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Review
. 2017 Sep 13;39(5):245-262.
doi: 10.1016/j.pld.2017.09.002. eCollection 2017 Oct.

Iran supports a great share of biodiversity and floristic endemism for Fritillaria spp. (Liliaceae): A review

Mahmoud Kiani  1 , Shirin Mohammadi  2 , Alireza Babaei  3 , Fatemeh Sefidkon  4 , Mohamad Reza Naghavi  5 , Mojtaba Ranjbar  1 , Seyed Ali Razavi  1 , Keramatollah Saeidi  6 , Hadi Jafari  3 , Davoud Asgari  7 , Daniel Potter  8
Affiliations
Review

Iran supports a great share of biodiversity and floristic endemism for Fritillaria spp. (Liliaceae): A review

Mahmoud Kiani et al. Plant Divers. .

Abstract

Iran supports a great share of exotic and/or endemic plant genera and species. The genus Fritillaria (Liliaceae) is a precious part of this botanical richness with 19 species, of which 10 are endemic to the country. However, signs are mounting that the country is truly at a crossroads when it comes to preservation of this national wealth. In this regard, an effective conservation strategy should thoroughly consider the classification of Fritillaria, as conservation practices are compromised by knowledge gaps in systematics and taxonomy. As published studies on Fritillaria in Iran have been sporadic and limited in scope, the aim of this review is to provide information necessary to help bridge these information gaps. Our objective is to facilitate increased understanding of the geographic, taxonomic, cytogenetic and phylogenetic status of Iranian Fritillaria, which is vital to meeting the goal of sustainable conservation of the genus in Iran and neighboring areas.

Keywords: Conservation; Ecosystem; Endemic; Middle East; Phylogenetic; Taxonomy.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Left, Irano-Anatolian hotspot region; Right, an estimation of geographic distribution for Fritillaria spp. throughout Iran.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Subgeneric classification of Fritillaria as adapted from Day et al. (2014); members of the subgenera highlighted in red occur in Iran.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Left, red- and yellow-colored crown imperials naturally co-exist in the same habitats (photo by Hadi Jafari); Right, crown imperials surrounded by giant Rumex acetosella bushes (photo by Abbas Mohamadi).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Left, F. persica (photo by Vendelbo, 1980); Right, F. raddeana, (photo by Robert B. Wallis).
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Left, F. crassifolia ssp. kurdica; Right, F. poluninii (photos by Robert B. Wallis).
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Left, F. straussii; Right, F. reuteri (photos by Robert B. Wallis).
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Left, F. kotschyana ssp. kotschyana; Center, F. kotschyana ssp. grandiflora (photos by Marijn Van den Brink); Right, F. olivieri (photo by Robert B. Wallis).
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Left, Caucasian lily (F. caucasica); Center, F. assyriaca; Right, F. cf. uva-vulpis (photos by Robert B. Wallis).
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Left, F. zagrica; Right, F. atrolineata (photos by Robert B. Wallis).
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
Left, F. chlorantha (photo by Robert B. Wallis); Right, F. avromanica (photo by Mahfuz Advay).
Fig. 11
Fig. 11
Left, F. chlororhabdota (photo by Mahfuz Advay); Center, F. gibbosa (Photo by Mehdi Zarrei); Right, F. ariana (Photo by Paul Christian).
Fig. 12
Fig. 12
Left, Koohrang crown imperial plain (photo by Hossein Hasanzadeh); Right, Eight-Frit Mountain (Photo by Robert B. Wallis).
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References

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