Revision of astragalus l. sect. malacothrix bunge (fabaceae) in turkey

The present study is a revision of Astragalus L. sect. Malacothrix Bunge in Turkey. The morphologic and seed surface of species attributed to this section is investigated. The diagnostic key to the species, descriptions, geographical distributions, threat categories, habitats and the diagnostic key based on characteristic features of pollen and seeds surface are given for each species. Some species are reduced to the synonymy such as, A. aladagensis Podlech & Ekici, A. pseudocylindraceus Bornm., A. comosoides Chamb. & Matthews, A. pulchellus Boiss. It is indicated that A. griseus Boiss. and A. goeznensis Eig are not assigned to the section Malacothrix Bunge. A. argentophyllus Taeb & Uzunh. is introduced as a new taxon to the science world. A. adiyamanensis Podlech & Ekici and A. calvertii Podlech & Ekici, which were described as new taxa by their type specimens, are collected for first time after nearly 150 years. There were 11 taxa in sect. Malacothrix (A. griseusas a doubtfuly recordand A. austro-aegaeus from Greec Islands). As a result of present study, the count of species is raised to 16, and 10 of them are endemic, so the endemicity rate of this section is 62,5 %.