identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
03F7F80EFFE6FFF3FF26FC06FF493046.text	03F7F80EFFE6FFF3FF26FC06FF493046.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Umbilicus choripetalus Yildirim 2025	<div><p>Umbilicus choripetalus Yıldırım sp. nov. (Figs. 2, 3, 4A)</p><p>Type — TÜRKİYE. İzmir Province, Ödemiş District, Ovacık Plateau, Mumkayalar locality, crevices of volcanic bedrock, 1378 m, 13 May 2022, H.Yıldırım 9042 &amp; T.Özdöl (holo: EGE44336!, iso: EGE 44337!, HUB!).</p><p>Diagnosis — Umbilicus choripetalus can be readily distinguished from other known Umbilicus species because its stellate corolla has petals that are deeply divided to the base. This is a unique characteristic within Umbilicus . It is distinct from U. paniculiformis and U. tropaeolifolius due to the complete absence of basal leaves, smaller cauline leaves with membranaceous and sometimes denticulate margins, linear and obtuse calyx lobes, and longer pedicels (2–15 mm). The inflorescence is a sparsely branched raceme or panicle bearing 3–17 flowers. This starkly contrasts the dense paniculate inflorescences and higher flower numbers (25–130) seen in related taxa. U. choripetalus is ecologically restricted to crevices of volcanic rocks, whereas its relatives U. paniculiformis and U. tropaeolifolius occur exclusively in limestone fissures</p><p>Description —Perennial, herbaceous with small fleshy rootstock. Stem erect or ascending, few-branched, 1.5–9 cm long, and glabrous. Leaves are glabrous, margins membranaceous, sometimes with small teeth; lower leaves are peltate, 0.4–2.2 cm in diameter; upper leaves are spathulate, orbicular, 0.1–0.6 cm wide. Petiole glabrous; in lower leaves 1–4.5 cm long; in upper leaves 0.1–1 cm long. Inflorescence 3–17 flowered raceme or panicle, few-branched. Bracts 0.5–1 mm long, linear or linear-lanceolate, sometimes spathulate; bracteole, if present, similar to bracts. Pedicel 0.2–1.5 cm, glabrous. Calyx inconspicuous, 0.7–1 × 0.5 mm, linear, obtuse at apex, yellowish green. Corolla 5-lobed, divided to the base; stellate, lobes 3–5 × 1–1.5 mm, lanceolate, acuminate at apex, glabrous; inner surfaces of petal pure white inside and outer surfaces white with yellowish green around the midrib (especially at apex). Stamens 10- merous; filament 2–4 mm long, glabrous, white; anthers 0.3–0.5 mm long, yellowish to light purplish; pollen grains bright yellow. Carpels 5-merous, 2–3 mm long, erect, creamish-white; style 0.7–1 mm; stigma capitate, yellowish. Fruit light greenish to creamy, papery; follicles 3–5 × 1 mm. Seeds 0.5–0.7 mm long, oblong, light brown.</p><p>Etymology —The name Umbilicus choripetalus is given due to the completely free petals at the base. The Ancient Greek word χῶρις (chōris) means “separately, apart, independently.</p><p>Vernacular name— The Turkish name of this species is suggested as “ İzmir göbekotu” according to the guidelines in Menemen et al. (2016).</p><p>Distribution and habitat— Umbilicus choripetalus is known only from its type locality in the Mumkayalar region of Ödemiş district, İzmir province, western Anatolia (Türkiye). This species is found in shaded or semi-shaded crevices on steep volcanic rock outcrops at around 1300–1400 m. These microhabitats are defined by high surface porosity, rapid drainage, and low nutrient availability, indicating a high degree of edaphic specialization. U. choripetalus differs from its close relatives, U. paniculiformis and U. tropaeolifolius . These grow only on limestone, but U. choripetalus grows on volcanic geology. This shows that it is separate from other members of the genus and has unique adaptations. Despite targeted field surveys in similar habitats across adjacent regions, no other populations have been observed, implying a highly restricted distribution and endemism.</p><p>Conservation status— Umbilicus choripetalus is currently known from a single locality with a very narrow area of occupancy (AOO), estimated to be approximately 0.02 km ², and a total population size of around 550 mature individuals. Despite the absence of immediate anthropogenic threats at the site, the species is found in a landscape that is increasingly under pressure from potential agricultural expansion and land-use changes, including the possible conversion of natural habitats into cultivated fields. Moreover, the location of the site is in a region that is predicted to be profoundly impacted by global climate change, which may result in alterations to microhabitat conditions and pose a considerable threat to long-term species viability, particularly for narrowly endemic taxa adapted to specific edaphic substrates. Considering the limited population size (less than 1,000 mature individuals) and the severely diminished and vulnerable habitat, U. choripetalus is designated as Vulnerable (VU) by criterion D1 under the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (IUCN 2024). Furthermore, the species fulfils criterion D2, owing to its remarkably confined AOO (less than 20 km ²) and its solitary location, rendering it acutely vulnerable to stochastic events and prospective anthropogenic or climatic impacts. Consequently, the assessment of U. choripetalus is proposed as Vulnerable [VU D1 + D2].</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F7F80EFFE6FFF3FF26FC06FF493046	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Plazi	Yildirim, Hasan;Özüdoğru, Bariş;Özdöl, Tuğkan;Can, Ilgin Deniz;Pirhan, Ademi Fahri;Balos, Mehmet Maruf;Arasan, Şükrü	Yildirim, Hasan, Özüdoğru, Bariş, Özdöl, Tuğkan, Can, Ilgin Deniz, Pirhan, Ademi Fahri, Balos, Mehmet Maruf, Arasan, Şükrü (2025): An extraordinary new species from western Anatolia (Türkiye): Umbilicus choripetalus (Crassulaceae). Phytotaxa 734 (2): 160-172, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.734.2.2, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.734.2.2
