Plant & Fungal Research (2020) 3(1): 46-53 © The Institute of Botany, ANAS, Baku, AZ1004, Azerbaijan http://dx.doi.org/10.29228/plantfungalres.68 June 2020 Ornamental rare grasses in the North-Eastern part of Azerbaijan Parvin N. Aghayeva 2019]. Negative influence of human activity is widely Institute of Botany, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, recognized, and it demands the international action on Badamdar 40, Baku, AZ1004, Azerbaijan plant conservation [Corlett, 2016; Knapp, 2011]. Plants Abstract: The article deals with wild species of rare are the foundation in all terrestrial ecosystems. Food, ornamental herbs growing in Quba and Qusar districts health and energy security greatly depends on plants. of Azerbaijan, south-eastern part of Greater Caucasus. Life in the rural areas based on many more on plants. During 2013-2019 years in total, about 500 specimens Thus conservation of all plant species is expediently were collected and identified as 235 taxa based on for range of reasons, including aesthetic, scientific and the main diagnostic morphological characters. Of ethical grounds [Corlett, 2016]. those 21 taxa belonging to 18 genera were rare plants Some species are estimated as rare or threatened, included in the second edition of the Red Book of but it is still unclear; those are rare due to the natural Azerbaijan. Considering the latest taxonomic and (inherent) features, dispersal capacity, or abiotic nomenclatural changes these include Alcea kusariensis, environmental condition. Important role of the Asrtagalus kubensis, Crocus biflorus subsp. adamii, environmental condition is in determining why some C. speciosus, Epipactis palustris, Galanthus alpinus, species are abundant and others are rare [Wamelink Himantoglossum formosum, Iris caucasica, Limodorum et al., 2014]. Habitat may have limited factors such as abortivum, Muscari armeniacum, Ophry sapifera, availability of nutrient, groundwater, soil pH, existing O. sphegodes subsp. mammosa, Orchis purpurea, vegetation structure etc. Habitat loss, fragmentation and Planthera chlorantha, Phelypaea coccinea, Primula degradation are among the major threats. algida, Primula heterochroma, Pulsatilla albana, Scilla Species abundance and species occupancy across the siberica subsp. caucasica, Tanacetum coccineum and local geographic range tend to be correlated and in this Tulipa biebersteiniana belonging to the five orders, case rare species tend to also show up in only a few seven families. Species have been recorded in more local communities [Enquist et al., 2019]. Estimation than one altitude zone. Most of rare species occur in of rarity in global scale can therefore minimize the low and middle mountain zones. Few species are doubts concerning whether a species is rare. The role recorded in higher elevations. Life forms and flowering of the rare species is highly disputable. Rare species are period of plants were also investigated. Cephalanthera important in maintainers of ecosystem, and this is widely damasonium, C. longifolia, Fritillaria lutea and Muscari investigated for supporting the most distinctive and armeniacum are new rare plants that need protection of vulnerable functions in the high diversity ecosystems which insertion to the third edition of the Red Book of [Mouillot et al., 2013]. They request more attention, Azerbaijan is proposed. because these are often being the first to disappear. As it is well known, locally rare taxon is rare only Key Words: Greater Caucasus, diversity, herb plants, in a given geographical boundary, but not outside that life forms, Red Book boundary. Identification of rare taxa locally is very important for recognition of their status and preservation. INTRODUCTION This information is also necessary for the identification Biodiversity is threatened worldwide. Total number of of the rare taxa globally, nationally and provincial levels land plant species are around 500.000 and many species [Crain, White, 2011]. Development decision on the are still unknown to science and significant parts of rarity of taxa happens first at local, then regional levels these plants are under risk. About 40 % of global flora and conservation measures for protection of the species considered rare or under risk due to the increase of diversity still must be agreed in the national level. global pollution and climate change [Enquist et al., The interest in ornamental plants was growing exponentially over the last decades. Continued Accepted for publication: 8 May 2020 reduction of natural resources necessitates using hardy E-mail: [email protected] ornamental plants with low maintenance requirements 46 Aghayeva: Ornamental rare grasses for creating urban landscapes, especially those plants 235 taxa of 28 orders, 44 families and 