taxonID	type	description	language	source
038BBD2CFFC78804FF74FA3FFA5BBA07.taxon	materials_examined	Type: — TÜRKİYE. Niğde: Aladağlar, Özyurt, calcareous stony areas, 2103 m, 03.06.2023, Altınözlü 6464 (holotype GAZI!; isotypes: HUB!, ANK!).	en	Altinözlü, Haşim, Aytaç, Zeki, Çelemli, Ömür Gençay, Ertuğrul, Tuğba (2025): A new species of Silene (Caryophyllaceae) from Türkiye. Phytotaxa 736 (2): 167-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5
038BBD2CFFC78804FF74FA3FFA5BBA07.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis: — Silene aladagense is similar to S. pharnaceifolia from which it differs by the retrorsely puberulous stem (vs. glabrous; sterile leaves with long lanate margins (vs. tomentose margin; stem leaves longer than basal leaves (vs. smaller; flowers solitary or rarely 2 – 3 - grouped (vs. solitary to few flowered, calyx 5 – 7 mm long and retrorsely puberulous (vs. 7 – 9 mm long and glabrous or with minute hairs near the base, anthophore absent or up to 1 mm long (vs. 1 – 2 mm long; petals emarginate (vs. emarginate to bifid; stamens mostly 0 and rarely 5 + 5 (vs. 10).	en	Altinözlü, Haşim, Aytaç, Zeki, Çelemli, Ömür Gençay, Ertuğrul, Tuğba (2025): A new species of Silene (Caryophyllaceae) from Türkiye. Phytotaxa 736 (2): 167-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5
038BBD2CFFC78804FF74FA3FFA5BBA07.taxon	description	Macromorphology: — Plant densely caespitose, pulvinate, perennial, flowering shoots 2 – 5 cm long, retrorsely puberulous, with many sterile shoots at the base. Sterile leaves linear-lanceolate, incurved, 4 – 6 × 1.0 – 1.5 mm, retrorsely papillose-hispid, with cartilaginous and long lanate hairs at margins. Stem leaves 1 – 3 opposite, 6 – 12 × 1.0 – 1.5 mm, retrorsely papillose-hispid, with cartilaginous and long lanate hairs at margins. Flowers solitary, dioecious, or hermaphrodite; pedicels 3 – 10 mm long, puberulous. Calyx inflated, constricted above, 5 – 7 × 3 – 4 mm long, retrorsely puberulous, with 10 greenish to purple nerves, calyx teeth 1 – 2 × 1 mm, oblong, broadly membranous and lanate at margins. Corolla longer than calyx, 7 – 9 mm long, purple above and white below, petal claw distinct from the lamina, lamina emarginate, with two coronal scales. Stamens absent or 5 + 5 (5 of them are reduced to scales at the base of the ovary, 5 are well developed), or sometimes 10 (of them are well developed). Ovary sessile, oblong, glabrous; styles 3. Capsule enclosed in calyx, 4 – 6 mm long. Pollen morphology: — The pollen grains of Silene. aladagense are radially symmetrical, apolar, tectate and their pollen shapes are spheroidal. The pollen diameter is 38.77 ± 1.19 µm in S. aladagense. The aperture type is polypantoporate. The pores are circular, with a distinct margine and are operculate. The distance between two pores ranges from 2.86 to 11.42 µm. The number of pores varies between 8 and 11. The pore diameter ranges from 4.42 to 9.96 µm, while the annulus diameter ranges from 0.40 to 1.18 µm. The exine thickness is 0.60 ± 0.19 in S. aladagense. Exine sculpturing is examined under SEM shows that the pollen surface ornamentation is microechinate-perforate. Detailed pollen morphological characters of examined S. aladagense are given in (see Table 1, and Figs. 5 – 6).	en	Altinözlü, Haşim, Aytaç, Zeki, Çelemli, Ömür Gençay, Ertuğrul, Tuğba (2025): A new species of Silene (Caryophyllaceae) from Türkiye. Phytotaxa 736 (2): 167-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5
