Mohammad Reza Joharchi

Research Center for Plant Scienses, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran · Botany

Many endangered species are distributed in narrow geographic ranges, often at severe risk of extinction. Ecological niche modeling can be used to identify suitable areas, which can be surveyed to detect additional populations. We combined remotely sensed data (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and field sampling to increase distributional kno...

Climate change is considered to rank among the most important global issues affecting species' geographic distributions and biodiversity. Understanding effects of climate change on species can enhance conservation efficacy. In this study, we applied ecological niche modeling (ENM) using maximum entropy (MaxEnt) approaches to predict the potential g...

Plant community assembly is the outcome of long-term evolutionary events (evident as taxonomic diversity; TD) and immediate adaptive fitness (functional diversity; FD); a balance expected to shift in favour of FD in ‘harsh’ habitats under intense selection pressures. We compared TD and FD responses along climatic and edaphic gradients for communiti...

The new species Onosma nuristanica is described and illustrated here on the basis of specimens collected from Parun in Nuristan and Chapa Dareh in Kunar, one of the eastern provinces of Afghanistan. An extensive review of the literature and a comparative study with specimens from several herbaria led to the determine of this new species. Our res...

Background: Despite locating in a dry region with a mostly homogeneous ethnic group, South Khorassan province has a high diversity of medicinal plant uses and rich cultural background. The current study was conducted in Birjand (South Khorassan province) and its 18 adjacent villages to document information concerning the plants used and introduce i...

An expanded phylogenetic reconstruction based on the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region (nrDNA ITS) in conjunction with a multivariate statistical analysis of morphological characters revealed a new species and the re-acknowledgement of another one in Sclerorhachis (Compositae, Anthemideae). The newly revealed species, Scleror...

Iran, possessing unique topographic and diverse climatic conditions, is the home of 8167 vascular plant species. Iran has a historical tradition in using plants for medicinal purposes. Approximately 2075 species over the whole are popularly characterized as medicinal or aromatic. Medicinal trees and shrubs compose a significant percentage of Irania...

Bahar Mountain is located in North Khorasan Province. The northern slope of this area, with an area of about ten thousand hectares, is studied in this research. This study deals with the identification of the flora of the region from years 2019 to 2021. Plant specimens were collected consecutively during growing seasons and were identified and kept...

Allelopathy is a physiological process with an ecological concept and application. Allelopathy is the result of the production of biologically active molecules by growing plants or their remains, which may have a direct effect on the growth and development of individuals of the same species or other species after changing their shape and entering t...

Zarrin-Kuh Protected Area (ZPA) is a part of the Khorassan-Kopet Dagh floristic province of the Irano-Turanian region. In this research, we present the first checklist of vascular plants of ZPA along with the life-form spectrum, phytogeography, and conservation status. We conducted field surveys through several random collection efforts and vegetat...

The study aimed to analyze vegetation data using a phytosociological method and to identify species composition and relationships between vegetation and environmental data in communities that include two threatened species (Dianthus pseudocrinitus Behrooz. & Joharchi and D. polylepis Bien. ex Boiss.) endemic to the montane steppes of Khorassan-Kope...

Halimocnemis commixta is recorded as a new species for the flora of Iran from Pistacia vera woodland remnants in NE Iran. It grows on open salty soils with several typical halophytic plants. The new species record is illustrated and compared with the closely related species. It can be distinguished from H. gamocarpa by its clustered flowers and irr...

Piptatherum ferganense is recorded as a new grass species for the flora of Iran collected from Ghorkhod Protected Area and Aladagh Mountains in North Khorassan province. The core distribution range of the species is Eastern Irano-Turanian with a disjunction in northeastern Iran. The morphological characters of P. ferganense are illustrated and comp...

An emended description of Iranian endemic Astragalus durandianus is provided with illustrations and extra information on several morphological characters not indicated in the protologue, including corolla characteristics, the habit size, peduncle length, bigger fruit size, black hairs on the fruits and several other differences. Based on field obse...

