A new species of Veronica (Plantaginaceae) from Western Iran

Veronica kurdistanica is described and illustrated as a new species. It grows on calcareous rocks in a few sites in an alpine area in western Iran (Kurdistan province). The new species belongs to V. kurdica species group and is putatively closely related to V. daranica, with which it is com-pared. Veronica kurdistanica is distinguished from V. daranica particularly by its glandular in-dumentum. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of nrDNA (ITS) region confirms this relationship as it is assembled in a sub-clade including V. daranica, V. khorassanica and V. kurdica.