Four New Species ofAllium(Alliaceae) from Iran

Ann. Bot. Fennici 48: 352–360 Helsinki 30 August 2011 ISSN 0003-3847 (print) ISSN 1797-2442 (online) © Finnish Zoological and Botanical Publishing Board 2011 Four new species of Allium (Alliaceae) from Iran Hamid Razyfard1, Shahin Zarre1,*, Reinhard M. Fritsch2 & Hosein Maroofi3 1) 2) 3) Department of Plant Sciences, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 14155-6455, Tehran, Iran (*corresponding author’s e-mail: zarre@khayam.ut.ac.ir) Leibniz Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK), Corrensstr. 3, D-06466 Gatersleben, Germany Research Center of Agricultural and Natural Resources of Kurdistan, P.O. Box 66169-36311-714, Sanandaj, Iran Received 10 Feb. 2010, revised version received 5 Apr. 2010, accepted 6 Apr. 2010 Razyfard, H., Zarre, S., Fritsch, R. M. & Maroofi, H. 2011: Four new species of Allium (Alliaceae) from Iran. — Ann. Bot. Fennici 48: 352–360. Four species of Allium from northwest Iran are described as new: Allium alamutense Razyfard, Zarre & R.M. Fritsch, A. kurdistanicum Maroofi & R.M. Fritsch, A. subakaka Razyfard & Zarre, and A. mahneshanense Razyfard, Zarre & R.M. Fritsch. A detailed description for each species, a table including the diagnostic morphological characters useful in separating these species from their relatives, images of type material and illustrations of flower parts as well as distribution maps are provided. Allium is probably one of the largest genera of the petaloid monocotyledons, including approximately 850 species worldwide and 114 species in Iran (Friesen et al. 2006, Fritsch & Abbasi 2008). According to the recent classification performed by Friesen et al. (2006) and Fritsch et al. (2009), seven subgenera and 32 sections of Allium occur naturally in Iran. Allium subg. Melanocrommyum is one of the largest subgenera in the genus and consists of at least 160 species worldwide (Fritsch et al. 2009). Additional species described after Flora Iranica (Wendelbo 1971) by Kamelin and Seisums (1996), Seisums (2000), Fritsch et al. (2002), Mashayekhi et al. (2005), Fritsch et al. (2007), Fritsch and Abbasi (2008), Neshati et al. (2009), Fritsch and Maroofi (2010) and in this study, raised the number of Iranian species in this subgenus to 57. The section Acanthoprason is perhaps taxonomically the most problematic section of this subgenus. Although the members of the sec- tion are well-characterized by: (1) sharing short scapes usually bearing many-flowered (more than 30 flowers) inflorescences not much above the ground level, (2) possessing leaves longer than the scapes as well as pedicels of more or less equal size, (3) pink or purple tepals developing a rigid median nerve after anthesis, and (4) through their alpine and subalpine habitats (Wendelbo 1971), unclear delimitation of some taxa along with high variation of morphological characters in other species remain problematic. Indeed, Wendelbo (1971) explicitly characterized this section as “one of the most difficult groups”. Several taxonomic problems could finally be solved by careful study and comparison of living plants, because the dried herbarium specimens do not show some morphological features necessary for identification. Recognition of some more species and subspecies, designation of epitypes and lectotypes, and a new key for determination presented by Fritsch and Abbasi ANN. BOT. FeNNIcI Vol. 48 • Four new species of Allium from Iran (2008) and Fritsch et al. (2009) considerably enhanced dealing with the Iranian members of the section Acanthoprason. Based on our new collections from different parts of Iran, we describe here four new species clearly