The review of specimens from Iran belonging to the Portulaca oleracea L. aggregate resulted in the recognition of six microspecies: P. cypria Danin, P. granulatostellulata (Poelln.) Ricceri & Arrigoni, P. nitida (Danin & ) Ricceri & Arrigoni, P. rausii Danin, P. socotrana Domina & Raimondo, and P. trituberculata Danin, Domina & Raimondo, all reported for the first time for the flora of Iran. | Turkish Journal of Botany Research Note Turk J Bot (2017) 41: 535-541 © TÜBİTAK doi: First data on the taxonomic diversity of the Portulaca oleracea aggregate (Portulacaceae) in Iran 1, 1 2 Mohammad AMINI RAD *, Sepideh SAJEDI , Gianniantonio DOMINA Department of Botany, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran 2 Department of Agricultural, Food, and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy 1 Received: Accepted/Published Online: Final Version: Abstract: The review of specimens from Iran belonging to the Portulaca oleracea L. aggregate resulted in the recognition of six microspecies: P. cypria Danin, P. granulatostellulata (Poelln.) Ricceri & Arrigoni, P. nitida (Danin & ) Ricceri & Arrigoni, P. rausii Danin, P. socotrana Domina & Raimondo, and P. trituberculata Danin, Domina & Raimondo, all reported for the first time for the flora of Iran. The identification was based on the microscopic study of seeds. It is noted that P. oleracea is not confirmed for Iran. Distribution data and an identification key for Portulaca microspecies in Iran are presented. Key words: Floristic investigation, Iran, micromorphology, purslane, Middle East 1. Introduction Although the traditional delimitation of the family Portulacaceae Juss. includes about 15–30 genera and 500 species of therophytes and chamaephytes, recent molecular studies reduced this family to a single monophyletic group including only the genus Portulaca L. with about 100 species (Nyffeler and Eggli, 2010). Portulaca, English vernacular name purslane, is known as a weed throughout the world with moderate interest as a food plant, though it is of little economic importance. It is used for various purposes in different parts of the world. In the Mediterranean area, Central Europe, and some Asian countries it
