Erodium ghahremanii (Geraniaceae), a new species from Azerbaijan province, Iran

Among the herbarium specimens collected in Azerbaijan province, two specimens of an Erodium species seemed to be undescribed. The specimens were studied carefully and compared with other Iranian species and other neighboring countries, especially the perennials and it was discovered that the specimens in spite of a similar habit to Erodium dimorphum, have certain differences with it. The two new specimens are male and female of the same species. However, we came to the conclusion that the specimens are a new species and were named in honor of its collector M. A. Ghahremani. The new species and E. dimorphum have disjunct distribution in Semnan and Azerbaijan provinces respectively. The new species bears mixed simple and glandular hairs, stems ca. 30 cm high, leaves 15 cm long and 3 cm broad, leaflets lanceolate and 2-3 cm long. While E. dimorphum bears only simple hairs, no stem or stems up to 20 cm, leaves up to 12 cm long and 1 cm broad, and leaflets orbicular-ovate and up to 1 cm long.