Identifying and Check Names of Wild Plants from Brassicaceae Family in Western Desert District of Iraq

Several field trips were carried out in the winter and spring of 2019 and 2023 in Western Desert District of Iraq, resulting in the collection and identification of more than 490 plant samples from the Brassicaceae family. The total number of species reached 48 species belonging to 35 genera. Among them is the new species Morettia parviflora Boiss., which is recorded for the first time in Iraq. In addition to recording a new presence of five species in this District, namely: Camelina hispida Boiss., Glastoria glastifolia (DC.) O. ktze., Lepidium latifolium L., Sinapis alba L. and Sterigmostemum Sulphureum (Banks) Bornm. scientific names were checked, and this study worked to adopt internationally accepted names, it was arranged in tables that included the first publication, habitat, duration and life form, note that the largest percentage of species were annual herbs (40 Species, 83%), and the life form (Therophytes) had the highest percentage (37 species, 77%). A map was prepared for the distribution of the new species in the district and the country. The species M. parviflora was also treated taxonomically, some plant samples were deposited in Iraqi National Herbarium with the numbers 68314, 68315, 68316 and 68317.


Introduction
The Western Desert District is one of the largest physiographic districts in Iraq, which extends from the Euphrates River in the north to the Iraqi-Saudi border in the south, and from Razaza lake in the east to the borders of Jordan and Syria in the west [1].This district was characterized by the presence of large numbers of valleys.such as Wadi Houran, Al-Walaj, Al-Ghadaf, Swaub, Al-Mohammady and others, as well as the variation in elevation above sea level, which ranges from 35 m. at the Habbaniyah lake to 930 m. at Jabal Anaiza in Western Iraq [2].Due to this district being exposed to recurring drought seasons that may sometimes last for years, which has made it limited in biodiversity at the level of species and plant families in general compared to the districts of the mountainous region in northen Iraq [3].The Brassicaceae family is one of the large global plant families, but it's distribution in concentrated in the northen temperate regions, especially in the Mediterranean regions, in addition to some of its species that considered Alpine [4].Note that the latest division of the family included 338 genera belonging to 25 tribes [5].While the number of its species reaches 3709 species globally [6].As for Iraq, it was mentioned in Flora of Iraq that there are 177 species belonging to 80 genera [7].As for the Western Desert District, Rechinger [8] described 87 species distributed in the Lowland of Iraq, and 34 species of them are in the district.At the Same time, Al-Rawi [9] indicated in his list that there are 38 species distributed in the same District.Researchers have paid great attention to the Brassicaceae, as it is a large family that includes economic, cultivated and medicinal species [10].This study aimed to give the real number of species belonging to the Brassicaceae family IOP Publishing doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1325/1/012047 2 growing in this District, due to the lack of a recent field study, in addition to adopting the currently accepted scientific names, with an emphasis on some taxonomic characteristic such as habitat, duration and life forms of the species.

Materials and Methods
Eight field trips were carried out in the Western Desert District during the winter and spring seasons of 2019 and 2023, including all security-stable places, represented by four geographical axes: the highway between Ramadi and the Syrian and Jordanian borders, then the 160-kilometer west of Ramadi to Al-Nukhaib, then the Ramadi Road to Al-Rahaliya and lake Razaza, finally, the axis adjacent to the Euphrates River from Fallujah to Al-Qaim.More than 490 plant samples of the Brassicaceae family were collected, dried, and preserved in the Herbarium of Anbar University after the species were identified based on the Flora of Iraq [7].As well as some scientific references for this family in neighboring countries such as Iran [11].Turkey [12].Saudi Arabia [13].Jordan [14].And Syria [15].This Study focused on reviewing accepted scientific names according to what was reported by some international researchers in this scientific taxonomic field [6].
In addition to the use of terms related to the habit and duration of plant species and the life form.In order to document the results of this study, some new plant synonymous samples of new species to this district were deposited in the Iraqi National Herbarium.The information card (Labe l) for each species has been installed, which includes the scientific name, common name, date of collection, locality name, habitat and collector name.In the field of scientific terminology, the study relied on [16], [17].The study also described the new species in the country after confirming it's identification.