Cotoneaster Medik. is an important and taxonomically complex group due to numerous and variable forms. Therefore, it is an interesting object for taxonomical studies. Five new records, including Cotoneaster transcaucasicus Pojark., C. minutus G. Klotz, C. afghanicus G. Klotz, C. aitchisonii C. K. Schneid., C. ellipticus Hort ex Loudon are identifie...

The geographical distribution of the genus Cousinia in Iran has been analyzed using a dataset of 3095 georeferenced observations. The 241 species of the genus are distributed throughout Iran. However, about third of the observations are made from provinces like, Khorasan Razavi, Tehran, and Fars. The genus has 135 rare species and 197 endemic speci...

The xerophilic woodlands of wild pistachio Pistacia vera L. remnants occur as several isolated stands in Central Asia. The Kopet Dagh mountain range, northeastern Iran, is the westernmost distribution range of wild pistachio. In this research, we present the annotated checklist of vascular plants of two remnants of P. vera woodlands along the Iran–...

Allium parhamii is described and illustrated as a new species from the Kopet Dagh mountain range, North Khorassan province in Iran. Based on morphological features, the new species belongs to A. sect. Asteroprason. It differs from the closely related species A. monophyllum in several floral and leaf characters as well as the micromorphological char...

An emended description of Astragalus nigriceps is provided with illustrations and information on several morphological characters not indicated in the protologue but necessary for identification, including the size of stipule, leaflet, peduncle, bract, calyx, petals, fruit, and also characteristics of raceme and pistil. This species is a new record...

Campanula oreodoxa (Campanulaceae) is described and illustrated as a new sub-alpine species from North Khorassan province, Iran. The new species belongs to C. sect. Oreocodon based on dehiscence of the capsules with three middle pores at the base and absence of appendages between the calyx lobes. It is compared morphologically with the closely rela...

Phelipanche pouyanii is described here as a new species from South Khorassan Province, East of Iran. Its diagnostic morphological features are the calyx teeth being far longer than the calyx tube and staminal filaments being glabrous. These characters clearly differentiated the new species from its closely related taxa, i.e., P. mutelii, P. anguste...

In the course of revision of Trigonella sect. Ellipticae (Boiss.) Sirj. (Fabaceae) in Iran, herbarium and living material were studied. As a result, T. laxiflora Aitch. & Baker is reported as new for Iran, and T. torbatejamensis Ranjbar and T. korovinii Vassilcz. are reduced to its synonymy. Moreover, T. binaloudensis Ranjbar & Karamian and T. stip...

Following study of specimens belonging to Astragalus L. sect. Ammodendron Bunge collected from northeastern Iran, two new species and a new record for Iran are described and reported. Astragalus ayatollahii Nasseh, Joharchi & F. Ghahrem. differs from A. biarj- mandicus Podlech & Zarre and A. inchebroonensis Maassoumi in having longer racemes with m...

Objective: Astragalus L. (Fabaceae) is the largest genus of vascular plants in the world, that comprises an estimated number of 2900 annual and perennial species. The members of this genus have a broad spectrum of usages (e.g. medicine, food, fodder, fuel, ornamental plants, etc.). Here, we present a review of ethnobotanical applications of differe...

Objective: Astragalus L. (Fabaceae) is the largest genus of vascular plants in the world, that comprises an estimated number of 2900 annual and perennial species. The members of this genus have a broad spectrum of usages (e.g. medicine, food, fodder, fuel, ornamental plants, etc.). Here, we present a review of ethnobotanical applications of differ...

Here 840 th species of genus Astragalus is recorded for flora of Iran. Astragalus globiceps Bunge, belonging to Astragalus section Alopecuroidei DC., is recognized in NE Iran, Khorassan Province. This species has already been recorded in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kirgizstan, Turkmenistan, Tadzhikistan and Afghanistan. The picture and distribution map...

In this research, thermodynamic and exergic analyses have been carried out on a combined cooling, heating and power cogeneration system that includes a solid oxide fuel cell and a single-effect lithium bromide absorption chiller. Results indicate that by increasing the system inlet air flow rate, the overall efficiency of the hybrid system is reduc...

