SPECIES OF MELILOTUS IN IRAN (KEY TO THE SPECIES, DESCRIPTIONS AND THEIR DISTRIBUTIONS)

The genus Melilotus contains altogether some 20 species (WIERSEMA et al. 1990) in the world which mostly distributed in Europe, Central and SW. Asia and N. Africa (HUCHINSON 1964). BOISSIER (1872) listed 13 species of Melilotus in which 6 of them are found in the Iranian flora. PARSA (1948) following Boissier’s work referring some new collections made by other workers, listed the same species number of this genus for Iran. RECHINGER (1984) reported 8 species of Melilotus to the Iranian plateau by referring to the presence of 5 of them to Iran itself. In the present work based on morphological characters on more than 200 specimens of Melilotus from the different parts of Iran, 4 species are distinguished, namely, M. officinalis, M. a/bus, M. indicus and M. sulcatus. The last one (M sulcatus) which verified by CHAMBERLAIN (from Edinburgh) is considered as a new record to the flora of Iran.