Bellevalia bayburtensis Sefalı & Yıldırım, 2020

Yildirim, Hasan & Sefali, Abdurrahman, 2020, Bellevalia bayburtensis (Asparagaceae): a new species from northeastern Anatolia, Turkey, Phytotaxa 441 (3), pp. 285-293 : 286-291

Bellevalia bayburtensis Sefalı & Yıldırım sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 and 2 ).

Type: — TURKEY. Bayburt: Kopdağı silsilesi, Bahtlı Dağı , kırık taşlık ve çarşak alanlar, 2604 m, 40 o 02’ N, 40 o 30’ E, 01 June 2019, A.Sefalı 433 (holotype: EGE 43190 !; isotypes: ANK!, EGE 43191 !, NGBB!) .

Diagnosis: — Bellevalia bayburtensis is distinguished from other related species, such as B. paradoxa and B. rixii , by its linear-lanceolate, falcately recurved, strongly canaliculate leaves; pedicels distinctly shorter than flowers and fruits; bud tube azure blue to sky blue, lobes slightly purplish-blue or greenish-blue; flower tube azure, purplish-blue to sky blue at first, changing to pale dirty brownish-blue to pale dirty purplish-blue at the end of flowering; outer lobes widely ovate, pale dirty brownish-blue to pale dirty purplish-blue; inner lobes orbicular, dark bluish-purple at middle with wide yellowish margins; anthers yellowish.

Description: —Bulb pyriform to globose-elliptic, 15−22 × 25−34 mm, outer tunic coriaceous and blackish-brown, inner tunic papery and beige to yellowish-brown. Leaves (1−)2, linear-lanceolate, falcately recurved, strongly canaliculate, 8−15 × 0.8 −2 cm, glaucous-green; margin slightly membranous, smooth or slightly scabrid at the base. Scape 4−6 cm long, solitary. Inflorescence a cylindrical raceme, 10−38 flowered, with functionally 0 to 6 sterile flowers, 2−5 cm long. Bracts entire, minute, green, lanceolate to oblong, acute. Pedicels distinctly shorter than flowers and capsules, 2−4 mm long during flowering, erect at the beginning of anthesis, recurved in later stages; 3−5 mm long during fruiting, erect or erecto-patent. Flowering bud tube azure blue to sky blue; lobes slightly purplish-blue or greenish-blue. Flowers 6−8 × 4−5 mm, tubular-campanulate; tube 4−5 mm long, azure, purplish blue to sky blue at first, change to pale dirty brownish-blue to pale dirty purplish-blue at the end of flowering; lobes 2−3 × 2−3 mm; outer lobes widely ovate, pale dirty brownish-blue to pale dirty purplish-blue; inner lobes orbicular, dark bluish-purple at middle with wide yellowish margins. Stamens in 2 series, with flat, triangular, 1−1.5 mm long, yellowish, basally connate filaments, attached just below the base of perigone lobes; anthers yellowish. Pistil yellowish-green; ovary 2.5−3 mm long; style ca. 2 mm long. Capsule obconical, shortly stipitate, distinctly triquetrous; valves mostly unequal, 10−15 mm long, 4−6 mm diam. Seeds oblong-elliptic, smooth, ca. 2.5−4 x 1.6−2.5 mm, dark brownish, testa pulverulent.

Phenology: —Flowering from May to June, fruiting from June to July.

Etymology: —The species epithet is derived from Bayburt Province, where the new species was discovered. The Turkish name of this species is Bayburtsümbülü, according to the guidelines of Menemen et al. (2013).

Distribution and ecology: — Bellevalia bayburtensis is a local endemic species restricted to Bahtlı Mountain in Bayburt Province, northeastern Anatolia. It is an element belonging to the Irano-Turanian phytogeographical region. The new species colonizes screes between 2550 and 2650 m. a.s.l. Species growing in the near vicinity include Berberis vulgaris L., Ribes orientale Desf. , Coluteocarpus vesicaria (L.) Holmboe subsp. vesicaria , Heldreichia bupleurifolia (Boiss.) Parolly, Nordt & Mumm. subsp. rotundifolia , Vavilovia formosa (Steven) Fed. , Cicer incisum (Willd.) K.Mal , Vicia alpestris Steven subsp. hypoleuca (Boiss.) P.H.Davis , Rosa iberica Stev. , Cotoneaster integerrimus L., Cymbocarpum wiedemannii Boiss. , Lamium garganicum L. var. armenum (Boiss.) Mennema , Stachys bayburtensis R.Bhattacharjee & Hub. -Mor., Allium balansae Boiss. , Fritillaria crassifolia Boiss. & A. Huet subsp. crassifolia and Oryzopsis holciformis (M.Bieb.) Hack.