Stipa richteriana and Galium songaricum are newly recorded species for the flora of Iran, collected from Binalood and Hezar-Masjed Mountains in Razavi Khorassan Province. The geographical distribution of both species is mainly confined to the Middle Asia. Morphological characters of two newly recorded species are compared with their close relatives...

Cotoneaster nima-yushiji and C. mazandaranicus (sect. Chaenopetalum), two new species of the genus Cotoneaster (Rosaceae) from northern Iran, are described and illustrated. Cotoneaster nima-yushiji is closely related to C. discolor Pojark. (1954: 16) but differs by larger leaves, indumentum of leaves, number of flowers per inflorescence, longer inf...

Objective Since ancient times, plants have been commonly used to cure human ailments by indigenous people throughout the world. Nervous diseases are rising all around the world. This paper provides important ethnobotanical information on plants that are used against neurological disorders and are available in medicinal markets of Bojnord, northeast...

Acanthophyllum, with ca. 90 spiny cushion-forming species, is one of the largest genera of Caryophyllaceae. Although taxonomic utility of seed morphology has already been highlighted in different genera of Caryophyllaceae, the systematic value of seed characters in Acanthophyllum has not been adequately addressed. In order to evaluate the applicati...

Ferula hindukushensis Kitamura which was formerly known from Afghanistan and Pakistan, is reported here as a new record for the flora of Iran from Kuh-Mish Mount in Sabzevar, Khorassan Razavi province. Notes on its morphology, taxonomy, distribution and conservation status are presented.

In this paper, Crambe edentula (Brassicaceae) and Crinitaria grimmii (Asteraceae) are reported as new noteworthy records for the vascular flora of Iran. Diagnostic morphological characters, taxonomic remarks, conservation status and a distribution map are provided.

The present revision focuses on the enigmatic Southwest Asian genus Aethionema in Iran based on taxonomic literature, fieldwork, and study of over 400 herbarium specimens. As a result of the present study, A. diastrophis and A. transhyrcanum are newly found for Iran. The former is morphologically closer to A. membranaceum and A. kopetdaghi rather t...

Onobrychis farimanensis is described as a new species and an identification key, illustrations and distribution map provided. The new species is restricted to the north Zharf Mountains between Fariman and Torbat-e Heydarieh, in the Khorasan Razavi Province of Iran. It is a perennial herb, becoming woody at the base and has long wing petals, standar...

The oligotypic Irano-Turanian mustard genus Spryginia (Brassicaceae, Euclidieae) is revised in Iran and Afghanistan. Species composition and distribution within the region are clarified. Unlike previously believed, the genus includes two (not one) species in the studied area. Both S. afghanica and S. winkleri are distributed in Afghanistan while on...

A new species of the genus Lagochilus Bunge ex Benth. from Iran and Turkmenistan, L. khorassanicus Zeraatkar, F. Ghahrem. & Joharchi, is described and illustrated here. The new species most closely resembles L. schugnanicus Knorring of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the mountain ranges of Central Asia. It is easily differentiated from other species of...

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 morph...

Silene breviauriculata Ghazanfar from sect. Auriculatae that already was reported from Afghanistan in Flora Iranica, is recorded from Iran for the first time. The distribution map of the new record is presented.

A revision was carried out on the genus Lappula Moench (Boraginaceae) in Khorassan provinces. A total of herbarium specimens collected from different parts of the studied area, including the three provinces of North, Razavi and South Khorassan, were studied. All specimens are deposited in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Herbarium, (FUMH). According...

Jurinea khorassanica from NE Iran is described as a new species. Based on morphological characters it belongs to Jurinea sect. Stechmannia and its closest related taxa are the sympatric J. catharinae and J. dumulosa. The new species is obviously different from the related species on the basis of leaf, stem and head features. Detailed description, d...

The genus Linum consists of 15 species in Iran. A new species as well as a new record from Iran is described and illustrated here as L. khorassanicum and L. turcomanicum, respectively. The original description of the latter species is incomplete and ambiguous, probably due to incomplete taxon sampling. In this work, after a comprehensive taxon samp...

