Scilla vardaria, Yildirim and Gemici, 2013

YILDIRIM, Hasan, GEMİCİ, Yusuf & WILKIN, Paul, 2013, Scilla vardaria (Asparagaceae subfamily Scilloideae): a threatened new species of Scilla L. from Northeast Turkey with a floral corona, Phytotaxa 91 (2), pp. 50-60 : 57-59

Scilla vardaria and the morphology of Scilla and Puschkinia

Some species of Scilla (formerly placed under Chionodoxa ), such as S. forbesii ( Baker 1870: 436) Speta (1976: 31) do not possess a floral corona but the filaments are well-developed, flattened and form a central cone at the top of perigon tube ( Fig. 5 ). All such taxa have a distinct perigon tube. This highlights the potential for flower evolution in Scilla s.l. Although S. vardaria shows superficial morphological similarities to both Scilla and Puschkinia taxa on initial examination, it is easily distinguished using the floral corona structure and seeds characters. As described above, plastid marker-based phylogenetic studies that are being prepared for publication (H. Yıldırım and collaborators) show a close relationship with S. bifolia and its allies, with the new species forming a clade with certain morphologically distinct units provisionally referred to S. bifolia , that is sister to S. bifolia s.s. taxa such as S. forbesii that were formerly recognized under Chionodoxa . Both clades have moderate to strong bootstrap support. S. bifolia is the generitype of Scilla . Thus, S. vardaria must be described as a species of Scilla even though it extends the morphological limits of the genus through, for example, its floral corona structure and the reticulate seed testa. The presence of a floral corona and reticulate testa are novel morphological characters for Scilla s.l. as described to date. However, some Scilla specimens (from the S. bifolia group) that have a reticulate testa were collected from NE and E Anatolia by us during the fieldwork described above.

Puschkinia comprises 2 species [ P. scilloides Adams (1805:164) and P. peshmenii Rix & Mathew (2007: 56) ] and is distributed from Daghestan and Bestau in the northern Caucasus and eastern Turkey to Lebanon and northwestern Iran ( Rix & Mathew 2007). The presence of a floral corona has been regarded by many authors to be a morphological character unique of Puschkinia . Although S. vardaria has a floral corona structure that resembles the floral corona found in Puschkinia , the floral corona of Puschkinia is tubular and distinctly 6-lobed ( Fig. 5 ), as opposed to the conical and entire (or rarely minutely lobed) corona of S. vardaria . In addition, the anthers of Puschkinia are inserted at the middle of its floral corona and not at its apex as in S. vardaria . S. vardaria also differs from Puschkinia in other floral and seed morphological characters (see Table 1); a blue-white to yellow-green perigon (not rich-blue); and seeds without elaiosome (not with distinct elaiosome). The perigon and its mid-vein are concolour (not darker) and seeds are only reticulate veined (not alveolate with sarcotesta).

Diagnostic key for Scilla L. and Puschkinia Adams in Turkey as currently circumscribed

1. Testa distinctly alveolate, sarcotesta present. Floral corona present, with distinct 6 dentate lobes; anthers inserted at middle or base of corona ........................................................................................................................... Puschkinia

- Testa reticulate, smooth or papillate, sarcotesta absent. Floral corona lacking or if present entire (rarely minutely lobed) and anthers inserted at corona apex or with flattened filaments forming a cone.................... Scilla sensu lato

Figures

FIGURE 5. A–C. Scilla bifolia (A. Habit, B. Flower, C, Stamens and pistil); D–F. Chionodoxa sardensis (synonym of Scilla sardensis) (D. Habit, E. Flower with a cone form stamen position, F. Stamen and pistil); G–J. Scilla vardaria (G. Habit, H. Flower and floral corona, J. Floral corona, stamen and pistil), K–M. Puschkinia scilloides (K. Habit, L. Flower and floral corona with corona lobes, M. Floral corona, stamen and pistil).