Author: آمنه غلامی 
Arenaria polycnemifolia Boiss.
Parvin Salehi Shanjani, Sara Nikkhah and Valli-Allah Mozaffarian
Natural Resources Gene Bank, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran.
Uploaded at July 2025
Scientific editor: Masoumeh Izadpanah
Seed Storage
The storage behavior of this species is orthodox (desiccation-tolerant seeds), dry to 15-20% eRH, and store at -20°C.
Germination requirements
The seeds of this species are not dormant. Sterilize seeds before placing them on wet germination paper. Place seeds for two weeks at 4 ºC to germinate uniformly. Then germinate under an alternating temperature regime of 15/20 ºC (the higher temperature for 16 hours in light and the lower one for eight hours in dark).
Morphology
Fruit type: Capsule
Fruit shape: Oblong to linear oblong
Fruit size: Length 2.8 to 4.1 mm, width 1.8 to 2.6 mm
Seed shape: Ellipsoid to obovoid, slight compressed, beaked. Surface with small tubercles in concentric rows, dull, dark-brown to black
Seed size: Length 3.54 to 3.59 mm, width 3.26 to 3.59 mm in an accession from Tehran, with 1000 seeds weight 0.8 g, which was collected and identified in 2015 by Valli-Allah Mozaffarian, and is stored in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran with the accession number 45883.
Average 1000 seed weight: 0.8 g
Biological features
Life form: Perennial, subshrub, caespitose, woody at base. Stems numerous, sessile stems decumbent, flowering stems erect, 12 to 36 cm long.
Inflorescence, flower type, and pollination mechanism: Inflorescences cymose, with 1 to 6 flowers in terminal glomerule, enclosed among bracts, calyx polysepalous, sepals margin membranous, corolla petaliferous, white. Plant monoecious, cross-pollinated. Pollination is carried out by insects and wind.
Time of flowering: Mid-spring
Time of seed ripening: Late spring
Seed dispersal methods: Seed weight
Geographical distribution: Endemic to Iran. Typus from Mountain Damavand
Distribution in Iran: North. Golestan, Semnan, Tehran and Alborz
Taxonomy
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Genus: Arenaria
Species: A. polycnemifolia
Persian name: Marjani-e damavandi
References and Links
Asadi, M., Fadaei, F., Tawakli, Z., Heydari Rikan, M., Mostafavi, G., Mahdavi, M., Poursakhi, K. and Nejad Flatori, A. 2023. Flora of Iran. Charyophyllaceae. Institute of Forests and Rangelands Press, Tehran, Iran, Publication, No. 168, 987 pp.
Black, M. and Bewley, J.D. 2000. Seed technology and its biological basis. Sheffield Academic Press, 1-419 P.
Bojňanský, V. and Fargašová, A. 2007. Atlas of seeds and fruits of central and East-European flora: the Carpathian Mountains region. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1046 P.
Ghahraman, A. Flore of Iran. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands with University of Tehran Publication. https://floraofiran.net/index.php.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 1998. Dictionary of Iranian plants names. Farhange Moaser Publisher, Tehran, 671 P.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 2012. A Pictorial dictionary of botany. Farhange Moaser Publisher, Tehran, 1088 P.
Sharma, O.P. 2009. Plant taxonomy 2E. Tata McGraw-Hill Education, New Delhi, 563 P.
