. Ten species are found in the temperate species has been neglected. region of the northern hemisphere (Veličković, 2010). The genus is easily recognized by its unique MATERIALS AND METHODS morphology especially the tongue-like bract to which The study area includes Golestan, Mazandaran and the stalk of the dichasial cymose inflorescence is partly Gilan provinces in the north of Iran. From East to West fused (Pigott, 2006). These trees are widely distributed and also in altitudinal range of lower and mid-altitude and localy important members of northern temperate to the upper parts of northern slopes of Alburz broad-leaved forests (Radoglou et al., 2008). In mountains with approximate geographic coordinates: Hyrcanian forests, they are the most important trees in 35° 49´ to 38° 40´ N, 48° 55´ to 56° 57´ E in the forest the forest ecosystems found in northern slopes of zone of Hyrcanian province of the Euro-Siberian Elburz Mountains located in northern Iran. In most region. This zone consists of different geographical regions, especially in Europe, Tilia can be found as co- aspects and wide range of mountainous sites, altitudinal dominant tree species in mixed stands as a result of its range is between -20 to 2600 m above sea level. The vitality and adaptation to the changing environment annual temperature of this area ranges from -5 to (Radoglou et al., 2008). But in Hyrcanian forests, the 12.6°C during winter to 18 to 35°C during summer, Lime trees (Tilia spp.) are large and robust trees with with rainfall ranging from 770 mm. in the Eastern, to 30 to 40 m. height and 1 to 3 m. in diameter as a 2200 mm. in the Western parts. dominant tree. Depending on ecological conditions and The range and frequency distribution of Tilia trees geographical location, Tilia species can be mixed with were studied via searching on the forestry projects and other broadleaved tree species such as Fagus orientalis documents, local inquiry and finally controlling the Lipsky, Carpinus betulus L., Acer velutinum Boiss., field data towards finding the trees from each forest Alnus subcordata C. A. Mey., Quercus castaneifolia C. type during the study period. Afterwards natural sites A. Mey., Parrotia persica (DC.) C. A. Mey. as well as were selected as sampling areas in most parts of a needle leaved species such as Taxus baccata L. Hyrcanian forests to study the taxonomical parameters The genus Tilia, due to many taxonomic problems during 2005 – 2010. Corresponding field data included and difficulty in specimen collection of tall trees and taxonomical details of the specimens and because of being spread, has always been an interesting environmental variables (habit, phenology, abundance, tree species to study. The species, however, are habitat, latitude, altitude, and soil type and plant difficult to determine. More than one hundred has been associations). This also accounted for local described but evidences, which are largely based on morphological variation within the different sites of recent studies on natural populations, supplemented by each ecosystem. Moreover, sampling exploration was chromosome counts and cultivation, indicate a much made in the study area and it included nearly every lower number: probably 22 species with 12 subspecies month of the growth period in order to collect (Pigott, 2002). Since many of vegetation and ecological specimens through the use of trained workers to take features of Hyrcanian forests are unknown and the samples from large trees. From each tree in the forests are old and because of natural obstacles have population, 8-10 specimens were collected. All studies remained safe from the last glacial era, they become a were performed on living and herbarium specimens, refuge for many broad-leaved species in such a way and on some of the most important local herbarium that most of these species have been vanished from the materials. Specimens of the largest Iranian herbaria forests in Europe and the Caucasus and, during this including TARI, TUM and herbarium of Swedish period, they had the opportunity to develop (Takhtajan, Museum of Natural History as well as some of the most 1986). important local herbaria were studied. In this way, data Hence, more study on plant taxonomy and from herbarium materials associated with investigation phytogeography investigation of Hyrcanian forest can on living specimens are used to extend the manifest many unknown features. There is poor morphological studies and also to compare them with taxonomic information on the genus Tilia relating to large herbarium specimens. A number of Iran and the last study in the Flora Iranica was morphological observations applied to determine the previously revised by Browičz (1981). In this study, variation of organs consist leaves shape, size and one species with two subspecies were accepted configuration of lateral teeth and the tip of the leaves, (Browičz, 1981). Studies related to Iran’s Tilia were the presence or absence of prod (aristate) on the tooth, 177 The genus Tilia in Iran IRAN. J. BOT. 18 (2), 2012 hairs and type of them on the surface and below the 1. T. cordata leaves, hair tuft on axillary veins, being hairy and - Leaves distant, relatively large and its length more pubescence on the vein, petiole, flowering bracts, than 10 cm; veins on the lower surface prominent, peduncle and pedicels, flowers, length of peduncle and relatively parallel. Fruit shell tough and woody 3 pedicels, pubescent or glossy styles and existence of 3. Underside of leaves especially on the sprout and staminod, fruit shape and being plain or presence of rib young shoots simultaneously with simple and scattered on the surface of fruits, traits of fruits such as stellate hairs, rarely glabrous 4 symmetry and situation of the rib and tip. - Underside of leaves glabrous or with scattered simple The study also intend to describe some ecological hairs 5 traits of the different trees of the Tilia spp., to identify 4.