Results and Discussion
The current study in the Western Desert District (Figure 1) of Iraq recorded the presence of 48 wild plant species belonging to 35 genera of the Brassicaceae family (Table 1).Most of which were annuals (40 species, 83%), while the perennial species were only seven (15%), and the last species (Diplotaxis harra) is distinguished by contain annual and perennial individuals, and by 2%.The most represented is the genus Lepidium, with 5 species, then the genus Diplotaxis, with 3 species, while 6 other genera were represted by only two species.As for the other genera, it included only one species.With regard to the habitat of the plant, most of the species were herbs and amounted to 45 species, while the remaining three species were small Subshrubs.The species were divided into three groups of varying numbers according to the life form, the largest percentage being therophytes (37 species, 77%), the other form of life was chamaephytes (6 species ,13%), while the least of them were hemicryptophytes (5 species, 10 %).The most important result of this study was the collection and identification of 48 wild plant species within this district, and among them were 5 species new to the district, namely: Camelina hispida, Glastaria glastifolia, Lepidium latifolium, Sinapis alba and Sterigmostemum sulphureum, in addition to a new species on the Flora of Iraq, which is: Morettia parviflora.These new species have been distributed in several places in the district, The C. hispida was collected from agricultural fields at the edge of the Euphrates river near the city of Al-Qaim on the Iraqi-Syrian border, as for Townsend and Guest [7], they mentioned in the Flora of Iraq that this species is very rare and has only two herbarium specimens, and that the current study expects the seeds of this species to be transmitted from the Syrian desert, as it is common there [15].
As for the species G. glastifolia, L. latifolium, S. sulphureum, they are among the common species that are distributed in some districts of the Mountain region, Upper plains and foothills region, Desert region and a little in the Central alluvial plain district, according to Townsend and Guest [7].These four species were collected during the current study from four places: Al-Sagrah village (south west of Haditha city), Amiriyat Al-Fallujah, Al-Angoor village and near Anah city respectively, this study expects the spread of seeds of the species to neighboring places easily through dust storms, as well as the transmission of seeds with field crops such as Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and this is confirmed by many scientific references [18], [19], [20].As for the species 3 Morettia parviflora, it was collected for the first time in Iraq during this study in Al-Nukhaib region, after confirming its diagnosis based on the Flora of neighboring countries such as Jordan [21].And Saudi Arabia [13].As well as Egypt [22].And the United Arab Emirates [23].Note that the conducted a comprehensive survey of Iraqi Herbariums to ensure that there is no plant sample of the new species, as well as reviewing all scientific publication s and Flora of Iraq.species in Iraq The current study also confirms the presence and collection of four will species that were recorded by Othman [24], namely: Lepidium didymum L., Morettia philaeana (Delile)DC., Myagrum pertoliatom L. and Rapistrum rugosum (L.) All., this study focused on the scientific names of plants, reviewing and verifying them in order to adopt acceptable names based on modren international references, which included a comprehensive audit of plants of the Brassicaceae family mentioned in the Flora Orientales, which amounted 784 species belonging to 118 genera, as well as 155 varities which resulted in giving new names, and clarify the synonyms comes beyond any doubt [6].As well as that was mentioned in the global list of vascular plants issued by the Royal Botanic Gardens at the Kew Museum in United Kingdom [25].10 acceptable modern names were adopted during this study (Table 2).Finally, a general description of the new species in Iraq must be given, along with some important notes.

No. Accepted names Synonyms
Figure2.Herbarium plant samples of Morettia parviflora

Conclusions
First, I would like to mention that the importance of field surveys studies in recording the new distribution of plant species in the area specified for the study.These are the most important results of the current study, which showed the distribution of 5 new species in the district, and a new species in Iraq.That is, the researcher, in a period of time, cannot visit all the places in this vast district.Also, the plant biodiversity of any part of the earth cannot remain unchanged for a decade.Rather, it is dependent on environmental factors that result in either a decline in some species or a significant increase in them, or the emergence of other new species in the region, despite the lack of rain in most years in this district, however, the species has succeeded in surviving because of their adaptation to desert conditions, such as in the valleys, on the sides of land roads, near agricultural fields and in plant reserves.Finally, we can be certain that wild plant species, including weeds species, are on a continuous migration that cannot stop.

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.A map of Iraq shows the distribution locations of the new species in DWD, and the newspecies in Iraq The current study also confirms the presence and collection of four will species that were recorded by Othman[24], namely: Lepidium didymum L., Morettia philaeana (Delile)DC., Myagrum pertoliatom L. and Rapistrum rugosum (L.) All., this study focused on the scientific names of plants, reviewing and verifying them in order to adopt acceptable names based on modren international references, which included a comprehensive audit of plants of the Brassicaceae family mentioned in the Flora Orientales, which amounted 784 species belonging to 118 genera, as well as 155 varities which resulted in giving new names, and clarify the synonyms comes beyond any doubt[6].As well as that was mentioned in the global list of vascular plants issued by the Royal Botanic Gardens at the Kew Museum in United Kingdom[25].10 acceptable modern names were adopted during this study (Table2).Finally, a general description of the new species in Iraq must be given, along with some important notes.

Figure 3 .
Figure 3.Some of reproductive organs of Morettia parviflora
The habitat and duration are Ann: Annual, Per: Perennial, Her: Herb, Sub: Subshrub, and the life forms are Ch: Chamaephytes, He: Hemicryptophytes and Th: Therophytes.

Table 2 .
Accepted scientific names of plant species and synonyms.