Systematic review of the genus Hypericum L. in flora of Azerbaijan

Бюллетень науки и практики / Bulletin of Science and Practice

Hypericum L. is a genus represented by more than 500 species, widespread in warm-temperate areas throughout the world, as well as on the Azerbaijan flora. This genus is represented in Azerbaijan by 19 species including two endemic species.

According to the classification of phylogenetic groups (APG IV) of angiosperm this genus was grouped as follows:

Regnum Plantae

Divisio Tracheophyta

Classis Magnoliopsida

Superordo Rosanae

Ordo Malpighiales

Familia Hypericaceae

Subfamilia Hypericoideae

Tribus Hypericae

Genus Hypericum L.

The most important diagnostic features for the designation of the species of this genus are considered the structure of the flower organs, the shape of the secretor and transculent glands (dotted, striped, linear). These transculent glands, which are found in the vegetative (root — pericycle; stem — core, pericycle, phloem; leaf — phloem, veins) and generative (petal, sepal, ovary) organs, are divided into 3 groups that are anatomically different from each other:

The first group includes multicellular black or red glands connected with veins, consisting of a single or two rows of smooth cell layers, containing hypericin, pseudohypericin.

The second group includes spherical pale glands of schizogenic origin, containing hyperforin substance and essential oils. Third group includes resinous pale glands located in the ovary of the plant (especially in the wall of the ovary) and protecting the seed from external influences. The glands included in the first group play an important role in the process of photosynthesis.

They are annual or perennial bare, hairy grass, shrub, semi-shrub, and rarely short trees. The stem is cylindrical, rounded, ribbed, erect, straight, creeping, 2-4-stalked, woody base, simple or dichotomic branching, pale, hairy, scabrid, glandular. The leaf is wide egg-shaped, ovoid, lanceolate or lancet-shaped, whorled, simple, papillose, hairy, vesicular, veiny, sessile or short-stalked, plain, without stipula, alternate, opposite or verticillate, twisted at the edges, black dotted or pale glandular, vascular branches are simple perforated, densely triangular spiral. The flowers (Ca 4-5 Co 4-5 A 5-∞ G (3-5) ) are located mainly in the axils of the leaves, gathered in monosexual, spirocyclic or cyclic, diecious, actinomorphic, cyme-like, cylindrical, spike-like, pyramidal broom or racemose peltate flower groups. Seeds are small, cylindrical, elliptical, numerous, dotted-porous or linear porous, yellowish-brown, reddish-brown or dark purple-brown porous, hairy, tip nose-shaped, narrow-winged base, without endosperm, large, fleshy, straight or wrapped embryo. The fruit is a red or black dehiscent or non-dehiscent capsule or berry.

Results and Discussion

It was determined that the genus Hypericum distributed in the flora of Azerbaijan consists of 19 species, 1 subspecies and 1 variety belonging to 7 sections. Brief information on each section, species, subspecies and variety are given (Table 1).

Label data of herbarium copies belonging to 12 species (1 subspecies, 1 variety) included in the genus and stored in the Herbarium Fund (BAK) of the Institute of Botany of Azerbaijan NAS were analyzed, and an electronic database of these species was created. As a result of the analysis of the herbarium copies stored in the fund, it was revealed that there were 298 herbarium specimens on the genus. It has been established that these specimens were collected by prominent botanists such as A. A. Grossheim, I. I. Karyagin, L. Prilipko, R. Rzazade, G. Gurvitch, I. Beydeman, T. Heydeman, I. Isayev, G. Akhundov, I. Hajiyev, N. Shipchinskiy, M. Sakhokia etc. [1-11].

Table 1

SPECIES DIVERSITY

Sections	Species                  Subspecies and variety
Androsaemum (Duhamel) Godr.	H. androsaemum L.
Coridium	H. asperuloides Czern. & Turcz.
Inodora Stef.	Hypericum xylosteifolium (Spach) N. Robson
Hypericum	H. tetrapterum Fries H. perforatum L.                   subsp. veronense (Schrank) H. Lindb. H. elegans Steph. ex Willd.
Adenosepalum Spach.	Hypericum formosissimum Takht.
Hirtella Stef.	H. scabrum L.                     var. micranthum Boiss. H. lydium Boiss. H. pseudolaeve N. Robson H. karjaginii Rzazade H. elongatum Ledeb. H. helianthemoides (Spach) Boiss. H. davisii N. Robson
Taeniocarpium Jaub. et Spach.	H. hirsutum L. H. venustum Fenzl H. linarioides Bosse H. theodorii Woronow H. nummularioides Trautv.

We collected 80 herbarium specimens belonging to the genus from different regions of the republic for 2015-2022 years and handed them over to the herbarium fund . Of these 298 samples collected from botanical and geographical regions of the republic in different years (1925-2022), 25 belong to H. androsaemum, 12 to H. elongatum, 9 to H. hirsutum, 1 to H. karjaginii, 49 to H. linarioides, 6 to H. lydium, 138 to H. perforatum,13 to H. perforatum subsp. veronense, 33 to H. scabrum, 1 to H. scabrum var. micranthum, 3 to H. tetrapterum, 4 to H. theodorii, 2 to H. helianthemoides, 2 to H. formosissimum species (Figure).

Conclusion

In Azerbaijan flora was registered 19 species of Hypericum. These are H. androsaemum, H. davisii, H. elongatum, H. formosissimum, H. hirsutum, H. linarioides, H. lydium, H. nummularoides, H. perforatum, H. pseudolaeve, H. scabrum, H. tetrapterum, H. theodorii, H. venustum, H. karjaginii, H. xylosteifolium, H. asperuloides, H. elegans, H. helianthemoides .

According to the “Red List of endemic plants of the Caucasus” was determined that 3 ( H. formosissimum , H. nummularioides , H. xylosteifolium ) out of 19 species are endemic species to Caucasus and 2 ( H. karjaginii , H. theodorii ) are endemic species to Azerbaijan. Also, 2 out of this species are relict ( H. androsaemum , H. xylosteifolium ) plants from the glacial period

; .

Figure. Quantity of herbarium samples belonging to the genus Hypericum stored in the Herbarium Fund of Azerbaijan NAS

The classification adopted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) was used to assess rare and endangered species of this genus distributed in the flora of Azerbaijan (Table 2). According to this classification system, the status of rare and endangered species of the Hypericum L. distributed in Azerbaijan flora has been clarified.

Table 2

RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES DISTRIBUTED IN THE FLORA OF AZERBAIJAN

IUCN	Species
VU A3C (Vulnerable)	H. karjaginii
DD (Data Deficient)	H. nummularioides
VU A3C (Vulnerable)	H. lydium
CR A3c (Critically Endangered)	H. linarioides
VU A3C (Vulnerable)	H. theodorii
EN B2 ab (II, III) (Endangered)	H. formosissimum

According to the quantitative criteria which used in the assessment of rare species (A, B, C, D, E), out of the species of the genus found in our flora, 1 is defined as being critically endangered (CR), 1 as endangered (EN), 3 as weakened population, vulnerable to adverse effects (VU), and 1 as data deficient (DD).