A TAXONOMIC STUDY ON SOIL TAXA OF APOHETEROCYTIC CYANOPROKARYOTA FROM NOSTOCACEAE FAMILY IN IRAN

In a revision of the family Nostocaceae Kützing in terrestrial habitats of Iran, several taxa belonging to six genera were identified. Isolates were collected from 20 paddy field soils located in seven provinces of Iran. Among the identified taxa, 18 species and one variety belong to four genera, Nostoc Vaucher ex Bornet Flahault, Trichormus (Ralfs ex Bornet Flahault) Kom?rek Anagnostidis, Nodularia Mertens ex Bornet Flahault and Aulosira Kirchner ex Bornet Flahault, known as apoheterocytic cyanoprokaryota and 20 taxa from two genera, Anabaena Bory ex Bornet Flahault and Cylindrospermum Kützing ex Bornet Flahault, known as paraheterocytic cyanoprokaryota. Among these taxa, Nostoc linckia var. arvense C. B. Rao Rao, Nostoc alatosporum Sant Anna al., Nostoc spongiaeforme Agardh ex Born. Flah. and Nostoc verrucosum Vaucher ex Born. Flah. are reported as four new records from this family in Iran. An identification key, distribution area and camera lucida pictures of apoheterocytic species as well as description of new taxa are presented in this study.