Author: آمنه غلامی 
Onobrychis aurea Ranjbar
Parvin Salehi Shanjani, Bahare Afsharnezhad and Hamideh Fakhranjabari
Natural Resources Gene Bank, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran.
Uploaded at october 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 have physical-physiological dormancy and this is related to seed coat and inhibitors. To remove the seed coat, different methods of scarification can be used (sandpaper, sulfuric acid, hot water, etc.). To break dormancy, stratification with pre-chilling (for 14 days), ultrasonic waves, and hormones (Gibberellic acid 100 ppm) are efficient. The best method for breaking dormancy is rubbing the seeds with sandpaper and moist chilling (14 days at 4 °C). Then germinate under a constant temperature of 20 ºC or alternating temperature 25 ºC (16 hours of light) and 15 ºC (8 hours of dark).
Morphology
Fruit type: Pod, indehiscent, one-seeded
Fruit Shape: Pods semispherical, slightly compressed, stipiate, surface pitted, pits nearly round to polyhedral, with thick walls, covered with short hairs; margin spiny
Fruit size: Length 7 to 9 mm, width 5-6 mm
Seed shape: Reniform, hilum sunken. Surface smooth/glabrous, slightly lustrous, pale brown
Seed size: Length 5.13 to 6.33 mm, width 3.67 to 4.45 mm in an accession from Heris, East Azerbaijan, which was collected and identified in 2019 by Hamideh Fakhranjabari and is stored in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran with the accession 48365.
Average 1000 seed weight:
Biological features
Life form: Perennial, woody at base, pubescent. Stems ascending, 25 to 35 cm long
Inflorescence, flower type, and pollination mechanism: Inflorescence slender cymose, multiflowered; flowers hermaphrodite, zygomorphic, papilionaceous, corolla (composed of banner: upper large petal, wings: two petals adjacent to the banner, and keel: two bottom petals) yellow, wings shorter than the keel. Plant monoecious, cross-pollinated. Pollination is carried out by insects and wind.
Time of flowering: Late spring
Time of seed ripening: Summer
Seed dispersal methods: Seed weight and animals
Geographical distribution: Exclusive to Iran. Typus from Azerbaijan, Khajeh (between Tabriz and Ahar).
Distribution in Iran: Northwest. Mostly in province Azerbaijan
Taxonomy
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Onobrychis
Species: O. aurea
Persian name: Esperes
References and Links
Amirabadizadeh, H., Asadi, M., Ramk-Masoumi, A. A., Nemati-Peikani, M., Jani-Ghorbani, M., Jalilian, N., Esmal, A., Zaefi, M., Abbasi, M., Yousef-Naenai, S., Jafari, A., Pouyan, P., Ghahramanejad, F., Choghamirzaei, E., Amirkhosravi, A. Mehregan, I. 1402. Flora of Iran, No. 177: Fabaceae. Institute of Forests and Rangelands Press, Tehran, Iran, 935 pp.
Black, M. and Bewley, J.D. 2000. Seed technology and its biological basis. Sheffield Academic Press, 1-419 pp.
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 pp.
Ghahraman, A. Flore of Iran. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands with University of Tehran Publication. https://floraofiran.net/index.php.
Maassoumi, A.A. 2016. Flora of Iran, No. 85: Fabaceae (Astragalus II). Institute of Forests and Rangelands Press, Tehran, Iran, 504 pp.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 1998. Dictionary of Iranian plants names. Farhange Moaser Publisher, Tehran, 671 pp.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 2012. A Pictorial dictionary of botany. Farhange Moaser Publisher, Tehran, 1088 pp.
Sharma, O.P. 2009. Plant taxonomy 2E. Tata McGraw-Hill Education, New Delhi, 563 pp.