belonging to sect. Acanthoprason. They could not be determined with the key of Fritsch and Abbasi (2008) and they did not fit the description of any species known in this section. The plant material for this study was collected in different regions of Iran. The plants were studied after collecting and more in detail as herbarium specimens. Holotypes of the new taxa are deposited in Tehran University Herbarium (TUH), the Herbarium of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands in Tehran (TARI), the Herbarium of Research Center of Agricultural and Natural Resources of Kurdistan in Sanandaj (acronym used HKS), and Traditional Medicine and Materia Medica Research Center Herbarium, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Science in Tehran (MPH). The new species were identified based on detailed examination of all samples deposited in the Iranian herbaria in the framework of preparing the Allium account for the “Farsi Flora of Iran”. Allium alamutense Razyfard, Zarre & R.M. Fritsch, sp. nova (Figs. 1 and 2) Differt ab A. derderiano tepalis lanceolatis (non plus minusque triangularibus), ab A. shelkovnikovii foliis undulatis (non strictis) tepalis saturate coloratis (non albescentibus), et ab ambobus speciebus filamentis basi (non superne) infuscatis. Type: Iran. Prov. Qazvin, Qazvin, Alamut mountains, a few kilometers before Moalem Kalayieh, near Ovan Lake, 1700 m, 36°31´N, 50°28´E, 19.V.2009 Salmaki & Razyfard 34349 (holotype TUH). Bulbs ovate-globose, 15–23 mm diam. Outer tunics blackish-brown, splitting. Leaves in pair (sometimes single), pale yellow-green, 10–13 cm long and 1–1.5 cm wide, lanceolate to falcate-undulate, thick and fleshy, upper part ± flat, with a hooded tip in dry state, lower side slightly sulcate, flushed purple from tip towards middle after anthesis; margin finely toothed (sometimes 353 smooth), white. Scape cylindrical, ± flexuous, smooth (sulcate in dry state), 2–5 cm long above soil, ca. 3 mm diam. Spath membranous, splitting in 2 or 3 segments, whitish with brown nerves. Inflorescence semi-globose, loose, 2–4 cm diam. Pedicels straight, thin, up to 15 mm long, light green. Flowers campanulate. Tepals lanceolate, 8–10 mm long and up to 2 mm wide in middle, pink to lilac, with a darker midvein. Filaments fleshy, nearly half as long as tepals, pink throughout and darker at base, triangular, basally 1.5 mm connate to each other and adnate to tepals. Anthers ca. 1 mm long, yellowish. Ovary light green, obovate, 2–3 mm long and 2–3 mm diam.; style ca. 2 mm long; stigma undivided. Capsule with three furrows, ca. 4 mm long and 4–5 mm diam., yellowish-brown. Seeds one per locule, depressed-ovate, 1–2 mm long, ca. 2 mm wide and ca. 1 mm thick, black. Flowering in May, fruiting in June. DisTribuTion anD habiTaT: Only known from the type location, growing on stony slopes with slightly moist soils in N Iran, north to the city of Qazvin. At first glance, the species is most similar to Allium derderianum and A. shelkovnikovii because of its small size and narrow leaves. It differs from A. derderianum by the darker and lanceolate (not triangular) tepals, and filaments darker at base (not darker at tip), but both taxa share undulate leaves. Allium shelkovnikovii differs from A. alamutense by its straight leaves, whitish tepals, sublinear outer tepals, and purple to red-brown tips of filaments. Molecular markers (ITS sequences of nuclear rDNA) of the type specimen of A. alamutense confirmed a position very close to A. derderianum (as “A. sp. 9”, Fritsch et al. 2009). Allium kurdistanicum Maroofi & R.M. Fritsch, sp. nova (Figs. 3 and 4) Differt ab A. haemanthoidi foliis multo angustioribus, inflorescentiis semi-globosis (non fasciculatis) et filamentis longioribus, ab Allio zagrico foliis brevioribus angustioribus impolitis (non nitidis) et inflorescentiis minoribus, et ab ambobus speciebus tepalis brevioribus et strictis (non recurvatis). 