Allium ahmet-tirasii Yıldırım, 2024

Yildirim, Hasan, Özdöl, Tuğkan & Erdem, Seval, 2024, Allium ahmet-tirasii (Amaryllidaceae), a new species from Southern Anatolia (Türkiye), Phytotaxa 644 (2), pp. 102-112 : 103-106

Allium ahmet-tirasii Yıldırım sp. nova ( Figs.1–3 , Table 1 )

Type:— TÜRKİYE. Antalya: Alanya, southeast of Söğüt highland, opening of Pinus nigra and Cedrus libani forests, open rocky slopes, on calcareous cracks, 36 o 32’ K, 32 o 23’ E, 1750 m, 27 vii 2023, A. Tıraş s.n. (holo.: EGE 43788 !; iso.: EGE 43789 !, HUB!, NGBB!) .

Diagnosis: Allium ahmet-tirasii has no closely related species. It slightly resembles A. sivasicum and A. opacum . It is easily distinguished from A. sivasicum and A. opacum mainly by its 1–2 equal bulblets (vs. without bulblets in A. sivasicum ; with numerous bulblets in A. opacum ); outer tunic yellowish-grey to pale brownish orange (vs. dark brown in A. opacum ); spathe one or sometimes 2-valved, if with 2-valved and then valves unilateral, 1.5–3.5 cm long (vs. 2-valved, valves opposite, 0.8–1.2 cm long in A. sivasicum ; 2-valved, valves opposite, unequal, shorter valve 1–1.5 cm long, longer valve 2–2.5 cm in A. opacum ); filaments 3–4 mm long, as long as or slightly shorter than tepals (vs. 5–7 mm long; longer than tepals in A. sivasicum ; 2–2.5 mm long, equal or slightly longer than tepals in A. opacum ); style 1.5–2 mm long before fertilization, shorter than perigone (vs. 4–6 mm long before fertilization, conspicuously longer than perigone in A. sivasicum ; 1–1.5 mm long before fertilization, longer than perigone in A. opacum ); habitat calcareous rocky cracks (vs. gypsum or gypsum and marl mixed soils in A. sivasicum ).

Description: — Bulb 8–13 × 7–11 mm, broadly ovoid, composed with 1 or 2 equal bulblets; without a collar; outer tunic yellowish-grey to pale brownish-orange, membranous, without fibers or only at base or apex of outer tunic; inner tunic orange or pinkish-orange, sometimes with few inconspicuous veins. Stem 14–25 cm long from the bulb, 7–14 cm long from the base (ground level), ca. 1 mm wide, erect or slightly flexuous, glabrous, greenish-yellow, sometimes with purplish tinged at the base. Leaves 2, cylindrical to slightly semicylindrical, surface glabrous or slightly scabrid on margins; 10–15 veined, 5–10.5 cm long, ca. 1 mm wide, shorter to somewhat longer than scape; sheeting 1/3–1/2 of the stem, glabrous. Umbel 12–40 flowered, 1.7–2.7 × 1.5–2.5 cm, fastigiate to hemispherical. Spathe 1 or 2-valved, if 2-valved and then valves unilateral, 1.5–3.5 × 0.3–0.5 cm, slightly shorter to slightly longer than umbel, 6–7 veined (if one part) or 3–4 veined (if two-part); 2-valved ones mostly incised from base trough to apex (from one spathe). Pedicel 0.4–2.3 cm long, greenish-yellow, glabrous. Bracteoles few, scarious, 1–2 mm long. Perigone 3–4.5 mm long, glabrous, greenish-yellow with pale greenish-purple midvein; inner and outer tepals equal or subequal; inner tepals ovate to elliptic, acute; outer tepals oblong to elliptic, obtuse. Stamen slightly longer or subequal to tepals; filaments 3–4 mm long (excl. annulus), subulate, equal or slightly shorter than tepals, whitish; annulus ca. 0,5 mm; anthers ca. 1 mm long, pale yellow; pollen grains creamy. Ovary 2.5–3 × 1–2 mm, oblong-elliptical, keeled, yellowish; style 1.5–2 mm long, before fertilization shorter than perigone, slightly whitish. Capsule 3.5–4 × 3–4.5 mm, globose or subglobose. Seeds 3–3.5 × 1.5–2 mm, semilunar, black, dominant shape of testa cells elliptic or tetra- to hexagonal, undulation of anticlinal walls straight to strip-like, periclinal wall with several big verrucae ( Fig. 3 ). Pollen grain elliptical, monosulcate, 30.23–32.87 × 15.78–16.45 μm, striate-rugulate-perforate ornamentation, yellowish ( Fig. 3 ).