140 genera of displaying inherent tolerance to environmental stresses ornamental plants were recorded in Quba and Qusar [Heywood, 2003; Gray, Brady, 2016]. districts during our study. In this study we report 23 Ornamental plants in Azerbaijan was little studied species and two subspecies belonging to four plant [Flora of Azerbaijan, 1950-1961; Tutayuk et al., 1961]. groups, eight orders, 11 families and 20 genera that are The study of the ornamental flora of Quba and Qusar considered as rare for these districts (Table). districts was launched in 2013. The objective of the Monocots are prevailing in the number of species and present study was to report the patterns of known include species of the orders Liliales and Asparagales. and new rare ornamental herb species in Quba-Qusar Liliales is represented with Fritillaria lutea Mill. which districts of Azerbaijan. is unresolved name according to World Checklist of selected plant families (WCSP data supplied on MATERIAL AND METHODS 2012-03-23). Another species of this family is Tulipa The Quba and Qusar are adjacent districts with biebersteiniana Schult. & Schult. f. territory respectively 1542 km2 and 2574 km2 located The order Asparagales include taxa of the familes at 500-4466 m above sea level in the North-Eastern Orchidaceae, Iridaceae and Amaryllidaceae. The part of Azerbaijan which is considered one of the most family Orchidaceae include Epipactis palustris, naturally floristically rich area within the country. These Himantoglossum formosum, Limodorum abortivum, two districts have been used as a recreational area Ophrys apifera, Ophrys sphegodes subsp. mammosa, for many years and vegetation has exposed to strong Planthera chlorantha and Orchis purpurea. Two Ophrys anthropressure, which requires continuous study of species were mentioned as Ophrys oestrifera and vegetation. Human impact, recreational activities are Ophrys caucasica in the Red Book of Azerbaijan (2nd highly increased during last couple of decades due to ed; 2013). The status of the species Orchis purpurea the faster growing infrastructure and service sector, is ambiguous in the World Flora Online (WFO) but is such as travel and tourism economy in the country. accepted name in The Plant list. Approximately 500 specimens were collected and Recorded rare irises were Crocus biflorus subsp. 235 herbal taxa were recorded in the territory during adamii (Syn.: Crocus adamii J. Gay), Crocus speciosus 2013-2019 of which 25 were rare taxa. Plants for and Iris caucasica. One more species of this order was our analysis were chosen based on phonological and Galanthus alpinus Sosn. belonging to the amaryllis morphological features (structure of flowers, stem, family (Amaryllidaceae). leaves) and overall aesthetic qualities. Each collected Eudicots were represented with Pulsatilla albana sample was characterized based on morphology and of the Ranunculaceae family, order Ranunculales. identified visually or by using a dissection microscope Rosids and Asterids represented with two and three [Sunshine ST-3024R-2L, China]. Identification of species respectively. Rosids includes Asrtagalus samples was implemented based on available literature kubensis Grossh. (Fabaceae, Fabales) and Alcea on the local flora, and recent checklists [Flora of kusariensis (Malvales, Malvaceae) of which the Azerbaijan, 1961; Caucasian flora conspectus, 2008, latter is mentioned as unresolved name in The Plant 2012; Alizade et al., 2019]. The species status was also List and ambiguous in WFO. Asterids includes and checked following the “An Online Flora of All Known Phelypaea coccinea (M. Bieb.) Poir., Tanacetum Plants” (www.worldfloraonline.org) and “The Plant coccineum (Asteraceae, Asterales), Primula algida and List” (http://www.theplantlist.org). Plant life forms P. heterochroma (Primulaceae, Ericales). In The Plant were determined according to C. Raunkiaer [1934] and List P. heterochroma is recorded as unresolved name I. Serebryakov [1964]. and it is also mentioned as ambigous in the WFO. Tanacetum coccineum is an accepted name with its RESULTS AND DISCUSSION original publication diagnosis in both data bases, but Species diversity. The study area locates along various mentioned with low confidence level. altitude belts that include foothills, low, middle and high Above mentioned 20 taxa are given as rare and mountain zones, subalpine and alpine habitats. Herbs endangered in the last Red Book (2013) of the country, growing here could be mainly related to the spring flora of those 11 species (55%) mentioned as vulnerable (VU), but there are also occur species blooming in summer five species (25%) as endangered (EN), three species and autumn [Aghayeva et al., 2018]. Altogether about (15%) as near threatened (NT) and one species (5%) 47 Plant