فرحناز جوانمردی - PhD Student, Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran (f.javanmardi@srbiau.ac.ir)
شاهرخ کاظم پور اوصالو - Associate Prof., Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box ۱۴۱۱۵-۱۷۵, Tehran, Iran
علی اصغر معصومی - Research Prof., Department of Botany, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, P.O. Box ۱۳۱۸۵-۱۱۶, Tehran, Iran
طاهر نژاد ستاری - Associate Prof., Department of Plant Science, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

A phylogenetic analysis of Astragalus sect. Alopecuroidei based on nrDNA ITS as well as morphological character data is presented. A total of fifty informative morphological characters were analyzed to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships for ۲۳ taxa of the sect. Alopecuroidei and two species of sect. Laxiflori plus A. sieversianus and A. caryolobus as outgroups. The present analysis revealed that the Alopecuroidei with the inclusion of sect. Laxiflori is monophyletic. This is well consistent with the previous works even with the small taxon sampling. Astragalus alopecias was positioned at the base of the resulting trees. The present study indicates that all six/four informal species groups, except the Kirrindicus (=Obtusifolius) group and Turbinatus group, recognized within the Alopecuroidei were not monophyletic. nrDNA and morphology-based phylogenies were conflicting regarding the position of A. saetiger, A. turbinatus and A. neoassadianus.