Allium moly subsp. glaucescens, 2015

Ferrer-Gallego, Pedro Pablo, Ferrer-Gallego, Raúl, Lumbreras, Emilio Laguna & Guara-Requena, Miguel, 2015, Allium moly subsp. glaucescens (Asparagaceae), a new subspecies from the Iberian Peninsula, Phytotaxa 192 (1), pp. 35-43 : 37-40

Allium moly L. subsp. glaucescens P.P.Ferrer, R.Ferrer, E.Laguna & Guara , subsp. nov. ( Fig. 2 and 3 )

Differing from Allium moly for the smaller size 14.8–24 cm, with generally only one, bluish-green (glaucous), narrower leaf (0.4–)0.5–1(– 1.5) cm wide, and for the small number of flowers, (1–)3–11(–14) ( Table 1)

Type:— SPAIN. Valencia: Bicorp, La Muela de 30SXJ 8224, 900 m, 27 June 2008, P. Pablo Ferrer Gallego 0012009 (holotype BC879428!, isotype VAL221327!).

specimens).

Plants 14.8–24 cm tall, with generally only one, bluish-green (glaucous), flat or quite keeled leaf (8–)15–22.8(–24) × (0.4–)0.5–1(–1.5) cm. Membranous sheath 4–40 mm length above soil. Flowers (1–)3–11(–14) arranged in an umbel, external tepals (7–)7.2–8.5(–8.6) × (3–)3.2–4(–4.2) mm and internal tepals (8–)8.1–8.9(–9) × (2.5–)3–3.3(–3.4) mm.

Etymology: —The subspecies epithet refers to the distinctly bluish-green color (glaucous) of the leaves.

Phenology: —Flowering from April to June. Fruiting from June to July.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— SPAIN. Valencia. Ayora , in montibus ad “Las Jedreas”, 21 June 1906, C. Pau s.n. (MA431711!) ; Ayora, Las Negritas , 30SXJ7718, 1040 m, 9 October 2012, Ferrer Gallego s.n. (CIEF031030!) ; Bicorp, La Muela de Bicorp , 30SXJ 8224, 900 m, 27 June 2008, P. Pablo Ferrer Gallego 0012009, (BC879428!) ; Bicorp, Casa de Mollá , 30SXJ 8323, 910 m, 15 July 2003, P. Pablo Ferrer Gallego s.n. (CIEF032037!) ; Bicorp , barranco de la Cueva, 30SXJ 8433, 779 m, 3 June 2003, P. Pablo Ferrer Gallego s.n. (CIEF031029!) ; Teresa de Cofrentes, ascenso al Pico Caroche , 30SXJ 7929, 966 m, 6 May 2005, P. Pablo Ferrer Gallego s.n. (CIEF031031!) ; Teresa de Cofrentes , El Caroche, 30SXJ8029, 1001 m, 6 May 2005, P. Pablo Ferrer Gallego s.n. (CIEF031032!) ; Teresa de Cofrentes, Alto de la Cruz, subida al Pico Caroche , 30SXJ 7830, 937 m, 6 May 2005, P. Pablo Ferrer Gallego s.n. (CIEF050207!) .

Distribution, habitat and ecology: —The new subspecies is widely spread in Valencia region, Spain. The territory is biogeographically ascribed within the Setabensean sector from the Valencian-Catalan-Provenzal province characterized by a meso-Mediterranean thermotype and a dry-semiarid ombrotype ( Rivas-Martínez 2007). This new subspecies occurs in dry and exposed areas, clearing areas of low scrubland, generally in calcareous and sand substrates, where it grows with Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng., Armeria alliacea (Cav.) Hoffmanns. & Link subsp. alliacea , Arenaria aggregata (L.) Loisel., Brassica repanda (Willd.) DC. , Chaenorhinum robustum Loscos , Ch. serpyllifolium (Lange) Lange , Euphorbia minuta Loscos & J.Pardo , Genista pumila (Debeaux & É.Rev. ex Hervier) Vierh. , Salvia lavandulifolia Vahl , Thymus granatensis subsp. micranthus (Willk.) O.Bolòs & Vigo , Ulex parviflorus Pourr. , among others, and in communities of Rosmarino-Ericion multiflorae Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl., Font Quer, G.Braun-Blanquet, Frey, Jansen & Moor 1935, showing a great affinity to the community of Thymo piperellae-Helianthemetum rotundifolii Rivas Goday 1958. This ecology is unusual from A. moly which was attributed to wet and cool soils, within communities occurring in clearing areas of holm oak forest, gall oak forest and pine forest, in slope and incline rocks, always in nemoral environments (Molinio-Holoschoenion Br.-Bl. ex Tchou 1948, Molinio arundinaceae -Ericetum erigenae Costa, Peris & Figuerola 1983, Erico erigenae-Schoenetum nigricantis Rivas Goday & Mansanet 1972, Genistion micrantho-anglicae Rivas-Martinez 1979, and even Arrhenatheretalia Tuxen 1931), and never in dry environments as mentioned in this paper for the new subspecies.

Cultivation: —The new subspecies has been cultivated under controlled greenhouse conditions during 2007 to 2014. The morphological characteristics of the subsp. glaucescens (bluish-green color, smaller size of leaves and plants, lesser number of flowers per inflorescence and smaller size of the tepals) are maintained in cultivation.

Chemotaxonomy: —The phenolic profile of A. moly subsp. moly and subsp. glaucescens is shown in Fig. 4 . Atotal of 25 flavonols have been identified corresponding to 11 quercetin derivative compounds, 8 isorhamnetin derivative compounds and 6 kaempferol derivative compounds ( Table 2). Differences in the phenolic profile of the subsp. moly and subsp. glaucescens were mainly due to the emergence of peaks 15, 18, 19, 24 and 25 in the case of subsp. glaucescens that were barely detectable in the subsp. moly . Contrary, peaks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 were greater in the case of subsp. moly . Figure 5 shows the ratio of the phenolic compounds of subsp. moly and subsp. glaucescens and table 2 shows the data of HPLC-DAD-MS in relation to retention time, wavelength of maximum absorption, molecular ion, main fragments in MS 2 and tentative identification.

Identification key to the infraspecific taxa of Allium moly

1. Leaf bluish-green, (0.4–)0.5–1(–1.5) cm wide, plants 14.8–24 cm tall ............................................................... subsp. glaucescens

- Leaf green, (0.36–)0.8–2.8(–4.1) cm wide, plants 11–52 cm tall .............................................................................. 2 ( subsp. moly )

2. Inflorescence bearing only flowers ...................................................................................................................................... var. moly

- Inflorescence fully or partially substituted by bulbils…..... ..................................................................................... var. bulbilliferum

Figures

FIGURE 2. Comparison of the habit and leaves of Allium moly subsp. moly and subsp. glaucescens.

FIGURE 3. Differences between Allium moly subsp. moly and subsp. glaucescens after cultivation under greenhouse conditions

FIGURE 4. Phenolic profile of Allium moly subsp. moly (A) and subsp. glaucescens (B) recorded at 370 nm

FIGURE 5. Ratio of the phenolic compounds of Allium moly subsp. moly and subsp. glaucescens.