Asparagus bojnurdensis is described as a new species from the North-East of Khorasan province. The new species is compared with its closest relative A. verticillatus. It is similar to A. verticillatus in having unequal cladodes, branched stem, cladode with acute apex, cladode straight and scale leaves. A. bojnurdensis is also similar to A. khorasan...

Iris ferdowsii is described and illustrated as a new species from Khorassan-Kopet Dagh floristic province in NE Iran. It is closely related to the rhizomatous bearded irises of I. sect. Regelia. The species of this section are distributed mainly in the east of Iran, Afghanistan, west of Pakistan and Middle Asia. Diagnostic morphological characters,...

Rosa kokanica (Regel) Regel ex Juz. is reported as a new species for the flora of Iran from Binalood Mountains in Razavi Khorassan Province. This species is morphologically compared with its closely related species, R. hemisphaerica Herrm. and R. foetida Herrm., previously recorded for Iran. Illustrations, distribution map and notes on biogeography...

Astragalus orientopersicus F.Ghahrem., Joharchi, Fereid. & Hoseini, sp. nov. (family Fabaceae, tribe Galegeae), with 14 to 16 leaflets, dense and many-flowered inflorescence, long peduncle, and tubularinflated calyx with purplish parallel nerves, is described. It is endemic to Tandureh National Park, Khorassan provine, NE Iran. Morphological eviden...

Khorassan-Kopet Dagh (KK) floristic province located in northeastern Iran and southern Turkmenistan is one of the important centers of plant endemism in Irano-Turanian region. In order to evaluate the plant endemism, distribution and conservation, we generated an updated and annotated checklist of 356 endemic vascular plant taxa belonging to 112 ge...

Ghorkhod Protected Area (GPA) is located in a transitional zone among different biogeographical units in North Khorassan Province, NE Iran. The study area is mainly a mountainous region in western extensions of Khorassan-Kopet Dagh floristic province. We investigated the floristic composition, life form spectrum and phytogeography of the study area...

Objective Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) family is one of the biggest plant families on the earth. Iran has a huge diversity of Apiaceae members. This family possesses a range of compounds that have many biological activities. The members of this family are well known as vegetables, culinary and medicinal plants. Here, we present a review of ethnobotanica...

Chenopodium khorasanica (Amaranthaceae) is described as new species from north-east of Khorasan province (Iran). The new species is compared with its closest relative Chenopodium sosnowskyi Kappeler and Chenopodium vulvaria L.. This species is similar to Ch. sosnowskyi in having hair shape of leaf, habit and petiole size. Ch. khorasanica differs fr...

In this study genetic diversity and interspecific relationships of 11 Allium L. species from Khorassan province of Iran including 32 accessions were investigated by inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. Nine ISSR primers produced a total of 80 polymorphic markers and revealed high polymorphism among the studied species. The average gene dive...

A taxonomic synopsis of Klasea Cass. sect. Schumeria (Iljin) L. Martins (Asteraceae, Cardueae) is presented. One new species, K. khorasanica Ranjbar & Negaresh, collected from Khorasan Province in northeastern Iran, is described and illustrated. Serratula calcarea Mozaff. is transferred here as K. calcarea (Mozaff.) Ranjbar & Negaresh. Also transfe...

A taxonomic review of Rhaponticoides in Iran is based on morphological characters of the specimens from the authors’ expeditions and other herbarium collections. Rhaponticoides lachnopus, R. schmidii, R. sect. Iranicae and R. sect. Ruthenicae are proposed as new combinations. Full description for the genus Rhaponticoides and R. sect. Iranicae and R...

Rosa freitagii Ziel. is reported as a new species for the flora of Iran from South Khorassan province. This species is morphologically compared with its closely related species, Rosa moschata Herrm., previously recorded for Iran. Illustrations, distribution map and notes on biogeography, conservation status and habitats of R. freitagii are provided...