354 Razyfard et al. • ANN. BOT. FeNNIcI Vol. 48 Fig. 1. Allium alamutense. — A: Holotype (scale bar = 1 cm). — B: General habit in living state (scale bar = 10 cm). — C: A flower in closer view (scale bar = 1 cm). Fig. 2. Allium alamutense. — A: Distribution map. — B: Tepals and filaments (scale bar = 1 mm). ANN. BOT. FeNNIcI Vol. 48 • Four new species of Allium from Iran 355 Fig. 3. Allium kurdistanicum. — A: Holotype (scale bar = 1 cm). — B: A flower in closer view (scale bar = 1 cm). Fig. 4. Allium kurdistanicum. — A: Distribution map. — B: Tepals and filaments (scale bar = 1 mm). Type: Iran. Prov. Kurdistan, Baneh, Gardaneh Khan, 15 km NE Baneh, 2450 m, 36°02´N, 45°56´E, 1.VI.1989 Fattahi, Tavakoli & Hatami 2432 (holotype TARI). — paraType: Iran. Prov. Kurdistan, Marivan, Dalani mountain, 2000 m, 16.IV.2001 Hooshidari 8863 (HKS). Bulbs ovate-spherical, 2–5 cm diam., 20–45 mm long, outer tunics blackish-brown, irregularly splitting. Leaves three, one usually larger than others, 7–17 cm long and 1–2 cm wide, pale yellow-green, narrowly lanceolate-undulate, thick and fleshy; with a mucro about 2 mm long at apex, upper and lower parts slightly sul- 356 cate; margin finely toothed (sometimes smooth), purple. Scape conical-cylindrical, straight or ± flexuous, smooth , 2–5 cm long above soil, ca. 3 mm diam., widest below inflorescence. Spath membranous, splitting not completely to base in 2–3 segments, whitish with brown nerves. Inflorescence semi-globose, dense, many-flowered (50 or more), 5–6 cm diam., Pedicels straight, of equal ± length, up to 25 mm long, lilac. Flowers campanulate (star-like in fruiting state). Tepals lanceolate-triangular, acute at tip, 11–13 mm long and up to 2 mm wide in middle, pink to lilac, median vein darker, becoming stiff after anthesis. Filaments fleshy, nearly one third as long as tepals, lilac throughout and darker at tip, from ovate base triangular, 1.5 mm connate to each other and adnate to tepals. Anthers ca. 2 mm long, yellowish. Ovary light green, obovate, 2–3 mm long and 2–3 mm diam.; style ca. 3 mm long; stigma undivided. Capsule with three furrows, ca. 4 mm long and 5 mm diam., yellowishbrown. Seeds one per locule, depressed-obovate, ca. 2–3 mm long, ca. 2 mm wide and ca. 1 mm thick, flattened, elliptic in outline, black. Flowering and fruiting in May–June. DisTribuTion: Known only from the type location near the Iraqi border. Occurrence in Iraq seems very probable. Morphologically A. kurdistanicum belongs to a group of species treated by Wendelbo (1971) under the name of A. haemanthoides. Recently Fritsch and Abbasi (2008) split this alliance in several species. Allium kurdistanicum differs from A. haemanthoides s. stricto by the much narrower leaves, semi-globose (not fasciculate) inflorescences, shorter and straight (not recurved) tepals, and relatively longer filaments. Allium zagricum has similar flowers as A. kurdistanicum but the former differs by the much larger and wider, glossy leaves, larger inflorescences, and recurved tepals. Recent molecular investigations placed the new species (Fritsch et al. 2009, as “A. sp. 10”) slightly separate among accessions of A. austroiranicum from Kurdistan and A. ubipetrense. Because the filament tips are darker than the base and the leaves are rather narrow, A. kurdistanicum should also be a member of the A. derderianum alliance proposed by Fritsch et al. (2009). Razyfard et al. • ANN. BOT. FeNNIcI