Phenology:— Flowering in July and August, Fruiting in August.

Eponymy:— This species is named after Mr. Ahmet Tıraş, an amateur botanist who collected the first specimen of the new species. The Turkish name of this species is suggested as “Alanya soğanı” according to the guidelines of Menemen et al. (2016).

Distribution and Habitat:— Allium ahmet-tirasii is endemic to South Anatolia, Türkiye. It is located in Alanya, a district of the province of Antalya. It belongs to the Mediterranean floristic region’s elements. It grows only on the calcareous rock cracks at elevations between 1700 and 1800 m. The flowering time of A. ahmet-tirasii is between July and August, and the fruiting time is between August. Species growing in the near vicinity include Aethionema subulatum ( Boissier & Heldreich 1849: 42) Boissier (1867: 349) , Astragalus anthylloides Lamarck (1783: 320) , * Astragalus chrysochlorus Boissier & Kotschy (1856: 86) , Euphorbia kotschyana Fenzl (1842: 7) , Fritillaria pinardii Boissier (1846: 106) , * Hesperis kotschyi Boissier (1856: 21) , Leopoldia tenuiflora ( Tausch 1841: 234) Heldreich (1878: 70) , * Prometheum chrysanthum ( Boissier & Heldreich 1849: 15) Hart (1995: 170) subsp. chrysanthum , * Pterocephalus pinardii Boissier (1844: 88) , * Rindera dumanii Aytaç & Mill (2005: 113) , * Scorzonera tomentosa Linnaeus (1763: 1112) , * Turanecio farfarifolius (Boissier & Kotschy 1856: 33) Hamzaoğlu (2016: 80) , [an asterisk indicates Turkish endemics.]

Additional specimens examined:— Allium sivasicum : TÜRKİYE. Kahramanmaraş: Göksun-Elbistan, on dry sandy banks, 1400 m, 15 vi 1960, A. Stainton 5596 & D. Henderson (E 00344491!). Sivas: 6 km from Hafik to Sivas, nr. Durulmuş village , open gypsum hillsides, 1350 m, 22 vii 1978, A. Baytop ( ISTE 41029 !) ; Hafik-Zara, Tödürge Gölü , 1300 m, A. Baytop ( ISTE 41034 !) ; Sivas to Zara, Meydancık, rocky gypsum, facing East , 1500–1600 m, 07 viii 1982, P.H. Davis 68816 (E 00344494!) ; Zara-Divriği yolu, Çulhalı çıkışı, 10 vii 2023, H. Yıldırım 10777 & T. Özdöl (EGE!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Allium ahmet-tirasii: A—habitus; B—spathe (B1-with 1-valved, B2- started to break into 2-valves, B3-with unilateral 2- valved); C—transition from leaf sheath to lamina; D—pistil; E—flower, F—detail of flower inside [tepals and stamens (incl. annulus)], G—capsule, H—seed.

FIGURE 2. Allium ahmet-tirasii: A, B—habitus and habitat; C, D—umbel with 1-valved spathe; E—umbel with 1-valved and 2-valved spathes; F—flower; G—capsules; H—bulbs.

FIGURE 3. SEM photographs of Allium ahmet-tirasii: A, B, C—seed; D, E, F—pollen grain.