Jaundice is the commonest ailments affecting the citizens of both developed and poor Asians countries including Iran. An ethnobotanical survey of plants used by the traditional healers for the treatment of jaundice was conducted in the Mashhad city, Northeastern Iran. A total of 37 plants belonging to 32 genera and 26 families have been documented...

A new species, Centaurera bojnordensis Ranjbar, Negaresh & Joharchi (Asteraceae), endemic to Khorasan Province in northeastern Iran and belonging to Centaurea sect. Acrocentron, is described and illustrated. This species is mainly distinguished from C. sintenisiana of C. sect. Acrocentron by its indumentum of stem, shape and size of involucres, cil...

Introduction Plants have the ability to interfere with other organisms in their immediate environment, a phenomenon called allelopathy. Allelopathy is a common phenomenon in nature (Qian Chemosphere 75(368):375, 2009). The use of allelopathic compounds for the development of new agrochemicals has several benefits as opposed to common synthetic prod...

Two Brassicaceae novelties are reported from Iran. Erysimum hezarense (Erysimeae) is described and illustrated as a newly discovered species. It resembles E. subulatum, E. laxiflorum and E. iraqense but can be readily distinguished by the indumentum of stem, leaves and pedicels; bicolor petals; and number of flowers on the main inflorescence. It is...

The new species Phlomoides binaludensis (Phlomideae, Lamioideae, Lamiaceae) from Binalud Mountains in the Khorasan province in NE Iran, is here described and illustrated. It belongs to Phlomoides section Filipendula and resembles P. labiosiformis and P. laciniata in general morphology, but differs primarily in corolla and calyx size, corolla color...

Cluster analysis and principal component analysis were used to investigate the differences among species of Acanthophyllum sect. Oligosperma in Khorassan provinces (NE Iran). In this study, a total of 60 including 32 quantitatives and 28 qualitatives characters were examined on 98 herbarium specimens. The results explained morphological treats are...

A new species from southwest of Bojnord, NE of Iran is described and illustrated here as Dianthus pseudocrinitus (Caryophyllaceae). This species is morphologically similar to D. crinitus subsp. turcomanicus, but can be distinguished from the latter by bract number, width of lower and upper leaves, margin of thickness of outermost bracts, length of...

“Helali protected area” has been officially announced as a no-hunting zone since 1997 and then, became a protected area in 2006. This area with ca. 63495 hectares, is located in the west of Gonabad and southeast of Bajestan, Khorasan-e Razavi province. The area includes mountains, plains and foothills and has a dry and desert climate with warm summ...

Dianthus polylepis complex consists of two already known endemic species, Dianthus polylepis and D. binaludensis, in Khorassan-Kopetdagh floristic province. The taxonomic position of these species has long been debated. The aim of the present study is to shed light on the evolutionary relationships of the members of the complex using morphological...

Five new Astragalus species from section Malacothrix Bunge, namely, A. musaianus Maassoumi & Joharchi sp. nov., A. neo-iranshahrii Maassoumi & Amini Rad sp. nov., A. pseudocomosus Maassoumi, F. Ghahrem. & Bagheri sp. nov., A. subaspadanus Maassoumi, F. Ghahrem. & Bagheri sp. nov. and A. takabensis Maasoumi & Maroofi are described and illustrated. T...

The new species Acanthophyllum yasamin-nassehiae (Caryophyllaceae) from North Khorassan province (north-eastern Iran) is here described and illustrated. It belongs to the sect. Oligosperma, and it is related to A. lilacinum and A. brevibracteatum from the morphological point of view. Notes on its ecology and conservation status are given.

The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from leaf of Tanacetum polycephalum subsp. duderanum were analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry and 23 compounds constituting 92.4 % of the oil was identified. The major components being isobornyl-2-methyl butanoate (21.2 %), linalool butanoate (17.8 %), cis- chr...

The volatile constituents of the oil of Pseudohandelia umbellifera (Bois.) Tzvel. flowering herb obtained by hydrodistillation, which growing in Iran were investigated by means of GC and GC-MS. Forty-eight compounds were characterized, comprising about 95.6 % of the total oil. Oxygenated sesquiterpenes (38.7 %) and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (13.9...

