Contributions to the flora and vegetation of Binalood mountain range, NE Iran: Floristic and chorological studies in Fereizi region

The mountainous area of Fereizi is located in northwestern Binalood range, Khorassan, north east of Iran.Special climatic and geographical characteristics of the area make it a suitable habitat for various plant species. As a part of a research poject on the flora and vegetation of Binalood mountain range, the floristic compositionof this area, life forms and chorology of vascular plants have been determined with emphasis on endemism.During several collection excursions in 2005 to 2007, a total number of 484 vascular plant taxa were identified in the area belonging to 229 genera and 59 plant families. The largest plant families in the area are Asteraceae(63 species), Poaceae (51 species), Fabaceae (50 species) and Brassicaceae (43 species). Astragalus (25species) and Allium (13 species) are the richest genera. The dominant life forms are hemicryptophytes and therophytes. The floristic composition of the area is strongly influenced by Irano-Turanian elements (56.8%). The analysis of endemism shows that the area inhabited by 49 subendemic taxa and 21 Iranian endemic speciesfrom which 13 species are endemic to northeast of Iran and three rare and threatened species. Ferulaflabelliloba, Cousinia termei and Sisymbrium integerrimum are local endemics to Binalood mountain range. Geranium charlesii is recorded as a new species for the flora of Iran