Conservation status: —The population area of Bellevalia bayburtensis was calculated as 0.34 km 2, and the number of mature individuals is about 300. Following the criteria laid out by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN Standards and Petitions Working Group 2016), the new species should be categorized as Vulnerable (VU) D1; D2, on account of the number of individuals.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — TURKEY. Bayburt: Kopdağı silsilesi, Bahtlı Dağı, kırık taşlık ve çarşak alanlar, 2667 m, 40 o 02’ N, 40 o 28’ E, 09.06.2019, A.Sefalı 445 (EGE!)

Taxonomic relationships:— Bellevalia bayburtensis slightly resembles B. paradoxa and B. rixii by some morphological features ( Figure 4 ). It differs from B. paradoxa , especially by its leaves falcately recurved (not straight), strongly canaliculate leaves (not flat or slightly canaliculate), shorter than inflorescence or rarely exceeding it (not equal or mostly longer), smooth or slightly scabrid (not smooth); scape 6–11 cm with inflorescence (not 10–40 cm); fruiting pedicels 3–5 mm, erect or erecto-patent (not 6–12 mm, arcuate); buds azure blue to sky blue (not very dark blue to blackish-purple); flower tubular-campanulate; azure, purplish-blue to sky blue at first (not urceolate; indigo, very dark dull blue-violet) changes to pale dirty brownish-blue to pale dirty purplish-blue at the end of flowering (not dark dull violet-brown); capsule valves 10−15 mm (not 8–10 mm). They also differs in habitat preference, as B. bayburtensis grows on screes, whereas B. paradoxa is typical of alpine pasture and rock edges.

On the other hand, B. bayburtensis shows some similarities with B. rixii , such as falcately recurved and canaliculate leaves, and a short scape. However, B. bayburtensis can be clearly distinguished by its 10–38 flowered inflorescence (not 10–15 flowered), pedicels 3–5 mm long in fruiting (not up to 2 mm), buds azure blue to sky blue (not dark purplish-blue to dark pinkish-purple), flowers tubular-campanulate (not urceolate-campanulate), azure, purplish blue to sky blue at first (not dark purplish-blue to dark pinkish-purple), changing to pale dirty brownish-blue to pale dirty purplish-blue at the end of flowering (not changes to pale purplish-brown to pale bluish-brown), and anther yellowish (not purple). More details about the morphological differences among B. bayburtensis , B. paradoxa and B. rixii , are listed in Table 1.

