Allium karakocanense Behçet, 2025

Allium karakocanense Behçet , sp. nov.

( Figs. 2–6 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 , Table 1 View TABLE 1 )

Diagnosis: — Allium karakocanense is similar to A. ampeloprasum , A. pseudoampeloprasum and A. affine . It is distinguished from A. ampeloprasum and A. pseudoampelorasum by the outer tunic, which is coriaceus, the number and structure of the leaves, the green color and length of the pedicel, which is 2–3 mm thick at the base, and the green color and dimensions of the green perigone. The new species differs from A. affine by outer tunic (coriaceous, yellowish or brownish vs. papyraceous -crusty, dark brown), bulblet presence (present vs. absent), leaf characteristics (5–6 leaves, 3.5–7.5 mm wide, flat, scabrid vs. 3–5, 2–5 mm wide, fistulosesemicylindrical, smooth). The new species is also similar to A. bourgeaui with its features such as tepal color, spathe structure and globular inflorescence; but it differs from this species and the other 3 taxa with many features listed in Table 1 View TABLE 1 .

Types: — Türkiye. B8 Elazığ: Karakoçan District, 12-13 km west-northwest of the district center, the oak forest openings between Üçbudak Village and Dede Hamlet , 38°59’14.59’’N, 39°56’6.84’’E, 1300-1400 m, 22 June 2024, L. Behçet & İ.H. Gülbasan 1351 (Holotype: BIN!, GoogleMaps Isotypes: BIN! and ANK!). GoogleMaps

Paratypes: — Türkiye. B8 Elazığ: Karakoçan District, 12-13 km west-northwest of the district center, the oak forest openings between Üçbudak Village and Dede Hamlet , 38°59’14.59’’N, 39°56’6.84’’E, 1300-1400 m, 05 August 2024, L. Behçet & İ.H. Gülbasan 1495 ( BIN!) GoogleMaps

Description:— Bulb broadly ovoid to subglobose, 2–5 cm diam; outer tunics coriaceous, yellowish or brownish, split into strips or entire; bulblets numerous, ± ovoid, 6–7 × 4.5–5 mm, yellowish brown; inner tunics papyraceousmembranous, greyish, whitish grey, produced into a neck (to 13 cm long). Stem 60–75 cm long, 5–5.5 mm in diameter, cylindric, greenish yellow, smooth, attached laterally to the bulb. Leaves 5–6, 12–35 cm × 3.5-7.5 mm, erect, flat, canaliculate, scabrid, shorter than scape or equal, sheathing lower 1/3 of stem, sheaths ribbed and scabrid. Spathe 1–valved, up to 8 cm long, soon caducous, beak length 3–4 times the expanded part of the spathe. Umbel 2–5 cm in diameter, spherical, dense, many-flowered (40–300). Bracteoles present only at the base of the pedicels in the outer parts of the inflorescence (bracteole absent in the inward pedicels), 1 mm wide, milky white, scarious, up to 1 mm wide and up to 1.5 cm long, usually shorter than the pedicels. Pedicels 15–24 mm long, unequal, glabrous, green, 2–3 mm thickened at the base. Perigon oblong-campanulate, 3.5–4.1 mm long, green. Outer tepals (3.8–)4–4.2 × 1.3–1.5 mm, oblong, concave, acute-subacute, apiculate, outer surface and margins papillose, with a darker green midvein. I nner tepals 3.7–4.1 × 1.5–1.8 mm, oblong, obtuse, apiculate, smooth on the outer surface. Stamens 5–8 mm long, longer than the perigon; filaments white, glabrous or sometimes sparsely scabrid at base, outer filament simple, subulate, 5–7 × 0.5–0.7 mm; inner filament tricuspidate 5–7 × 1.3–1.8 mm, narrower than perianth segments; median cusps 2–2.5 mm long, shorter than lateral cusps, basal lamina 3–3.5 mm long; lateral cusps 3–3.5 mm long. Anthers ca. 1.6–1.7 × 0.7 mm, yellow to cream yellow, oblong-rectangular. Style 2.5–3.5 mm long, approximately the same length as or slightly longer than the perigone in the beginning of flowering; during the maturation period of the seed, it is noticeably longer than the tepals and distinctly exerted from perigon. Ovary ovoid, smooth, 2–2.5 × 1.2 mm. Capsule ca. 3–3.3 × 2.5–3 mm, ovoid to globose; valves emarginate at apex, 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 mm. Seed 2.2–2.7 × 1.2–1.5 mm, black.

Etymology: —The epithet of the new species is given in reference to the Karakoçan District where the specimens were collected.

