Allium tarkhankuticum Seregin, 2012

Seregin, Alexey P., 2012, Allium tarkhankuticum (Amaryllidaceae), a new species of section Oreiprason endemic to the Crimean steppe, Ukraine, Phytotaxa 42, pp. 9-18 : 11-14

Allium tarkhankuticum Seregin , sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 4–9 )

Ab A. marschalliani Vved. cui sat affine est, antheris latericiis (nec flavis) et perianthii phylla immaturis roseis (nec viridis) bene differt.

Type:— UKRAINE: Crimea: Saki District, 45°22'50ʺN, 33°06'30ʺE, S shore of Lake Donuzlav, W outskirts of Novoozernoye, petrophytic steppe ( Artemisia taurica , Festuca valesiaca , Agropyron cristatum , etc.), elev. 10 m, 19 August 2008, Seregina s.n. (holotype MW!, isotypes MW!, LE!).

Stems 2–5(7), attached to a short rhizome, (20) 30–40 cm high, to 3(4) mm in diameter, terete, glaucous. Bulblike base of the stem (false bulb, or “bulb”) ca. 1 cm in diameter, 2.5–3.0 cm long, cylindrical to almost fusiform; outer tunics brown to umber, coriaceous. Leaves 4–5, filiform, caniculate, sheathing the lower 1/4 or less of the stem, completely dry in anthesis. Spathe bivalved, persistent; valves unequal, the longer up to 25(45) mm and distinctly longer than the umbel, the shorter 5–8 mm long. Umbel globose, ca. 2 cm in diameter, 70–130-flowered, but some flowers abortive; pedicels subequal in anthesis, flowers 2–3 times shorter than pedicels. Perianth cup-shaped; tepals unequal, purplish in buds, almost whitish later but with a purplish or brownish vein; inner ones shorter, <3 mm long, with purple pigmentation both along vein and on it; outer ones longer, ca. 4 mm long, purple-pigmented only on vein. Stamens exserted; filaments filiform, uniform, not widened at base, 1.5 times longer than tepals. Anthers 1.0– 1.2 mm long, brick red, light brown or purplish; fully dehisced anthers 0.6–0.7 mm, violet. Ovary purplish.

Comparison: — Allium tarkhankuticum differs from A. marschallianum ( Fig. 10–15 ) in its usually brick red young anthers (not lemon yellow), violet fully dehisced anthers (not yellow or tawny), purplish tepals in buds (not greenish) with a purplish or brownish vein (not greenish), purplish ovary (not green) and smaller number of stems (not forming patches). Allium marschallianum prefers rocky outcrops (not steppes).

Allium tarkhankuticum differs from A. saxatile 4 ( Fig. 16–18 ), a petrophytic Caucasian plant, by its purplish ovary (not green), shorter filaments (1.5 times longer than tepals, not twice longer) and usually brick red young anthers (not violet nor yellow).

Allium tarkhankuticum differs from A. psebaicum ( Fig. 22 ), a calciphilic northwestern Caucasian plant, by its erect stem (not arcuately coiled before anthesis), usually brick red young anthers (not yellow) and white filaments (not rose).

Allium tarkhankuticum differs from A. globosum ( Fig. 19–21 ), a Eurasian steppe and Caucasian lowland plant, by its tepals almost whitish in anthesis with a purplish or brownish vein (not intensively purple throughout) and white filaments (not purple).

Allium tarkhankuticum differs from A. savranicum ( Fig. 23–27 ), a psammophilic species from the floodplains of major Eastern European rivers, by its usually brick red young anthers (not light brown or yellowish), purplish ovary (not green), wider tepals, and shorter filaments (1.5 times longer than tepals, not twice longer).

Etymology: —The epithet ‘tarkhankuticum’ originates from the name of the Tarkhankut Peninsula where the majority of modern populations occur. The species is characteristic of the petrophytic seaside steppes of that area. The toponym is of a mixed origin. A literal translation of Tarhan from the Crimean Tatar language is a tax-free area and Kut means corner (i.e. peninsula) in Ukrainian.

Vernacular names: — Лук тарханкутский (Russian), Цибуля тарханкутська (Ukrainian).

Biology: — Flowering season is in August and September. Largely depending on conditions of the year and microclimate of the sites, it may start in the second, third or fourth week of August and last until late September. For instance, in mid-August 2008 the Dzhangul plants (near Olenevka) were in bud whereas plants from Lake Donuzlav had already begun to bloom. In the same year, A. marschallianum near Balaklava started to bloom in July.

Distribution ( Fig. 2 ): — According to the floristic divisions by Wulff (1927) largely used in the Crimean floras and guides, A. tarkhankuticum is distributed in StT (Tarkhankut Peninsula), western and central part of St (the Steppe Crimea proper), and northern edge of Qu (so called Quercus district or forest-steppe foothills of the Crimean mountains). The majority of known localities are situated in Saki, Chernomorskoye, and Pervomayskoye administrative districts of the Crimea (western part of the peninsula). Also, this species was recorded once in Simferopol, Krasnogvardeyskoye, and perhaps Belogorsk districts.

Habitats: —Petrophytic steppes on limestone dominated by Stipa capillata , Festuca valesiaca , Agropyron cristatum , Artemisia taurica , A. santonica . The following species were also collected in Allium tarkhankuticum localities in mid-August: Linaria genistifolia , Teucrium polium , Bombycilaena erecta , Euphorbia petrophila , Daucus carota , Xeranthemum annuum , Helichrysum arenarium , Centaurea sp. , Alyssum tortuosum , Thymelaea passerina, Botriochloa ischaemum, etc. Allium tarkhankuticum was also recorded twice in low fixed dunes of the Lake Sasıq sand spit together with some typical littoral plants, but this habitat is somewhat exceptional.

