About the status of certain species of Dryopteris Adans. s. str. in tne flora of Azerbaijan

Abstract

In this article the status of some taxa of fern genus Dryopteris Adans. s. str. (Dryopteridaceae Ch­ing) is analyzed in South Caucasus. Based on the critical treatment of herbarium material both collected by authors in various regions of Azerbaijan and that deposited in BAK and LE, as well as analysis of relevant literature, D. talyschensis (Askerov et A. Bobr.) Askerov et U. Aktcay, D. schorapanensis Askerov, D. iranica Fras.-Jenk., and D. raddeana (Fomin) Fomin are recognized as worthy being accepted at the rank of a species, and D. borreri (Newm.) Newm. ex Oberh. et Tavel, D. remota (A. Br. ex Döll.) Druce, and D. assimilis S. Walker are prior names for the other South Caucasian representatives of the genus. Dryopteris talyschensis known before as D. raddeana var. talyschensis Askerov et A. Bobr. (Asgarov, Bobrov, 1972) by its morpho-biological and ecological featers differs considerably from D. raddeana which is a relic and endemic species of hircanian flora. Dryopteris schorapanensis initially (Askerov, 1978) described as a hybrid, later, based on morphological and cytogenetic studies, has been proven to be a distinct apomictic triploid species (Johns et al., 1996; Fraser-Jenkins, 2007). Similarly, it was demonstrated that D. affinis subsp. coriacea Fras.-Jenk. is rather widespread in the Caucasus, possess original morphology and should better be treated as another apomictic triploid species, D. iranica. Although Fraser-Jenkins (1977, 1986) considered D. radd­eana as D. pallida (Bory) Fomin subsp. subsp. raddeana (Fomin) Fr.-Jenk., we accepte it with species status. Finally, the names D. borreri, D. remota, and D. assimilis are recognized as prior for D. affinis p. p., D. kemulariae, and D. expansa p. p., respectively.