Phlomis iranica (Lamiaceae: Lamioideae), a new species from the Khorassan-Kopet Dagh floristic province, NE Iran

Abstract

The genus Phlomis L. consists of three species, Ph. cancellata Bunge, Ph. chorassanica Bunge, and Ph. herba-venti L., in the Khorassan-Kopet Dagh floristic province, NE Iran. A new species is described and illustrated here as Ph. iranica Joharchi & Vaezi sp. nov. from this area. We included voucher specimens of the new and allied species in a morphological and molecular (nrDNA ITS) framework to examine the taxonomic status of the new taxon. Results showed that Ph. iranica can be morphologically distinguished from the species distributed in NE Iran by seven diagnostic traits including length and width of calyx tube, flower numbers in the lowermost verticillaster, length of branches in lowest and highest inflorescences, width of lowest leaf in branches, and width of lower lip corolla. Results obtained from the molecular phylogenetic tree are consistent with those obtained from the diagnostic morphological characters in which the taxonomic status of Ph. iranica is confirmed as a new species. The conservation status of the new species was evaluated as Critically Endangered.