Conservation issues: — Allium tarkhankuticum should be regarded as a declining species. Currently it is restricted to the westernmost seaside areas of the Crimean Peninsula (Saki and Chernomorskoye districts), although it was previously collected in a number of inland localities in virgin steppes. Most probably, A. tarkhankuticum is extinct there due to thorough plowing of former steppe pastures in the mid-20 th century.

Additional specimens examined 5:— UKRAINE: Crimea: Chernomorskoye District: stony steppe between Aqmeçit [Chernomorskoye] and Qunan [Krasnoselskoye], 8 August 1943, Zoz s.n. (KW!); Tarkhankut [Tarhan Qut] Peninsula, Dzhangul locality near Olenevka, 12 October 1979, Dubovik s.n. (KW!); Dzhangul Coast, petrophytic steppe, 8 June 1982, Golubev s.n. (YALT!, a sterile specimen); Tarkhankut Peninsula, Dzhangul locality, 17 August 1987, Dubovik s.n. (KW 015803!); Tarkhankut Cape, ca. 5 km to S from Olenevka, steppe above coastal cliff, 28 September 1987, Shatko et al. s.n. (MHA!); Tarkhankut Peninsula, 10 km to N from Olenevka, steppe, Dzhangul locality, 18 August 2000, Kramarenko s.n. (MHA!); ibid., seaward steppe slope, 19 August 2000, Kramarenko s.n. (MHA!); 45°23ʹ30ʺN, 32°29ʹ50ʺE, 3 km to WNW from Olenevka, steppe ( Artemisia santonica , Stipa capillata , Festuca valesiaca ) on stony soil, elev. 20m, 14 August 2008, Seregin & Seregina T-1110 (MW!); 45°24ʹ40ʺN, 32°30ʹ00ʺE, 4.5 km to NW from Olenevka, sparse petrophytic steppe ( Artemisia santonica , Stipa capillata , Festuca valesiaca , Thymus sp. ) near the sea, elev. 20 m, 14 August 2008, Seregin & Seregina T-1124 (MW!, LE!, YALT!).—Saki District: Caǧa Quşçı [Okhotnikovo], stony slopes on the N tip of Lake Sasıq Sıvaş, 6 September 1931, Kozlov s.n. (KW!); S shore of Lake Saki, grass-and-wormwood steppe, 20 August 1935, Dzens-Litovskaya s.n. (LE!); locus classicus, S shore of Lake Donuzlav, W outskirts of Novoozernoye, Festuca valesiaca steppe, 15 September 2001, Seregina & Privalova T-160 (MW!); locus classicus, 45°22ʹ50ʺN, 33°06ʹ30ʺE, S shore of Lake Donuzlav, W outskirts of Novoozernoye, petrophytic steppe ( Artemisia taurica , Festuca valesiaca , Agropyron cristatum , etc.), elev. 10 m, 15 August 2008, Seregin & Seregina T-1135 (MW!, MHA!, GAT!).— Pervomayskoye District: virgin steppe near Boz [Tikhonovo], 24 August 1917, Deutsch 92 (LE!, YALT!×2); virgin steppe of Aybar [Voykovo], 8 July 1922, Paczoski s.n. (LE!).—Krasnogvardeyskoye District: feather grass steppe near Tilençi [Dokuchayevo], 7 July 1895, Lewandowski s.n. (LE!, with a duplicate without precise locality).—Simferopol District: to N from Simferopol, Baǧça Eli [part of Simferopol]—Ana Eli [part of Zagorskoye], virgin stony (Sarmatian) plot, 25 July 1922, Dziewanowski s.n. (LE!).—Belogorsk District: steppe near Boçala [Udarnoye], 24 August 1895, Lewandowski s.n. (LE!, a dubious specimen without anthers).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holotype of Allium tarkhankuticum.

FIGURE 2. Distribution of Allium tarkhankuticum.

FIGURES 4–15. Umbels of the Crimean species from the Allium saxatile group (sect. Oreiprason).—4–9. Allium tarkhankuticum.—4. Tarkhankut, 3 km to WNW from Olenevka (by the author).—5–7. Locus classicus, Lake Donuzlav, Novoozernoye (by the author).—8–9. Between Yevpatoria and Pribrezhnoye, Lake Sasıq sand spit (by P. Yevseyenkov).—10–15. Allium marschallianum.—10–11, 13. Balaklava (by author).—12. Simferopol, Maryino (by A. Fateryga).—14–15. Crimean Mountains, 1 km to E from Orlinoye, Maltash-Uzen (by the author).

FIGURES 16–27. Umbels of the Caucasian and Eastern European species from the Allium saxatile group (sect. Oreiprason).—16–18. Allium saxatile.—16. Caucasus, Arkhyz, Sofiyskoye Sedlo pass, elev. 2300 m (by A. Zernov).— 17. Caucasus, Skalistyi Range, Dolina Narzanov valley (by S. Banketov).—18. Caucasus, Teberda State Reserve, Mount Kel-Bashi, elev. 1400 m (by A. Zernov).—19–21. Allium globosum.—19. Caucasus, Kislovodsk, Borgustansky Range (by S. Banketov).—20. Caucasus, Pyatigorsk, Mount Lysaya (by S. Banketov).—21. Tatarstan, Tatarskiye Shatrashany (by V. Prokhorov).—22. Allium psebaicum: Caucasus, Karachai, Urup District, Akhmat-Kaya Mountains, elev. 930 m (by A. Zernov).—23–27. Allium savranicum: Rostov Oblast, the Don River delta (by O. Demina).