Allium minus (S.O.Yu, S.Lee & W.Lee) H.J.Choi & B.U.Oh, Brittonia 62(3): 200 (2010)

Jang, Ju Eun, Park, Jong-Soo, Jung, Ji-Young, Kim, Dong-Kap, Yang, Sungyu & Choi, Hyeok Jae, 2021, Notes on Allium section Rhizirideum (Amaryllidaceae) in South Korea and northeastern China: with a new species from Ulleungdo Island, PhytoKeys 176, pp. 1-19 : 1

Allium minus (S.O.Yu, S.Lee & W.Lee) H.J.Choi & B.U.Oh, Brittonia 62(3): 200 (2010) Fig. 1P-T

A. senescens L. var. minus S.OYu, S.Lee & W.Lee, J. Korean Pl. Taxon. 11: 32 (1981) [ ‘minor’]. Basionym.

Type.

South Korea. Gangwon: Inje, Wolhaksam-ri , 26 May 1979, B.S.Gil s.n. (Neotype: KH!; Oh et al. 2018) .

Notes.

This species was originally published as a variety of Allium senescens , Allium senescens var. minus ‘minor’. However, this Korean endemic taxon has been revealed as a biologically distinct species. It is remarkably well distinguished from its relatives of the section Allium Rhiziridum by having much narrower and shorter leaf blades and scapes, smaller floral organs, non-exerted filaments and earlier flowering season from May to late July (Table 3 ; Fig. 1 ; Choi and Oh 2010; Choi and Oh 2011). Considering these major differences, Choi and Oh (2010) proposed the rank of species for this taxon as more appropriate than that of variety. Although it is cultivated as a vegetable in South Korea, its natural populations are only known from the type locality so far (Fig. 5 ). However, this species proved to have been extinct in the natural habitat in this study.

Specimens examined.

South Korea. Gangwon: Inje , 26 May 1979, B.S.Gil 0022887 (KWNU); Inje,?, W.T.Lee 0022892 (KWNU); Inje, Wolhaksam-ri, 18 May 2008, H.J.Choi 080063 * (KH) . Gyeonggi: Yangju, Jangheung , 6 Oct. 2015, H.J.Choi 151006-01 (CWNU) .

Figures

Figure 1. Comparative photographs of the inflorescence, cross-section of leaf and scape, flower, and tepal and filament arrangement of Allium section Rhizirdeum in South Korea and northeastern China A-E A. dumebuchum (H. J. Choi 201008 - 001) F-J A. spirale (H. J. Choi 191010 - 01) K-O A. spurium (H. J. Choi 200831 - 01) P-T A. minus (H. J. Choi 080063) U-Y A. senescens (H. J. Choi 080119).

Figure 5. Distribution map of Allium dumebuchum and its related species section Allium dumebuchum Rhizirideum in Korea and northeastern China (revised from Sinitsyna et al. 2016).