Bufonia darvishii (Caryophyllaceae), a novel endemic species from Zagros Mountains, Iran

Abstract

A new subalpine species of Bufonia sect. Longipedicellata from the Zagros Mountains in west Iran is described and illustrated here. It colonizes mountain slopes with gravelly, stony, and scree substrates in one locality of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, preferably with a western and north‐west orientation, at elevations between 2700 and 3100 m a.s.l. The new species, B. darvishii, is diagnosed against the morphologically similar B. macrocarpa. The two species share similarities such as filiform and long pedicels, a lax panicle‐cyme inflorescence, distribution pattern of trichomes, and long peduncles. However, the new species stands out with semi‐shrub life form, its greater height, retention of the previous year's stems, cymes bearing more flowers, orbicular petals, larger petals, a broadly ovate ovary, larger sepals with more pronounced nervation, shorter pedicels, larger flowers, etc. Bufonia darvishii is proposed to be Critically Endangered (CR) following the guidelines of the IUCN.