Vernacular name: Since no local name is known, the name “Karakoçan soğanı” is suggested, referring to the Karakoçan District, where the new species epithet is based ( Menemen et al. 2016).

Distribution, proposed conservation status and ecology: Allium karakocanense is a local endemic whose distribution has been determined in a limited area at 1400 m a.s.l. in the oak forest clearing, 10-12 km west-northwest of the Karakoçan District center in the eastern parts of Türkiye ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ).

Factors such as forest destruction in the distribution area of the new species (road opening activities for transportation purposes in the region, construction for shelter, cutting for fuel, cutting of oak branches for animal feed, etc.), erosion, and grazing are the most important factors threatening the small population of the new species. In addition to the above mentioned threat factors, considering the number of localities (single), extent of occurrence (EOO, less than 100 km 2) and area of occupancy (AOO, less than 10 km 2), the IUCN category of this new species is assessed as “Critically Endangered” (CR) according to the criteria B1ab [i,ii,iii] and B2ab[i,ii,iii] ( IUCN 2023).

The soils type present at the site where the new species was discovered are non-calcareous brown forest soil. The climate of the site may be described as a transition zone between the continental climate of eastern Anatolia and the temperate Mediterranean climate.According to Emberger’s (1955) precipitation-temperature quotient, the region has a semiarid, very cold type of Mediterranean climate.The dominant vegetation of the site where the new species developed is oak forests. The dominant trees of the forests, where the new species grows, are Quercus petraea subsp. pinnatiloba (K.Koch) Menitsky and Q. libani Oliv. ; less frequently also Q. branti Lindl. and Q. infectoria subsp. veneris (A. Kern.) H.Lindb. Cotoneaster nummularius Fisch. & C.A.Mey., Crataegus monogyna Jacq. var. monogyna , C. orientalis Pall. ex M.Bieb and Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz var. torminalis taxa, which are woody and have a tree-shrub structure, also sparsely occur in the oak forests. Other herb plants that grow together with the new species are as follows: Allium tuncelianum (Kollmann) Özhatay, B. Mathew & Şiraneci , Astragalus amblolepis Lam. , A. macrocephalus subsp. finitimus (Bunge) Chamberlain , A. pendulus DC. , Campanula strigosa Banks. & Sol. , Delphinium macrostachyum Boiss. ex Hulth , Hyoscyamus niger L., Hypericum lydium Boiss. , H. scabrum L., Lactuca mulgedioides (Sch.Bip. ex Vis. & Pancic) Boiss. & Kotschy , Lathyrus rotundifolius subsp. miniatus (M.Bieb. ex Stev.) P.H.Davis , Onobrychis galegifolia Boiss. , Polygonum pulchellum Lois. , Saponaria glutinosa M.Bieb. , Silene alba subsp. divaricata (Reichb.) Walters , Stachys byzantina K.Koch. , Tanacetum abrotanifolium (L.) Druce, T. balsamita subsp. balsamitoides (Sch. Bip.) Grierson , T. cilicium (Boiss.) Grierson , Trifolium echinatum M. Bieb. , T. ochroleucum Huds. , T. purpureum Lois. var. purpureum , Vaccaria pyramidata Medik var. grandiflora (Fisch ex DC.) Cullen , Verbascum geminiflorum , Vicia cracca L. subsp. stenophylla Vel.

Taxonomical relationships: —The occurence of ovoid bulb, linear leaves, campanulate perigon, 3 cuspidate inner filaments, distinct nectariferous flowers and 2 ovules in each loculus place Allium karakocanense into sect. Allium Dumortier (1827: 140) (see Kollman 1984, Friesen et al. 2006). With 72 taxa, Sect. Allium is the richest among the Allium genus sections in Türkiye ( Koyuncu 2012; Koyuncu et al. 2023, Balos 2023).

Several characteristics of the new species such as ovoid-subglobose bulb structure, cylindrical and smooth stem features, spathe 1-valved, long-beaked, caducous, and globous inflorescence shape, shows its morphological similarity with A. ampeloprasum , A. pseudoampeloprasum , A. affine and A. bourgeaui . However, the new species is quite different from the four mentioned taxa in several other characters, which are discussed below (see Figure 2–6 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6 , Table 1 View TABLE 1 ).