Specimens seen: — Bellevalia paradoxa . TURKEY. Ağrı: 18 km from Patnos to Tutak, 1750 m, Water meadow, 22 May 1966, Davis 43476 ( E00340776 !) ; 3 km E of Taşliçay, 1700 m, Water meadow of Murat Çay , 24 May 1966, Davis 43533 ( E00340778 !) ; Tahir Da. geçidi, Grassy slopes, Alt. c 2400 m, Coll. E. M. Rix 1646 ( E00340779 !) ; 2 km SW of Hamur (Murat valley), 1670 m, Sloping meadows (damp), 1 June 1966, Davis 44080 ( E00340794 !) ; Eleşkirt, büyük Kösedağı-Çat Kösedağ etekleri, 2190 m, 07 May 2008, H. Yıldırım 1435 ( EGE!). Ardahan: Damal, Seyitveren köyü arası, 2400 m, dik yamaçlar, 05 June 2002, A. Güner 13078, M. Johnson, M. Öztekin ( NGBB001503 !). Erzurum: Horasan-Karaurgan, 22 km from Horasan, 2000 m, Water meadow, 13 June 1957, Davis 29506 & Hedge ( E00340795 !) ; Çat yolu, Yaylasuyu geçidi, 2300 m, çayırlık yamaçlar, 23 May 2006, A. Güner 14106, M. Johnson & M. Öztekin ( NGBB001496 !) ; Tortum-Namar arası, Kireçli Geçidi çevresi, 2400 m, 21 May 2006, A. Güner 14077, M. Johnson & M. Öztekin ( NGBB001501 !) ; Olur, Çataksu Köyü yakını 980 m, çalılık yamaçlar, metamorfik dik yamaçlar, 23 May 2006, A. Güner 14108, M. Johnson & M. Öztekin ( NGBB001498 !). Hakkari: c. 8 km W of Yüksekova near main road, damp, flat meadow with Ranunculus , 1900 m, 13 May 1978, J. Trelawny & J. McPhail 2017 ( E00340783 !) ; Van- Yüksekova yolu, Zap Vadisi, 28 April 2017, H. Yıldırım 1141 ( EGE!). Kars: Kisir dağ, 3000 m, alpine pasture, 3 July 1957, Davis 30534 ( E00340807 !, E00340802 !) ; Göle yolu, Aygır Gölü ile Gölbaşı köyü arası, 2320 m, çayırlıklar, 28 May 2006, A. Güner 14164, M. Johnson & M. Öztekin ( NGBB001513 !) ; Susuz, Kars-Ardakan yolu, Kızıroğlu Köyü çevresi, 2602 m, dağ çayırları, 29 May 2006, A. Güner 14169, M. Johnson & M. Öztekin ( NGBB001500 !). Siirt: Beşiri to Kurtalan, 27 km from Kurtalan, 500 m, Water meadow, 14 May 1966, Davis 42970 ( E00340793 !). Van: Çaldıran-Özalp arası, Yassıtepe’nin 5 km ilerisi, ova, taban arası, 2050 m, 30 April 2018, A. Güner 16627, A. Ö. Çimen & M. Johnson ( NGBB007894 !) ; Hoşap, Güzeldere Geçidi, 2710 m, nemli vadi tabanları 12 July 2007, A. Güner 13084 & M. Johnson ( NGBB001502 !). AZERBAIJAN. SE slopes of Kuh-i-Sahand, 7500 ft. alt, on damp ground with Colchicum 24 May 1960, Furse & Synge 231 ( E00340782 !). IRAN. Luristan: N. of Dorud, West facing gulley, in clay at edge of stream, 1580 m, 24 April 1966, J. C. Archibald 1552 ( E00340785 !). Mazandaran: Lar Valley , near Rudkhaneh Alarm, 2500 m, 28 May 1974, P. Wendelbo 11812 ( LE!) ; Esfahan: 75 km E of aligudarz, 2300 m, 2 May 1975, Wendelbo & Assadi 16411 ( LE!) ; Kordestan: between Divan darreh and Saques , 2200 m, 31 May 1974, Wendelbo, Assadi & Shirdelpur 11935 ( LE!). Bellevalia rixii . TURKEY. Van: c. 105 km S of Van, S slope of Güzeldere Geçidi, 2800 m, Steep rocky slope above road, 19 May 1978, J. Trelawny & J. McPhail 2048 ( E00340809 !) ; Hoşap-Başkale arası, Güzeldere geçidi altı, bozkır, kalkerli yamaç, 2640 m, 02 June 2003, A. Güner 13488 & M. Koyuncu ( NGBB 2003-00112 ) ; Hoşap-Başkale arsı, Güzeldere geçidi çevresi, dağ bozkırı, 2750–2955 m, 2006, A. Güner 14197, M. Johnson, M. Öztekin ( NGBB 2006-00580 ) ; Hoşap-Başkale arası, Güzeldere geçidi, çeşme yukarısı, 2530 m, 06 May 2008, H. Yıldırım 1420 ( EGE!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Bellevalia bayburtensis: A. habitus in flowering time, B. end of inflorescence, C. habitus in early fruiting time, D. habitat.

FIGURE 2. Bellevalia bayburtensis: A. Entire plant, B. inflorescence, C. bulbs, D. leaf margin, F. flowers stages (from bud to mature flower), G. immature fruiting, H. immature fruits, I–J. mature fruit, K. mature seeds.

FIGURE 4. Species morphologically related to Bellevalia bayburtensis: A–B. B. paradoxa, C–D. B. rixii