Allium michaelis F. O. KHASS. & TOJIBAEV, 2009

Khassanov, F. O. & Tojibaev, K. Sh., 2009, One more new Allium L. species from the Fergan depression (Central Asia), Linzer biologische Beiträge 41 (2), pp. 1059-1062 : 1059-1060

Allium michaelis F. O. KHASS. & TOJIBAEV nov.sp. (sect. Brevidentia F. O. KHASS. & YENGAL.)

Bulbus solitarius ovatus 10-20 mm altus, 5-15 mm latus, tunicis brunneis coriaceis. Bulbulae paucae triangularia apice carinata. Caulis teres glaber striatus crassiusculus 10- 20 cm altus, 1,5-3 mm latus, usque ad medium glabris vaginis foliorum involutus. Folia in numero 2-3, 1- 2 mm lata semeteretia glabra flexuosa. Spatha recurvata persistens, pedicellis pluries breviora. Umbella hemisphaerica. Pedicelli subaequilongi 8-12 mm longi, ebracteolati. Perigonium campanulatum albido-viridulum apice violaceum, nervis viridibus. Tepala elliptico-ovata oblonga obtusa 3,5-4,5 mm longa, margine purpurascentibus, exteriora quam interiora breviora. Filamenta albida tepalis breviora, exteriora simplicia late basi denticulata, interiora tricuspidata, cuspidibus lateralibus ca. 1 mm longus. Antherae violaceae. Ovarium globosum purpureum. Capsula laevis 3- 4 mm in diam.

Differt ab A. haneltii F. O. KHASS. & R. M. FRITSCH filamentis albis (nec violaceis), tricuspidatis (nec simplicibus), tepalis obtusatis (nec acutis) albido-viridulis (nec violaceis), caulis crassiusculis, foliis flexuosis, bulbulis apice carinatis.

Habitat ad montium Kuramense (Asia Media Tian-Shan Occidentalis).

Typus: Tien-Shan Occidentalis, montes Kuramensis, prope pagum Ujgursaj, N 40 54’54.1’’ E 71 03’ 27,2’’ h = 563m. s.l., 24.05.2009, Khassanov, Tojibaev, Keusgen (TASH).

Species in honorem Prof. Dr. Michael Keusgen Marburgensis denominata est.

Bulb solitary, ovate 10-20 mm long, 5-15 mm wide, outer tunics coriaceous, brownish. Bulblets several cymbiform keeled. Scape 10-20 cm long, 1,5-3 mm in diameter, lower half covered by smooth leaf sheaths. Leaves 2-3, 1- 2 mm thick, nearly terete, smooth, screwshaped. Spathe recurved, shorter than pedicels, persistent. Inflorescence semiglobose. Pedicels nearly equal, 8-12 mm long, without basal bracts. Flower cup shaped, whitishgreenish in the upper part violet with green nerve. Tepals elliptic ovate obtuse 3,5-4,5 mm long with purple margins, outer shorter than inner ones. Filaments whitish shorter than tepals, outer ones simple widely denticulate, inner ones tripartite with lateral cusps about 1 mm long. Anthers violet. Ovary globose purple. Capsule smooth, 3-4 mm in diameter.

The junior author collected this species in March 2009 and it’s originality was clearly seen in the screw-shaped form of the leaves. This character is not rare in the subg. Allium and only Pamir-Alaian and Afghan small alliums show this character. For example, A. ophiophyllum VVED. (from South-western Pamir-Alai) has the same type of leaves, but this character is not stable, because within the studied populations of the above mentioned species some plants had somewhat curved leaves. Wendelbo (1971) also mentioned in the description of A. spirophyllum WENDELBO , that the leaves could be straight or screw- shaped. According to the purple ovary and cymbiform keeled leaves, the plants collected in 2009 could be allied to A. haneltii , which is growing in a distance of about 20 km closer to the main range on stony slopes. The bulblets of A. haneltii are attached to the middle of the bulb by the keel, and bulblets of Allium michaelis by the upper enlarged part ( Figs 1-2 ). The scapes of the newly described species are clearly thick and tepals are larger and show another form ( Figs. 3-4 ). Moreover, Allium michaelis is the only species of sect. Brevidentia having white filaments, which are shorter than the tepals. Such character has A. hedgei WENDELBO , growing in northern Afghanistan, but the structure and color of the filaments and bulblets are completely different. Usually, species of Brevidentia has strongly exserted filaments like in the case of the type species A. brevidens VVED. Morphologically , Allium michaelis and A. haneltii clearly belongs to sect. Brevidentia , but molecular data of the last taxon showed an outstanding position of Western Tian-Shanian species within subgen. Allium ( FRIESEN et al. 2006) .

Figures

Figs 1-4: (1) Bulb and bulblets of A. haneltii F.O. KHASS. & R.M. FRITSCH; (2) Bulb and bulblets of A. michaelis nov.sp.; (3) Flowers of A. haneltii F.O. KHASS. & R.M. FRITSCH; (4) Flowers of A. michaelis sp. nov.