With 300,000 square kilometers in area, Khorasan is the largest province of Iran and has various ecological and geographical climates. Out of 8000 plant species of Iran, 2000 species are indigenous to Khorasan. The enormous numbers of species grown in the region require a constant and laborious effort in order to investigate the variation of species. The results of these investigations will indicate the species that are exposed to annihilation or those which have been newly recognized. During the past 27 years, over 50,000 specimens have been collected by the research group of botany. These efforts have resulted in introducing several plant species new in Khorasan, Iran, and even in the world. Collection, and recognition of plants according to the international standards, and sorting them in a special place called Herbarium has been one of the priorities of the Botany Research Group, which has played a key role in fundamental and practical plant systematic.
According to the well-known specialists and botanists of the country, the Herbarium of FUM is one of the richest herbariums in Iran which is ranked second after Tehran Herbariums. Registration of this herbarium in the list of the world herbaria (FUMH) has increased its international renown and resulted in scientific interchanges between this Center and other research centers within and beyond the country.
Objectives of the Botany Research Group
• Collection of plant species from Khorasan provinces.
• Preparing films, photos and slides of the plants.
• Characterization and nomination of the collected specimens.
• Resorting of specimens which, are collected through standard scientific methods in the Herbarium and their exchanging with other herbaria, inside and outside of the country.
• Comprehensive study of the plant families on the basis of available specimens, performed by the researchers of the Center and in cooperation with graduate students of different majors such as plant science, pharmacology, agriculture, environment and natural resources; and presentation of the studies in the form of books, theses, articles and seminar papers.
• Collecting the Khorassan Flora through current scientific methods.
• Conducting plant sociology studies needed for programming the general environmental and agricultural strategies.
• Plant professional studies in different aspects of application such as medicinal, toxic, allergic and chromogenic properties and investigation of the existence of genes which provide resistance to different biotic and abiotic stresses.
• Collection of plant seeds and organization of Khorasan gene bank with the aim of conserving the plant genome of the province and performing biosystemical researches.
• Collection, characterization and conservation of lichens existing in Khorasan, and investigation of their various applications.
• Running short-term training courses and holding workshops for other organizations and institutes.
• Foundation of a botanical garden in the Ferdowsi University campus for natural conservation of the province plant genome needed for plant science and genetic researches.
• Communication and cooperation with other Herbaria in Iran and the world.
• Digitalization of the specimens' data.
Members of the Botany Research Group
| Name |
Academic position |
| Dr. M.H. Rashed Mohassel |
Academic Staff (part time)- Professor |
| Dr. H. Ejtehadi |
Academic Staff (part time)- Assoc. Professor |
| Dr. M. Khosravi |
Academic Staff (part time)- Asst. Professor |
| M.R. Joharchi |
Academic Staff- Instructor |
| Kh. Emadzadeh |
Academic Staff (Ph.D. student)- Instructor |
| F. Memariani |
Academic Staff (Ph.D. student)- Instructor |
| Y. Naseh |
M.Sc. |
| T. Sadegh-o-nnejat |
B.Sc |
