Allium zhobicum Nazar Khan, Amir Sultan & R.M. Fritsch, 2021

Khan, Nazar, Fritsch, R. M., Sultan, Amir & Khan, Tahir, 2021, ALLIUM (AMARYLLIDACEAE) SPECIES IN PAKISTAN: TWO NEW RECORDS AND A NEW SPECIES FROM ZHOB (BALOCHISTAN), Pakistan Journal of Botany 53 (5), pp. 1-7 : 1-2

Allium zhobicum Nazar Khan, Amir Sultan & R.M. Fritsch , species nova.

Figs. 1-6 , 17

Type: Balochistan, Zhob district, Qamardin Karez, Khutkandai , 31°31’31”N 68°14’38”E, Nazar Khan Mandokhel, 24 April, 2020 ( RAW101342 ) .

Diagnosis: The shape of ovary is most similar to A. mirum Wendelbo , but this species has papery outer bulb tunics and up to 8cm broad, elliptical leaves, a campanulate perigonium, up to 3 cm long pedicels, and longer obovate tepals of brown purple colour. The violet upper parts of filaments are similar to those of A. hindukuschense Kamelin & Seisums , but A. zhobicum differs from A. hindukuschense by much broader and scarcely recurved tepals of lilac colour and with rounded apices, and spherical ovaries.

Description: Bulbs 1.5-2.5 cm in diameter, globose; outer tunics initially light brown, delicate and fragile but coriaceous and brown when dry; inner tunics membranous, white. Scape 10-30 cm long, cylindrical, glabrous, green to yellowish green. Leaves 1-3, longer than scape, linear, 5-10 (18) mm broad, margins entire towards apex and papillate towards base. Spathe membranous, up to 1 cm with brownish nerves, splitting into 3 lobes longitudinally to obliquely. Umbel hemispherical, dense. Pedicels unequal, 10-20 mm long, green to purple. Perigonium stellate, tepals whitish lilac to lilac with violet to purple nerve, 6-7 mm long and 1.5-1.8 mm broad, elliptical-linear to oblong, recurved, obtuse to acute, outer tepals broader at base than inner ones. Filaments narrow triangular, at base connate and adnate to tepals, shorter to slightly longer than tepals, violet at apex becoming creamy toward base; inner filaments slightly broader at base than outer ones. Anthers 1-2 mm, violet to brownish, dorsifixed. Ovary green, six lobed depressed-globose; style 3-6 mm, filiform, exserted; stigma violet. Capsule triangular, greenish white, olive green at angle; seeds black, 2-3 mm long, irregularly shaped to ovate and D-shaped.

Plants growing on sandy clay to sandy loamy soil near Chukhan have longer scapes, larger leaves, and lax flowers with pinkish-lilac tepals.

Vernacular name: Khatol.

Etymology: The species is named after the Zhob district.

Distribution: Found in several localities in Zhob district (Chukhan, Larai, Khutkandai, Qamardin Karez) along the border to Afghanistan.

Ecology: Usually found growing in sandy loam.

Ethnobotany: The whole plant is edible. Especially the bulbs are collected in large amounts by the local population and are eaten raw. The species might become threatened by over-collecting in the future. The flowers are also eaten by goats and sheep.

Additional specimens examined: Balochistan, Zhob district, Chukan , 31°15’39”N 68°52’40”E, 2017 m asl, Nazar Khan Mandokhel, 23 April, 2020 ( RAW 101348 ) .

The new species belongs to A. subg. Melanocrommyum (Webb & Berthel.) Rouy sect. Thaumasioprason Wendelbo.

Figures

Fig. 1. Allium zhobicum, plant habit. Photo by Nazar Khan.

Figs. 1-6. Allium zhobicum. Fig. 2: Fresh bulb tunics. Fig. 3. Small umbel with lilac tepals. Fig. 4. Flower section with tepals and stamens. Fig. 5. Ovary with style and stigma. Fig. 6. Dry bulb tunics. Photos by Nazar Khan.

Fig. 17. Distribution of Allium caroli-henrici, A. registanicum and A. zhobicum.