038BBD2CFFC78804FF74FA3FFA5BBA07.taxon	etymology	Etymology: — The name of the new species refers to locus classicus (Aladağlar, Niğde Province). The Turkish name was suggested as “ Aladağ nakılı ” (Menemen et al. 2016).	en	Altinözlü, Haşim, Aytaç, Zeki, Çelemli, Ömür Gençay, Ertuğrul, Tuğba (2025): A new species of Silene (Caryophyllaceae) from Türkiye. Phytotaxa 736 (2): 167-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5
038BBD2CFFC78804FF74FA3FFA5BBA07.taxon	biology_ecology	Phenology: — Flowering and fruiting times from June to July.	en	Altinözlü, Haşim, Aytaç, Zeki, Çelemli, Ömür Gençay, Ertuğrul, Tuğba (2025): A new species of Silene (Caryophyllaceae) from Türkiye. Phytotaxa 736 (2): 167-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5
038BBD2CFFC78804FF74FA3FFA5BBA07.taxon	distribution	Distribution and ecology: — The new species is known from the type location collected on different dates. It is endemic and an Irano-Turanian element (Fig. 4). It grows at 2100 m on high mountain steppe area together with Anthemis fimbriata Boiss. 3: 306, Centaurea chrysantha Wagenitz (1972 504), Cota wiedemanniana (Fischer & C. A. Meyer 1836: 27) Holub (1974: 270), Cousinia birandiana Huber-Morath (1972: 49), Centaurea reuteriana Boissier (Boissier 1844: 18 var. phrygia Bornmüller (1909: 474), Psephellus mucroniferus (Candolle 1838: 569) Wagenitz (2000: 34), Onosma isaurica Boissier & Heldreich (1849: 101), Asyneuma limonifolium (Linnaeus 1762: 239) Janchen (1906: 35), Astragalus acmonotrichus Fenzl (1842: 5), A. chrysochlorus Boissier & Kotschy (1856: 86), A. condensatus Ledebour (1843: 639), A. lycius Boissier (1849: 45), Ebenus depressa Boissier & Balansa (1859: 60), Marrubium globosum Montbret & Aucher ex Bentham (1836: 53).	en	Altinözlü, Haşim, Aytaç, Zeki, Çelemli, Ömür Gençay, Ertuğrul, Tuğba (2025): A new species of Silene (Caryophyllaceae) from Türkiye. Phytotaxa 736 (2): 167-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5
038BBD2CFFC78804FF74FA3FFA5BBA07.taxon	conservation	IUCN Conservation status: — Silene aladagense is known from the type locality only. We counted about 250 individuals belonging. The extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) are less than 2 km ². Furthermore, both the AOO and the habitat quality are continuing to decrease, because of grazing activities and climatic factors. According to the criteria CR B 1 ab (i, ii, iii, v) + 2 ab (i, ii, iii, v), the new species is here assessed as critically endangered (CR; IUCN 2022).	en	Altinözlü, Haşim, Aytaç, Zeki, Çelemli, Ömür Gençay, Ertuğrul, Tuğba (2025): A new species of Silene (Caryophyllaceae) from Türkiye. Phytotaxa 736 (2): 167-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5
