Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis Fırat, 2017

Firat, Mehmet, 2017, Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis (Iridaceae), a new subspecies from Hakkâri province (Turkey) belonging to I. subgenus Hermodactyloides, Phytotaxa 305 (3), pp. 209-216 : 211-214

Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis Fırat subsp. nov. ( Figs. 2‒3 )

Diagnosis: — Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis clearly differs from subsp. zagrica , in plant height (up to 30 cm tall), larger leaves (2‒4 mm broad × 18–29 cm long at anthesis), longer spathe bract (9.0– 12 cm long), larger capsule (34–38 mm long), and flower colour purplish to violet.

Type: — TURKEY. C10 Hakkâri: Şemdinli district, from Cîyayê Govende (Güney Dağı) to Oremar (Dağlıca), in loose soil, 1543 m, 37°12’58”N 44°16’55”E, 24 April 2013, M. Fırat 30011 (holotype: VANF; isotypes: NGBB, Herb. M. Fırat) .

Description: —Plant 20–30 cm tall at flowering time, Bulb 2‒4 cm long, 1.5‒2 cm wide, ovoid; outer tunics netted, especially at apex; inner tunics membranous, splitting longitudinally into fibres, slightly netted at apex. Leaves usually two (rarely one), each subtended by a membranous semi-transparent, green-veined, mainly subterranean sheath with only the tip visible; lamina quadrangular in section, grey-green, glabrous, 18–29 cm long, 2‒4 mm wide at flowering time, elongating to 30‒55 cm at fruiting time; apex acuminate, whitish. Inflorescence one-flowered; pedicel 2.5‒3 cm long, raising the ovary to just above ground level, merging almost imperceptibly with the slender ovary. Spathe bract and bracteole unequal, bract narrowly cylindrical, closely sheathing the ovary and its beak, rigid, 9–12 cm long; bracteole narrowly cylindrical for most of its length, wholly enclosed within the bract, rigid; ovary green, 10‒14 mm long, extended gradually into a long beak (which has the appearance of a perianth tube) c. 2.7‒3.3 cm long. Flower articulated at the base, separating from the beak of the ovary after anthesis; perianth tube cupuliform, 3‒4 mm long, 2‒3 mm wide; outer perianth segments (falls) narrowly obovate, 3.5–4.5 cm long, 8–10 mm wide across the lamina tapering to 3 mm at base of haft, obtuse, purplish to violet, semi-transparent, flushed green and conspicuously streaked purple, lamina dark purple with a median, triangular, yellow-green low ridge, papillose and the papillae extending along the median vein towards the base of the haft; inner perianth segments (standards) erect, very narrowly oblanceolate, 3.7–4.7 cm long, 4–7 mm wide at widest point, obtuse or subacute, dark violet; style branches narrowly cuneate, 3.4– 3.6 cm long, 5–7 mm wide at apex, splitting into two sharply reflexed or curled lobes, ±lobes triangular, acute, 8–11 mm long, 2–3 mm wide at base; stigma bilobed, the lobes obtuse or rounded, erose; stamens 21–24 mm long; filaments 10–12 mm long, flattened, c. 1 mm wide, narrowing at apex, white streaked purple; anthers linear, 11–12 mm long, 2 mm wide, violet with yellowish pollen. Capsule carried above ground level at maturity, ovoid, 34–38 mm long, 10–15 mm wide with a slender beak 25–40 mm long; seeds subglobose, brown, c. 4–5 mm diameter. 2n = 14.

Phenology: —Flowering in April.

Etymology: —The specific epithet is derived from the name of Hakkâri province, where type material was collected.

Distribution:— Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis is endemic to Hakkâri Province (Colemerîk), Turkey. It is an element of the Irano-Turanian floristic region ( Fig. 1 ).

Vernacular name: —The new subspecies is called “Bilbilaze” in Kurdish by the local people of Hakkâri Province.

Habitat and ecology:— Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis grows in loose soil at c. 1500–1600 m, with other interesting plants such as Bellevalia kurdistanica Feinbrun (1940: 381) and Gagea confusa Terracciano (1904: 5) .

Red list assessment: —The distribution area of Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis was less than 100 km 2 (approximately 10–20 km 2). The species was collected from two localities, and where it occurred, ca. 500 individuals were counted. It grows on limestone formations. No anthropogenic or grazing effects were observed in the population. Based on the above data, the IUCN (2014) red list category of Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis is suggested as “Vulnerable” [VU B1ab(i,ii,iii)].

Karyology:—The chromosome number of Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis is 2n = 14 ( Fig. 4 ) and it consists of six median centromeric chromosomes, two submedian centromeric chromosomes and six subterminal (acrocentric) centromeric chromosomes. The karyotype formula is 2n = 14 = 6mc+2smc+6stc. Usually satellites are observed on the short arms of the longest subterminal (acrocentric) chromosomes. The karyotype is reported for the first time in this study.

