A new species, Polygala guilanica (Polygalaceae), is described from Kooh-Roubar, Gasht-Roodkhan protected area in W Guilan province, N Iran. The new species is distinguished based on its prostrate stem; small, lanceolate, ovate and rhombic, sessile leaves; tiny pink-white flowers in lax terminal racemes; 6 or 8 stamens with sessile anthers, a filiform style and brownish seed with 3-lobed caruncle. Detailed morphological description of the new species, photographs and distribution map are provided. Polygala guilanica is compared with the morphologically closest species: P. kurdica, P. hohenackeriana and P. anatolica. An updated identification key is provided for the Iranian species.
Pollen and seed micro-morphological features of six species of Polygala distributed in Iran were examined using light (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show a great pollen morphological variation, which provides helpful data for species delimitation in Polygala. The pollen grains are monad, radially symmetrical, isopolar, polyzonocolporate, medium to large, oblate-spheroidal to prolate-spheroidal in shape. We observed four types of surface sculpture (psilate, psilate to granulate, rugulate-granulate and rugulate) and four types of apocolpial area (psilate with small lumina, reticulate with large lumina, micro-perforate and coarsely regulate and gemmate or granulate with lumina). Moreover, the importance of seed micro-morphological traits in species delimitation have demonstrated based on elaiosome appendages size, number of lobes and their sculpture, seed surface sculpture and trichome type.
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