Biosystematic study of Rosa (Sect. Pimpinellifoliaeae) and described R. abrica (Rosaceae) as a new species from Iran

Fifteen populations of Pimpinellifoliaeae section from the species; Rosa pimpinellifolia, R. hemispherica, R. foetida and a new species, R. abrica, were collected from eight provinces of Iran and were studied on the basis of their morphological characters. In each population five plants were randomly selected and some branches were harvested in spring and autumn for studying their vegetative and floral characteristics. Sixty-three qualitative and quantitative characters were grouped using the most suitable method of cluster analysis (WARD) and their ordination diagram based on the most variable factors, were written for each species and the section. The results showed that the effect of ecological factors such as altitude influenced the intra-species variation. Cluster analysis illustrated high similarities between R. hemispherica and R. foetida.