038BBD2CFFC78804FF74FA3FFA5BBA07.taxon	discussion	An identification key of the new species to its most closely related taxa in sect. Caespitose (Adapted according to Flora of Turkey):	en	Altinözlü, Haşim, Aytaç, Zeki, Çelemli, Ömür Gençay, Ertuğrul, Tuğba (2025): A new species of Silene (Caryophyllaceae) from Türkiye. Phytotaxa 736 (2): 167-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5
038BBD2CFFC08804FF41F89CFD4BBA95.taxon	materials_examined	Bayburt: Demirözü, between Gökcedere and İzgili villages, 1750 m, 15 July 2007, calcareous steppe, Hamzaoğlu 4652 et al. iso. (GAZI). Sivas: Akıncılar, Geyikpınar-Dündar arası, 1725 m, 27 May 2019, Hamzaoğlu 7569 (GAZI!).	en	Altinözlü, Haşim, Aytaç, Zeki, Çelemli, Ömür Gençay, Ertuğrul, Tuğba (2025): A new species of Silene (Caryophyllaceae) from Türkiye. Phytotaxa 736 (2): 167-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5
038BBD2CFFC08804FF41F80FFDA1B509.taxon	materials_examined	Kars: Susuz, Kiziroğlu köyü üzeri, Kısırdağı, 3000 m, 27 July 2002, Adıgüzel 4403 ve ark., (GAZI). Van: Bahçesaray, Karabel Geçidi, 3000 – 3200 m, Demirkuş 5958 ve Koyuncu, (GAZI!). Hoşap-Başkale, 2750 m, Demirkuş 5478 b & Koyuncu (GAZI).	en	Altinözlü, Haşim, Aytaç, Zeki, Çelemli, Ömür Gençay, Ertuğrul, Tuğba (2025): A new species of Silene (Caryophyllaceae) from Türkiye. Phytotaxa 736 (2): 167-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5
038BBD2CFFC08805FF41F7BBFB0EBDD3.taxon	materials_examined	Karaman: Ermenek to Tekeçatı, rocy and stony places, 1600 m, 2 June 1979, Vural 1808 (holo. ANK!); Karaman: Ermenek, Yellibel mevkii, 2030 m, kalkerli kuzey yamaçlar, 1 v 2008, Güner 14736 ve ark. (GAZI!). Gülnar-Ermenek, Akova çevresi, 1300 m, 31 May 1981, kayalıklar, Koyuncu 4219 (GAZI!).	en	Altinözlü, Haşim, Aytaç, Zeki, Çelemli, Ömür Gençay, Ertuğrul, Tuğba (2025): A new species of Silene (Caryophyllaceae) from Türkiye. Phytotaxa 736 (2): 167-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5
038BBD2CFFC18805FF41FF4DFD8CBCBB.taxon	materials_examined	Antalya: Akseki, Çukurköy yaylası, Yumrudikmeni mevkii, 2150 m, 17 August 1995, kaya üzeri, Duran 3146 (GAZI!); Gazipaşa, Sugözü village, Akçal hill, 2000 m, 17 May 1983, Sümbül 1766 (ANK!); Çalbalı Dağı, ca. 2000 – 2100 m, Davis 15286 (ANK!); ibidem Davis 14339 (ANK!); Saklıkent, 2510 m, 9 July 2014, Budak 3157 & Koç (ANK!). Isparta: Eğirdir, Anamas Dağı, Yaka Köyü, Melikler mezarlığı-Karagöl, 1670 ‒ 2450 m, 8 August 1974, kalkerli kayalıklar, Peşmen ve, Güner 1970 (ANK! HUB!). Muğla: Fethiye, Kemer, Camialan yaylası, 2210 m, 29 July 2012, Hamzaoğlu 6558 & Koç (ANK!).	en	Altinözlü, Haşim, Aytaç, Zeki, Çelemli, Ömür Gençay, Ertuğrul, Tuğba (2025): A new species of Silene (Caryophyllaceae) from Türkiye. Phytotaxa 736 (2): 167-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5
038BBD2CFFC18805FF41FE15FBFABF2F.taxon	materials_examined	Antalya: Tahtalı Dağı, kayalıklar, 2330 m, 5 July 2021, Budak 2671 & Koç (ANK!). Yaylacık Tepe, ca. 1950 m, 1970, Quezel et al. S. n. (ANK!). Niğde: Ulukışla, Maden, Karagöl kuzeyi, 2680 m, 21 June 2009, Koç 354 Hamzaoğlu & Budak (ANK!). Yozgat: H. Duman 6731, (GAZI!).	en	Altinözlü, Haşim, Aytaç, Zeki, Çelemli, Ömür Gençay, Ertuğrul, Tuğba (2025): A new species of Silene (Caryophyllaceae) from Türkiye. Phytotaxa 736 (2): 167-176, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.736.2.5
