Allium decoratum Turginov & Tojibaev, 2014

Tojibaev, Komil Sh., Turginov, Orzimat & Karimov, Farkhod I., 2014, A new species and new records of Allium (Amaryllidaceae) for Uzbekistan (Central Asia), Phytotaxa 177 (5), pp. 291-297 : 292

Allium decoratum Turginov & Tojibaev sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

The new species differs from A. alexeianum by not thickened scapes 4–5 mm (not 7–14 mm) in diameter, filaments longer than the perigone (not shorter or 1.5 times shorter than the perigone), with red (not pink) tepals and vinous (not purple) median veins and ± equal pedicels (not unequal in most plants). From A. nevskianum it differs by the color of tunics (not darkish), longer filaments (not shorter than the perigone) and also by the color of tepals and median veins of tepals (tepals not pink, median veins not purple).

Type: — UZBEKISTAN. Pamir-Alai: SW Hissar Range, Baisuntau, Khojagurgurata, location Khodja Kuchkorata, subalpine stony and rocky slopes, 2650 m, N 38.31683° E 067.24160°, 12 June 2013. Turginov s.n. (holotype, TASH! isotype, B!) .

Bulbs depressed-globose, not ovoid, 1.5–2(–3) cm in diameter, ca. 1.2 cm long, outer tunics papery, whitish, inner ones white. Bulblets missing. Scape single, sometimes thick, 10–15 cm long, up to 0.4–0.5 cm in diameter. Leaves 1, sometimes 2–3, up to 4, lanceolate, oblong to elliptic, 9–10 cm long, ca. 3–3.5 cm wide in the middle. Spathe membranous, up to 1 cm long, 2.5–3 times shorter than the inflorescence, shortly acuminate. Inflorescence semispherical (spherical in the fruiting stage), multiflorous. Pedicels up to 3 cm long, straight, of ± equal length, reddish, without bracts. Tepals 5 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, lanceolate, apex obtuse, pale red (in the dry stage whitish), median vein red (in the dry stage vinous). Filaments slightly longer than tepals, 6–6.5 cm long, basally 1.5 mm connate to each other and adnate by 1.5 mm to the tepals. Anthers c. 1–1.2 mm long, reddish. Capsule and seeds not known.

Phenology: —Flowering in June, fruiting in July.

Distribution and ecology: —The new species occurs in subalpine and alpine zones (altitudes ca. 2650–3200 m) with stony and rocky soils, sometimes sheltered by stones. The plants grow singly, 2–3 per 10 m 2. Populations are known from three localities: Khodja Kuchkorata and Sanjar in Khojagurgurata mts. and Besharcha in Tschulbair mts. The total area of all populations is 4.5–5 ha.

Taxonomic relationships: —Preliminary identification of specimens from Baysuntau showed that the new species is close to the type species of subsect. Ligulifolia R.M.Fritsch in Khassanov & Fritsch (1994: 978) - A. alexeianum . Besides this type species the subsection Ligulifolia also includes A. nevskianum , A. hindukuschense Kamelin & Seisums (1996: 31) , A. protensum Wendelbo (1968: 276) ( Fritsch et al., 2010). The new species differs from all known species of subsect. Ligulifolia . The differences to A. alexeianum and A. nevskianum are given in the diagnosis. Allium hindukuschense , a local endemic to prov. Bamiyan, Afghanistan, differs by leaf biometrics, whitish or pale pink tepal color, and by stamens 1 / 3 – 1 / 2 shorter than the perigone. Also in A. hindukuschense the median vein of tepals sticks up becoming harder after flowering, and tepals curl inside. The most distantly related A. protensum differs in morphology and ecology. Phylogenetic analysis of the specimens from Baysuntau with molecular markers (internal transcribed spacer region, ITS) was conducted in IPK Gatersleben ( Germany). The phylogenetic tree (Fritsch & Abbasii 2013) shows that the species from Khojagurgurata have the position among the members of sect. Kaloprason subsect. Ligulifolia , but with a long branch. This long branch is a good indication that the specimen represents indeed a new species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Type specimen of Allium decoratum.