Vol. 48 Allium mahneshanense Razyfard, Zarre & R.M. Fritsch, sp. nova (Figs. 5 and 6) Differt ab A. akakae foliis angustioribus falcatis (non strictis), tepalis purpureis (non albis vel roseis) et filamentis subulatis (non dilatatis), et ab A. austroiranico tepalis brevioribus ellipticooblongis purpureis (non lanceolato-triangularibus roseo-lilacinis). Type: Iran. Prov. Zanjan, Mahneshan, Anguran village, Belgheis Mountains, 2700–2900 m, 36°45´N, 47°40´E, 25.IV.1987 Maassoumi 64855 (holotype TARI). Bulbs ovate-globose, 15–25 mm diam., outer tunics black, coriaceous, and irregularly splitting. Leaves three, one usually larger than others, light green, 15–18 cm long and 2–5 cm wide, falcate-elliptic, thick and fleshy, hooded at apex, upper and lower parts slightly sulcate; margin finely toothed especially at leaf base, greenish-white. Scape conical-cylindrical, straight or ± flexuous, smooth, 0–2 cm long above soil, ca. 3–4 mm diam., widest below inflorescence. Spath membranous, splitting into 2 or 3 segments, whitish with brown nerves. Inflorescence semi-globose, dense, many-flowered (50 or more flowers), 3–4 cm diam. Pedicels straight, ± of equal length up to 20 mm long, brown. Flowers campanulate (star-like in fruiting state). Tepals elliptic-oblong, obtuse at tip, 6–7 mm long and up to 2 mm wide in middle, ± purple, median vein darker, becoming stiff after anthesis. Filaments fleshy, nearly half as long as tepals, pink throughout and darker at tip, triangular, basally 1.5 mm connate to each other and adnate by 1 mm to tepals. Anthers ca. 1 mm long, yellowish. Ovary light brown, spherical, 3 mm long and 3 mm diam.; style 2 mm long; stigma undivided. Capsule and seeds not seen. Flowering and fruiting in April–May. DisTribuTion: Known only from the type location near the city of Mahneshan, eastern Zanjan province. At first glance, this species is most similar to A. akaka, which is characterized by the broader and often shorter and not falcate leaves, white or pink flowers, and broad (not subulate) filaments. Allium mahneshanense shares rather broad leaves and darker filament tips with ANN. BOT. FeNNIcI Vol. 48 • Four new species of Allium from Iran 357 Fig. 5. Allium mahneshanense. — A: Holotype (scale bar = 1 cm). — B: A flower in closer view (scale bar = 1 cm). Fig. 6. Allium mahneshanense. — A: Distribution map. — B: Tepals and filaments (scale bar = 1 mm). 358 A. austroiranicum, but differs by the shorter, elliptic-oblong, and purple tepals. Morphologically it belongs to the A. austroiranicum alliance, but according to molecular markers of the type specimen, A. mahneshanense was placed jointly with A. graveolens and A. ubipetrense accessions in a weakly supported subclade in sect. Acanthoprason (Fritsch et al. 2009, as A. aff. akaka) far from A. akaka s. stricto. Allium subakaka Razyfard & Zarre, sp. nova (Fig. 7 and 8) Differt ab A. akakae s. str. foliis late-ellipticis purpureo-marginatis (non longe-ellipticis albomarginatis), tepalis angustioribus (non ellipticis), filamentis longioribus subulatis superne infuscatis liberis basi longiore connatis (non triangularis usque ovatis pallide coloratis inter se marginis contingentibus basi breve connatis). Type: Iran. Prov. West Azarbaijan, west of Uromieh, Targevar valley, west of Solak, 2000 m, 23.V.1976 Runemark & Foroughi 19746 (holotype TARI). — paraTypes: Iran. Prov. West Azarbaijan, Piranshahr, Dalanpar mountains, 2800–3600 m, 3.VI.2004 Solyman Hariri 6913 (HKS); prov. West Azarbaijan, Siah Chashmeh to Kelisa Kandi, Khan Goli region, 2450 m, 39°12´N, 44°07´E, 23.VI. 2005 H. Moazzeni & A. Ghorbani 1110 (Herbarium of Traditional Medicine and Materia Medica