Fritillaria sanandajensis M Advay, 2025

Advay, Mahfouz, Teksen, Mehtap & Soleimani, Fahmi, 2025, Fritillaria sanandajensis (Liliaceae), a new species from western Iran, Phytotaxa 715 (3), pp. 271-278 : 272-273

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.715.3.6
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D3879A-4B00-FF15-CEBA-F6AE2F54F809
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Fritillaria sanandajensis M Advay
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Fritillaria sanandajensis M Advay , sp. nov. ( Figs 1–3 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 ).

Type:— IRAN. Kurdistan Province: c. 20 km from Sanandaj to Dehgolan , Salvat Abad pass 35°29′18′′N, 47°14′72′′E, 2100 m a.s.l., 21 Apr 2013, Advay 11616 ( holotype: HKS; isotype: TUH) .

Fritillaria sanandajensis is distinct from related species by shape and size of lowest leaves and bracts, size and colour of perigone segments, nectary colour and size and filament colour and length. It is like F. assyriaca and F. chlororhabdota in its narrowly campanulate flowers and habit (Figs 2,3; Table 1).

chlororhabdota .

Terrestrial herbs with globose bulbs, up to 2 cm in diameter, with 2–5 bulblets, tunics yellowish. Stem 10–20 (–30) cm tall, 10–15 cm above ground, smooth. Leaves mostly 4–5(–9), sessile, alternate, glaucous. Lower leaves 7.0–12 × 1.0–2.0 cm, alternate, lanceolate to oblanceolate, acute, sometimes longitudinally sulcate, acute; median leaves 35.0–50.0 × 2.5–8.0 mm, alternate, linear-lanceolate, acute. The uppermost leaves 1–2, 0.9–5.0 × 0.1–0.5 cm, linear, acuminate. Flower 1–3(–4). Perigon narrowly campanulate, mostly recurved at the mouth, tepals purplish, greyish purplish, rarely with a green-yellowish stripe outside, purplish inside; outer tepals 15.0–17.0 × 4.0– 5.5 mm, ovate-lanceolate, acute; inner tepals 16.0–18.0 × 5.0–6.0 mm, oblong-ovate, acute or obtuse. Nectary 3.5–4.0 × 0.7–1.3 mm, greenish yellowish, lanceolate, 1 mm above the base of tepals. Filaments 6.0–7.0 mm long, whitish, slender, cylindrical, papillose; dehisced anthers 5.5–6.5 mm, elliptical to oblong, yellow. Style 7.5–8.0 × 1.5–1.7 mm, cylindrical, unbranched, yellow, densely papillose. Capsule 25–40 × 15–25 mm, obovoid-oblong, cuneate, not winged; seeds 4.0–6.5 × 5.5–7.5 mm, flat, brown ( Figs 2 View FIGURE 2 , 3 View FIGURE 3 ).

Etymology:— Referring to Sanandaj, where the type was collected.

Distribution and habitat:— Known from the type locality ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ) in the Abidar and Salvat Abad mountains, Sanangaj, Kurdistan Province. It is an element of the Irano-Turanian floristic region. Fritillaria sanandajensis grows in mountain steppe, alpine pasture, grassy ledges, 1700–2100 m a.s.l., where it grows together with Geranium tuberosum L., Gagea glacialis K. Koch. , Ferula haussknchtii H. Wolff in Rech.f., Astragalus spp. , Festuca spp. , Centaurea spp. , Onosma rascheyana Boiss. , Stachys inflata Benth. , Bongardia chrysogonum (L.) Spach, Euphorbia spp. , Tulipa systola Stapf.

Phenology:— Flowering April–May, fruiting June–July.

Species conservation assessment:— Fritillaria sanandajensis is known from three locations. Less than 500 mature individuals were observed at the type locality and vicinity. Its extent of occurrence (EOO) is less than 5 km 2, and the area of occupancy (AOO) is less than 5 km 2 (criterion B1, B2). Grazing activities are frequently observed in the immediate vicinity. Like most Fritillaria species, developing capsules are usually grazed before they mature. Therefore, the species may be classified as critically endangered (CR) (criterion B2ab [ii, iii, v]) (https://www.iucnredlist.org/ resources/categories-and-criteria) due to its restricted population, number of locations (3) and estimated decrease in the area of occupancy, habitat quality and number of mature individuals.

Other specimens examined:— IRAN. Kurdistan: Sanandaj, Abidar mountans slopes, 1700 m, 3 Apr 2015, Advay 12680 ( HKS) ; Sanandaj, Abidar mountans slopes, 1900 m, 16 Apr 2015, Advay 12689 ( HKS) ; c. 20 km from Sanandaj to Dehgolan, Salvat Abad pass, 2000 m a.s.l., 17 Apr 2023, Advay 48613 ( TUH) .