Allium marmoratum Seregin, 2015

Seregin, Alexey P., 2015, Allium marmoratum (Amaryllidaceae), a new species of section Falcatifolia from Chimgan Massif, Eastern Uzbekistan, Phytotaxa 205 (4), pp. 211-214 : 211-213

Allium marmoratum Seregin sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

It is distinct from all related species for the red-and-white pattern of leaf sheaths. It differs from A. talassicum sensu Vvedensky for the yellow dehisced anthers (not dark-violet); from A. clausum for the attenuate inner tepals (not rounded), and the presence of distinct veins on tepals; from A. cisferganense for the canaliculate leaves (not flat), the shorter filaments and spathe, and tepal colour.

Type:— GERMANY, cultivated in Gatersleben: TAX 5884, 6 Jul 2005, anonymous s.n. (Origin: UZBEKISTAN, northern slope of Chimgan Massif, the Aksay River [ca. 80 to ENE from Tashkent], perennials and shrubs community on the creek terrace, rarely on drier sites, May 2001, R. Fritsch & M. Hoffmann 1758) (holotype GAT 20127!).

Stems 30–50 cm high, 1.0– 1.5 mm in diameter in upper part, rounded. Bulb-like base of the stem (false bulb, or “bulb”) 2.0– 2.5 cm in diameter, 7–10 cm long, almost cylindrical; outermost tunics brown, coriaceous. Leaves 3–4, canaliculate, hollow, up to 3 mm wide (usually less), sheathing the lower 2/5 to 1/2 part of the stem; leaf sheaths with a distinct marble-like pattern, which is a combination of red and white patches. Top leaves dry in anthesis. Spathe bivalved, persistent; valves unequal, the longer 13–23 mm long with a filiform beak, equaling or slightly longer than umbel; the shorter 5–7 mm long with a wanted beak, considerably shorter than umbel. Umbel lax, globose in anthesis, 28–30(–34) mm in diameter in anthesis ( Fig. 1 ). Number of flowers ca. 100(–200). Pedicels subequal in anthesis, very slender, almost filiform, up to 10–12 mm long in anthesis; flowers 2.0–3.0(–3.5) times shorter than pedicels. Perigone apparently ovoid (or cup-shaped?); tepals rose in buds, greenish in anthesis (almost white when dry) with green vein, dull rose after anthesis, unequal, inner ca. 3.5 mm long, 1.6–2.0 mm wide, distinctly attenuate, outer ca. 3.0(–3.2) mm long, 1.4–1.6 mm wide, somewhat acute. Stamens shortly exserted; filaments filiform, whitish, very gradually widened at base, (1.2–)1.3 times longer than tepals. Anthers 0.9–1.2 mm long, yellow, showy; dehisced anthers still yellow; old empty anthers dark yellow to brownish. Style exserted. Seeds not studied.

Etymology:—The species name refers to the marble-like pattern of leaf sheaths.

Habitats:—Xeric shrub communities and open Betula tianschanica stands, on rocks and stony ground.

Distribution:— Uzbekistan, slopes of Chimgan Massif.

Flowering period:—June–July (in culture).

Additional specimen examined (paratype):— GERMANY, cultivated in Gatersleben: TAX 5886, 29 Jun 2005, anonymous s.n. (Origin: UZBEKISTAN, northern slope of Chimgan Massif, the Aksay River, rock terraces on the south-facing slope, steep granite slopes in the Betula tianschanica stand, May 2001, R. Fritsch & M. Hoffmann 1763) (GAT 20128!).

Taxonomic relationships:— Allium cisferganense R.Fritsch in Fritsch et al. (2002: 382) is somewhat similar to my new species. The author compared it with A. tianschanicum Ruprecht (1869: 33) and A. hymenorrhizum Ledebour (1830: 12) , although he clearly indicated later that A. cisferganense is a member of the A. talassicum group ( Fritsch 2008). The same author ( Fritsch 2008, Fritsch & Friesen 2009) also had mentioned that A. talassicum needs special attention, because this name was misapplied by Vvedensky (1935, 1941, 1971), whose descriptions and keys clearly contradict the original description by Regel (1878) in some important details. For instance, Vvedensky (1941) indicated a plant height of (15–) 30–75 cm, and pedicels 1.5–3.0 times longer than the flowers (i.e. 6–12 mm long), whereas Regel (1878) stated that A. talassicum is a dwarf plant 15–25 cm high with pedicels 4–5 mm long, slightly longer than the flowers. Specimens identified as A. talassicum after Vvedensky usually have a bivalved spathe with a beak considerably longer than the umbel, whereas Regel (1878: 628) indicated that his species has one short valve. When describing A. filifolium Regel (1887: 352) , another dwarf species of high altitudes, the author compared it with A. talassicum . Taking A. clausum Vvedensky (1971: 313) and A. cisferganense for comparison, A. marmoratum is the third tall morph distinct from A. talassicum sensu Vved. , but there are still some other unnamed units in this group. Allium oreotadzhikorum Fritsch in Fritsch & Friesen (2009: 225), is apparently more similar to the dwarf A. talassicum Regel , rather than to the robust A. talassicum sensu Vved. ( Fritsch & Friesen 2009).

Phylogenetic position:—Results of molecular analysis recently published by Seregin & Friesen (2015) suggest that A. marmoratum is actually a member of A. sect. Falcatifolia N.Friesen in Friesen et al. (2006: 390). This section was introduced for A. carolinianum DC. ex Redouté (1804 : t. 101) and A. platyspathum Schrenk in Fischer & Meyer (1841: 7), both showing large, flat, falcate leaves. Later on, Fritsch & Friesen (2009) transferred to the section Falcatifolia tall species such as A. hymenorrhizum and A. kaschianum Regel (1887: 338) . Species like A. filifolium , A. kokanicum Regel (1875: 104) , A. caricoides Regel (1879: 532) , A. alexandrae Vvedensky (1924: 95) , and A. marmoratum are similar to species of the section Oreiprason in their gross-morphology, but show similar ITS and plastid DNA fragments with abovementioned species from the section Falcatifolia . Those plants known as A. talassicum sensu Vved. (including A. marmoratum ) are forming an early diverging clade within the section Falcatifolia ( Seregin & Friesen 2015) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Umbels of Allium marmoratum: (left) accession TAX 5884 in Gatersleben live collection (source of holotype), (right) accession TAX 5886 in Gatersleben live collection (source of paratype). Pictures by Reinhard Fritsch.