Research Center: TMRC). Bulbs ovate-spherical, 20–25 mm diam., 20–25 mm long, outer tunics blackish, irregularly splitting. Leaves two, one usually larger and broader, pale yellow-green, 7–9.5 cm long and 2.5–5 cm wide, oblong to elliptic, thick and fleshy, upper and lower parts ± sulcate; margin finely toothed, white to purple, hooded at apex or sometimes obtuse. Scape cylindrical, straight or ± flexuous, smooth, 3–4 cm long above soil, ca. 3 mm diam. (widest below inflorescence). Spath membranous, splitting incompletely to base into 2–3 segments, whitish with brown nerves. Inflorescence semi-globose, dense, many-flowered (70 or more), 4–5 cm diam., Pedicels straight, ± of equal length up to 20 mm long, lilac. Flowers campanulate. Tepals narrowly oblong, obtuse at tip, 8–9 mm long and up to 1.5 mm wide in middle, pink to lilac, median vein darker and becoming stiff after anthesis. Filaments Razyfard et al. • ANN. BOT. FeNNIcI Vol. 48 fleshy, nearly two thirds as long as tepals, with a remarkably darker tip, triangular, inner filament bases wider than outer ones, 2 mm connate to each other and 1 mm adnate to tepals. Anthers ca. 1.5 mm long, yellowish. Ovary light green, obovate, 2–4 mm long and 3–4 mm diam.; style up to 3 mm long; stigma undivided. Capsule with three furrows, ca. 4 mm long and 5 mm diam., yellowish-brown. Seeds one per locule, depressed-obovate, 2–3 mm long, ca. 2 mm wide and 1 mm thick, flattened, elliptic in outline, black. Flowering and fruiting in June–July, whereas most species of section Acanthoprason are flowering in May–June. DisTribuTion: The species grows naturally in northwestern Iran, occurrence in eastern Turkey and northeastern Iraq is expected. As Fritsch (2008) analyzed, rather different plants named A. akaka and A. akaka subsp. akaka, respectively, were reported to occur in Turkey (Kollmann 1984), Iraq (Wendelbo 1985), and different parts of northern Iran (Wendelbo 1971). Therefore, recently an epitype was designated (Fritsch & Abbasi 2008) for the A. akaka s. stricto morphotype, which occurs mainly in the provinces Ardebil and Gilan. Allium subakaka represents the morphotype hitherto incorrectly named A. akaka, distributed in the northwestern corner of Iran and very probably in the adjacent parts of Turkey and Iraq. It can be distinguished from A. akaka s. stricto by having broadlyelliptic (vs. narrowly elliptic) leaves with purple (vs. white) margins, narrower (vs. elliptic) tepals, subulate stamens with a dark colored tip and the basal connate filament parts distinctly longer than the upper parts adnate to the tepals (vs. stamens mono-colored, triangular to ovate touching one another at the margins). Easily visible are also the relatively longer filaments of A. subakaka (2/3 of tepal length, whereas only 1/3 in A. akaka). For other differences see Table 1. Acknowledgements We are deeply grateful to Mr. H. Moazzeni for his helps during collection trips in different areas of Iran. Taxonomic treatment of the genus Allium in Iran was supported by the Research Council, University of Tehran, as well as “Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung’’, Germany, through grants to the corresponding author. ANN. BOT. FeNNIcI Vol. 48 • Four new species of Allium from Iran Fig. 7. Allium subakaka. — A: After H. Moazzeni & A. Ghorbani 1110 (scale bar = 1 cm). — B: General habit in living state. Fig. 8. Allium subakaka. — A: Distribution map. — B: Tepals and filaments (scale bar = 1 mm). 