Biogeographic term

[John McNeill]

Alec McClay asked about the term "Irano-Turanian".

The Irano-Turanian phytogeographical region has a fairly long history,
but the best accounts are perhaps those by M. Zohary in _Plant Life of
Palestine_, New York (1962) and in a paper "On the geobotanical
structure of Iran" _Bull. Res. Counc. Israel_ 11D: supplement. (1963).

Peter H. Davis in the Introduction to his _Flora of Turkey_ (vol 1 p.
21-24. 1965) says of the region: "In the broad sense the Irano-Turanian
region extends from Inner Anatolia southwards to Palestine and eastwards
to Mongolia ..."

There may be other, more recent and perhaps better, accounts of which I am
unaware.  There may even be an electronic one, though I doubt it.

John McNeill

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      John McNeill, Director Emeritus, Royal Ontario Museum,
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______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Biogeographic term
Author:  Alec McClay <alec at AEC.ARC.AB.CA> at Internet
Date:    06-04-98 09:55


Can someone please tell me the definition of the term "Irano-Turanian" in
reference to plant distribution?

Thanks.


Alec McClay
Research Scientist, Biological Control of Weeds

alec at aec.arc.ab.ca       Alberta Research Council
Phone (403) 632-8207     Bag 4000, Vegreville
Fax   (403) 632-8612     Alberta T9C 1T4, Canada