Palynology:—Pollen grains are clypeate and spheroidal in shape, with pollen diameter (PD) values varying from 95 to 160 μm. The exine is semitectate, eureticulate and simplibaculate. The lumina are 28 μm in size and have some granulae in the bases. It is circular, elliptical or polygonal in shape. Muri width is 1.50 μm ( Fig. 5 ). All pollen grains are sulcate with few palynological features, which could have taxonomic importance at different classification levels: shape of dry pollen grains; shape, outline and approximate size of hydrated pollen grains, approximate size of the sulcus, and ornamentation of the sulcus membrane and of the exine. The pollen morphology is reported for the first time in this study.

Comments: — Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis belongs to I. subgenus Hermodactyloides . With the new subspecies, the number of Turkish Iris species amounts to 51, 10 belonging to subgenus Hermodactyloides . With the newly described subspecies, Iris zagrica is represented by two subspecies ( I. zagrica subsp. zagrica . and I. zagrica subsp. hakkariensis ). The typical subspecies, Iris zagrica subsp. zagrica , was detected as a new record for the Turkish Flora by the author in 2012, namely in the Iranian and Iraqian parts of Şemdinli ( Fırat 2012).

After detailed field studies in 2013, the different populations of this subspecies were found in Cîyayê Govende (Güney Mountain) and the Oremar (Dağlıca region), which are classified as a forbidden zone by security forces. The members of these populations differ from others by being taller, with larger leaves, and longer spathe bract and capsules ( Table 1), as well as by growing in loose soils in open forest areas. Furthermore, it is also remarkable that colour of outer perianth segments (falls) is constantly purplish to violet. While specimens which grow in the southern east end of the Zagros mountain range and the Cilo-Sat mountain range conjuction have a whitish or pale blue haft, the specimens which grow at the end of Zagros mountain range and the beginning of the Cilo-Sat mountain range, which is the northernmost site of the type specimens of Iris zagrica subsp. zagrica , exhibit a purplish to violet haft.

var. reticulata and I. reticulata var. kurdica .

Photographs of Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis ( Fig 3 AC), I. zagrica subsp. zagrica ( Fig 3 DF), I. reticulata var. kurdica Rukšans (2007: 363 , plates 271 & 272) ( Fig 3 GI), and I. reticulata Marschall von Bieberstein (1808: 34) var. reticulata ( Fig 3 JL) are provided to illustrate the distinctions more easily.

Recently, Crespo et al. (2015: 61) suggested that Iris zagrica B.Mathew & Zarrei should be renamed as Iridodictyum zagricum (B.Mathew & Zarrei) M.B.Crespo, Mart. -Azorín & Mavrodiev in their monograph on the irises worldwide, in which Iridodictyum Rodionenko (1961: 201) was accepted at the genus rank. However, Turkish botanists suggest treating the genus Iris in a wide sense to include Iridodictyum , an option that is followed here.

Other specimens examined:— Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis . TURKEY. C10 Hakkâri: Şemdinli district, from Cîyayê Govende (Güney Dağı) to Oremar (Dağlıca), on loose soil, 1543 m, 37°12′58″ N, 44°16′55″ E, 24 June 2013, M. Fırat 30311 (Herb. M. Fırat, in fruit). — Iris zagrica subsp. zagrica . TURKEY. C10 Hakkâri: Þemdinli district, Balkaya mountain, opening oak forest, 1200 m, 4 April 2012, M. Fırat 28482 (NGBB, Herb. M. Fırat). — Iris reticulata var. reticulata . TURKEY. C10 Hakkâri: Çukurca district, Bilêcan region, 1300 m, 7 April 2011, M. Fırat 27325 (Herb. M. Fırat).— Iris reticulata var. kurdica TURKEY. B9 Van: Başkale district, 27 km from Başkale to Hakkâri, 2600 m, 7 April 2011, M. Fırat 27323 (Topotype, Herb. M. Fırat).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution map of Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis (■) and the closely related subspecies and I. zagrica subsp. zagrica (▲) in Turkey and Iran.

FIGURE 2. Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis. A) Habit; BD) Flower; E) Bulb; F) Capsule; G) Seeds.

FIGURE 3. Habit and flower of Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis (AC), I. zagrica subsp. zagrica (DF), I. reticulata var. kurdica (GI), and I. reticulata var. reticulata (JL).

FIGURE 4. Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis. A) Somatic cell (scale bar = 5 μm); B) Idiogram (scale bar = 1 μm)

FIGURE 5. SEM micrographs of Iris zagrica subsp. hakkariensis. A) General view (×1300): B) Exine surface (×3000).