359 Razyfard et al. • broadly oblong to elliptic 7–9 2 white to purple 2–2.5 70 lilac to pink purple 5 5–6 dark pink pink ± 1.5 2 1.5 0.6–0.7 4 2–3 elliptic-falcate 15–18 7–9 white 1.5–2 50–60 lilac to purple dark purple 3–3.5 3 purple purple ± 1.5 1 1 0.4–0.5 (unknown) 2 narrowly lanceolate 7–17 2.5–3.5 purple 1–2.5 40–50 pink to lilac dark lilac 6.5 3.5–4 dark lilac lilac 1.5 1.5 2 0.33 4 3 lanceolate (undulate) 10–14 3.3 white 1.5 30 pink purple 4–5 2 pink purple 1.5 1 1 0.33–0.5 4 2 lanceolate-elliptic 10–16 2.3 white 2–3 40-50 white or pink green or purple 3.5–4 2–2.5 whitish to pink whitish or pink 1.2 1 1–1.3 0.35 5–7 2–3 Leaf shape Leaf length (cm) Leaf length/scape length Leaf-margin color Pedicels length (cm) Number of flowers per infl. Tepal color Median-vein color Length of tepals/width of tepals Filament length (mm) Filament-tip color Filament base color Inner/outer filament width connate-filament base length (mm) Anther length (mm) Length of stamens/length of tepals capsule length (mm) Style length (mm) linear 10–13 2.1 white <1 40 white purple 3.5–4 3 purple white 1.2 1 1–1.5 0.3–0.4 4 1–4 A. alamutense A. shelkovnikovii A. akaka characters Table 1. Diagnostic features of five closely related species within Allium sect. Acanthoprason. A. kurdistanicum A. mahneshanense A. subakaka 360 ANN. BOT. FeNNIcI Vol. 48 References Friesen, N., Fritsch, R. M. & Blattner, F. R. 2006: Phylogeny and new intrageneric classification of Allium (Alliaceae) based on nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS sequences. — Aliso 22: 372–395. Fritsch, R. M. 2008: Taxonomical remarks on Allium species in Iran, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. — In: Keusgen, M. & Fritsch, R. M. (eds.), Proceedings, first Kazbegi workshop on “Botany, taxonomy and phytochemistry of wild Allium L. species of the Caucasus and Central Asia”, June 4–8, 2007, Kazbegi, Caucasus, Georgia: 53–84. Marburg & Gatersleben. Fritsch, R. M. & Abbasi, M. 2008: New taxa and other contributions to the taxonomy of Allium L. (Alliaceae) in Iran. — Rostaniha 9: 1–77. Fritsch, R. M. & Maroofi, H. 2010: New species and new records of Allium L. (Alliaceae) from Iran. — Phyton 50: 1–26. Fritsch, R. M., Blattner, F. R. & Gurushidze, M. 2009: New classification of Allium L. subg. Melanocrommyum (Webb & Berthel.) Rouy (Alliaceae) based on molecular and morphological characters. — Phyton 49: 145–220. Fritsch, R. M., Khassanov, F. O. & Matin, F. 2002: New Allium taxa from Middle Asia and Iran. — Stapfia 80: 381–393. Fritsch, R. M., Salmaki, Y., Zarre, S. & Joharchi, M. 2007: The genus Allium (Alliaceae) in Iran: current state, new taxa and new records. — Rostaniha 7: 255–282. Kamelin, R. V. & Seisums, A. G. [Kamelin, R. V. & Seisums, A. G.] 1996: [Three new species of Allium L. (Alliaceae) from southwestern Iran]. — Novosti Sistematiki Vysshikh Rastenij 30: 29–33. [In Russian]. Kollmann, F. 1984: Allium. — In: Davis, P. H. (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, vol 8: 98–208. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh. Mashayekhi, S., Zarre, S., Fritsch, R. M. & Attar, F. 2005: A new species of Allium subgen. Melanocrommyum sect. Compactoprason. — Feddes Repert. 116: 191–194. Neshati, F., Zarre, S., Fritsch, R. M. & Joharchi, M. R. 2009: Allium oriento-iranicum (Alliaceae), a new species from Iran. — Ann. Bot. Fennici 46: 599–601. Seisums, A. 2000: Notes on Allium L. subgen. Melanocrommyum (Webb and Berth.) Rouy in Iran. — Iran. J. Bot. 8: 223–232. Wendelbo, P. 1971: Alliaceae. — In: Rechinger, K. H. (ed.), Flora Iranica, vol. 76: 1–100. Akademische Druck- und Verlagsanstalt, Graz. Wendelbo, P. 1985: Allium L. — In: Townsend, C. C. & Guest, E. (eds.), Flora of Iraq, vol. 8: 137–177. Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Baghdad. This article is also available in pdf format at http://www.annbot.net