Floristic study of north area of Qarah Jeqqeh village of Quchan in Khorassan Razavi province

Abstract

The present research is floristic study of the north area of Qarah Jeqqeh village from central district of Quchan in Khorassan Razavi province with 1400m altitude. The specimens were collected during March to September 2015-16 and identified. These specimens were kept in the IAUM herbarium. The aim of this study was to identify flora, medicinal and vulnerable or endangered plants. The results showed, single species from Gymnosperms and 30 families, 67 genera and 87 species from Angiosperms. The largest family were Asteraceae with 16 species, Poaceae with 11, Lamiaceae with nine, Fabaceae with five and Liliaceae and Ranunculaceae with four species. The species Astragalus cerasocrenus, Echinops chorassanicus, Bromus kopetdaghensis were introduced as endangered species and Acantholoimon bodeanum, Onobrychis chorassanica, Cousinia eriophylla and Echinops chorassanicus were endemic elements. Among the identified species, 31 medicinal plants belonging to 30 genera and 16 families were reported which mostly belonged to Asteraceae and Lamiaceae. According to life form classification, there were 48% hemicryptophtes, 23% therophytes, 14% chamaephytes, 12% geophytes, and 3% phanerophytes. Moreover, the maximum and minimum percentage of species (49% and 1%) were related to Irano-Turanian and Irano-Turanian with Mediterranean regions respectively. In general, dominance of hemicryptophytes and therophytes in the studied area, represent adaptation of plants with cold-arid climate and human distribution in nature. .

Keywords

• endemic species
• chorotype
• quchan
• qarah jeqqeh
• life form