The oil obtained by hydrodistillation of aerial parts of Phlomis elliptica Benth. (Labiatae), which is a rare shrub endemic to Iran, was subjected to GC-FID and GC-MS analyses. Thirty-one constituents, making up about 98.4 % of the total composition of oil, were characterized. Monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and other compounds constituted 13.4 %, 78....

The essential oil composition of the aerial parts of Hymenocrater platystegius Rech. f., a plant endemic to Iran, was studied by GC and GC-MS. The oil was obtained by hydrodistillation of air-dried samples. The yield of the oil was 0.1 % (w/w) and it had a pale yellow color with a distinct sharp odor. Forty-two compounds were identified representin...

The chemical compositions of the essential oil of Nepeta glomerulosa Boiss aerial parts, grown in Iran were determined by GC-MS. Fifty-two compounds (97.2 %) were determined. The major compounds were geranyl acetate ( 17.0 %), limonene (12.0 %), eucalyptol (5.8 %), (bornyl acetate (5.3 %), citronellal (4.9 %), spathulanol (4.2 %), sabinene (3.9 %),...

Objective: An ethnobotanical survey on the medicinal plant species marketed in Mashhad city, northeastern Iran, was conducted in order to document traditional medicinal knowledge and application of medicinal plants. Materials and Methods: This study was undertaken between 2011 and 2012. The indigenous knowledge of traditional healers used for medi...

Allium aladaghense is described as a new species from North Khorassan province in NE Iran. It is closely related to A. kuhsorkhense, another recently described endemic species. Diagnostic morphological characters, illustrations and notes on habitats and conservation of the new species as well as an identification key and distribution maps of the sp...

Objective: Medicinal plants organize an effective source of folk and modern medicine. Correct identification, authentication and quality control are essential to ensure safety, therapeutic potency, efficacy and reproducible quality of herbal medicines. The aim of this study is to use taxonomic method for authentication of traditional herbal drugs w...

This study focuses on karyological investigation of four taxa of Dianthus (Caryophyllaceae) including D. crossopetalus, D. orientalis subsp. stenocalyx, D. orientalis subsp. gorganicus, and Dianthus sp. distributed in Northeast of Iran. The karyotype asymmetry/symmetry was evaluated using two methods: 1) CVCL (coefficient of variation of chromosome...

Silene ferdowsii Joharchi, Nejati & F. Ghahrem. sp. nova (Caryophyllaceae), from sect. Auriculatae, is described from Khorassan province, NE Iran. It is morphologically most similar to S. albescens, especially in its indumentums, but differs in having longer internodes and crowded stems. Silene ferdowsii is also compared with S. eriocalycinae and S...

A key, descriptions and new findings are given for Onobrychis sect. Onobrychis subsect. Macropterae, which occurs in the area covered by the flora of northeastern Iran (Khorasan Province). Onobrychis patula and O. mucronifolia are described as new species and are illustrated. These are perennial herbs, becoming woody at base and have long wings, th...

Bromus sect. Triniusa is revised in Khorassan based on the new taxonomic concepts of Bromus danthoniae complex group and a remarkable herbarium material collected from Khorassan (Kopetdagh, northeastern Iran), as the main center of its diversity. Bromus turcomanicus, a narrow endemic species in central Kopetdagh hitherto known only from the type lo...

In the fifth and last contribution to the flora of Khorassan 143 angiosperm plant taxa from 80 genera in 28 families are recorded for the first time. 21 of these taxa are endemic to Iran. The specimens cited in this paper are deposited in several herbaria, i.e. BASU, FAR, FUMH, IRAN, K, MO, SUTH, TARI, TUH, W. This contribution is a continuation o...

In the course of the revision of the genus Euphorbia in Iran, E. grisophylla and E. sogdiana are reported as new for the country. E. erythradenia, E. malleata and E. spartiformis are confirmed as rare localised endemics and an epitype is selected for the name E. spartiformis. E. polycaulis is shown to be the correct name for the more widespread Ira...