Astragalus sect. Astragalus (Fabaceae) in Iran

Astragalus rahiminejadii, a new species endemic to Iran, is described and illustrated. This species, which belongs to section Astragalus, is confined to the western part of Iran (Prov. Kermanshah) and is known only from a single population. Seed testa morphology as viewed under the scanning electron microscope is discussed and photomicrographs are provided. In addition, the geographical distribution and ecology of the species belonging to this section are discussed. (c) 2005 The Linnean Society of London.