Allium karakocanense differs from A. ampeloprasum by the outer tunic that is coriaceus, yellowish or brownish (vs. membranous, yellowish or brown), inner tunic papyraceous, greyish, whitish grey or brownish, split into strips, produced into a long neck (vs. membranous, white, without a long neck), leaves 5–6, 3.5–7.5 mm broad, flat, scabrid, keeled, sheathing lower 1/3 of stem (vs. 4–10, 5–25 mm broad, flat, scabrid, keeled, sheathing lower 1/3–1/2 of stem), pedicel 15–24 mm long, green, 2–3 mm thickened at the base (vs. 15–50 mm long, purple, reddish, lilac or green, not thickened at the base), only pedicels in the outermost 2-4 rows of the inflorescence with membranous bracteole at the base (vs. not only outermost 2-4 rows of the inflorescence), perigone 3.5–4.1 mm long, green, with papillae (vs. 4–5 mm long; white, purple, lilac or green; with large sparse papillae), filament not ciliate at base (vs. ciliate near base), anther 1.6–1.7 × 0.7 mm; yellow, cream yellow (vs. c. 1 mm long, purple or yellow).

It differs from A. pseudoampelorasum by outer tunic (coriaceous, yellowish or brownish vs. membranous, dark brown), inner tunic (papyraceous, greyish, whitish grey or brownish, split into strips, produced into a long neck vs. membranous, white), leaves (5–6, 3.5–7.5 mm broad, flat, scabrid, keeled vs. 4–6, 6–10 mm broad, flat, smooth), pedicel (15–24 mm long, green, 2–3 mm thickened at the base vs. 10–20 mm long, pinkish purple, not thickened at the base), presence of bracteoles (only pedicels in the outermost 2-4 rows of the inflorescence with membranous, 10–12 × 1.5 mm bracteoles and bracteoles shorter than pedicels vs. all pedicels with bracteoles at the base and bracteoles equal or longer than pedicels), perigon color and papillae on outer tepal (green, with papillae vs. bright pink or purple in upper part, scabridulous), filament (not ciliate at base (sometimes sparsely scabrid) vs. ciliate at base), inner filaments narrower than perianth segments (vs. broader than periants segments), anther size and color (1.6–1.7 × 0.7 mm, yellow, cream yellow vs. about 1 mm long, purple).

The new species differs from A. affine by outer tunic (coriaceous, yellowish or brownish vs. papyraceous-crusty, dark brown), inner tunic (papyraceous, greyish, whitish grey or brownish vs. membranous, white), bulblet presence (present vs. absent), leaf characteristics (5–6, 3.5–7.5 mm broad, flat, scabrid vs. 3-5, 2–5 mm broad, fistulosesemicylindrical, smooth), anther size and color (1.6–1.7 × 0.7 mm, yellow, cream yellow vs. ca. 1.2 mm long, greenishyellow).

In addition, A. karakocanense resembles A.bourgeaui (the type specimen of this species was collected from Greece and is distributed in the Mediterranean coastal areas of Türkiye ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 )) in terms of tepal color, spathe structure, sphearical inflorescence and cylindrical stem structure; however, the new species differs from it in many features (bulb size, number and width of leaves, obtuse or subacute tip of inner tepals, smooth outer surfaces of inner tepals and absence of cilia at the base, and anther length) ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 ).

Thus, with the addition of Allium karakocanense , the number of Allium taxa occuring in Türkiye has increased to 233.

Specimens examined:— A ampeloprasum : Türkiye, Bingöl: Genç: Şamdağı summit, north-facing subalpine slopes, 1950-2050 m, 11.07.2012, L.Behçet 8102 ( BIN!), Van: Erciş, Between Taşkapı village and Hüdavendigar mountain , steppe, 2100-2800 m altitude, 16.07.2006, O. Karabacak 5059 ( VANF 13121 !), Türkiye, Hakkari: Elmacik village , steppe, 14.05.2009, İ.Kaval 227 ( VANF 160595 !) Türkiye, Muş: Malazgirt, between Aktuzla and Karıncalı village, steppe, 1600 m, 02.06.2001, S.Almanar 2023 b ( VANF!), Türkiye Bingöl: West of Karcı village, steppe, 12.06.2013, 1372 m, A.Sinan 1205 b ( BIN!) — A. pseudoampeloprasum : Türkiye, Bitlis: Karınca village surrounding, steppe, 1600 m, 01.07.2002, A.Altıok 2648 ( VANF!), Van: Başkale, Aşağı Darıca village surroundings, steppe, 02.06.2006, 2020 m, D. Avlamaz 22 ( VANF!). — A. affine : Türkiye, Bitlis: eastern slopes of Kambos Hill , steppe, 1500 m, 01.08.2001, A. Altıok 1732 b ( VANF!) ; Muş: Malazgirt , S of Kardeşler village, fields, 06.07.2006, 39° 20’ 460’’ N 42° 27’ 019’’ E, 1800 m, L.Behçet, F.Özgökçe, M.Ünal 1314 ( VANF!) GoogleMaps .