Allium parhamii Memariani, 2022

Memariani, Farshid, Behroozian, Maryam & Joharchi, Mohammad Reza, 2022, Allium parhamii (Amaryllidaceae, Allioideae), a new species from Central Kopet Dagh Mountains, NE Iran, Phytotaxa 538 (1), pp. 45-54 : 46-48

Allium parhamii Memariani , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–2 , 3A )

Similar to Allium monophyllum in shape and color of flowers, but distinguished from it by its dense and many-flowered inflorescence, usually 2 leaves with much wider blades, and larger habit, capsules, and seeds.

Type:— IRAN. North Khorassan: NE Shirvan, 6 km east of Namanlu towards Bajgiran , southern slopes of Sivak Mount , 2135 m, 8 June 2013, Joharchi & Memariani 45135 (holotype: FUMH!; isotypes: FUMH!, W!) .

Bulbs subovoid to subglobose, 1.5–2 cm in diameter, tunics greyish. Leaves (1–)2, oblong, almost thick and fleshy, basally enclosing the scape, the upper side sulcate, green and basally purplish, after flowering usually with wide reddish stripes in margin and surface, margin and sometimes in lower side scabrous, 10–20 cm long, 1.5–2.5(–3) cm wide. Scape cylindrical, erect, shorter than leaves, app. 2 cm above soil, 3–5 mm in diameter, pale green. Spathe membranous, splitting into 2–3 acuminate parts with brownish nerves. Umbel semi-globose, contracted, manyflowered, 3.5–4(–5) cm in diameter. Pedicels straight, up to 20 mm long, pale purple. Flowers flat funnel-like. Tepals long-triangular, longitudinally folded, acute, 6–7(–8) mm long, basally 1.5–2 mm wide, violet, pink to pale purple, with darker purple mid-vein, after anthesis convolute but not prickly stiff. Filaments 2/3 to 3/4 as long as tepals, whitish purple, subulate, basally connate. Anthers 1.5–2 mm long, yellow. Ovary subglobose- pyriform with three furrows, 2.5–3 mm in diameter, whitish green, coarsely tuberculate on surface. Style conical, 3–4 mm long, green to purplish, stigma undivided. Capsule depressed tripartite with furrows, 4–6 mm in diameter, in fresh state whitish green, in dry state brownish. Seeds one per locule, ovate, 2–2.3 mm long, 1.3–1.5 mm wide, 1 mm thick, shiny black.

Additional specimen examined (paratype):— IRAN. North Khorassan: NE Shirvan, ca. 5 km east of Namanlu towards Bajgiran , in Juniperus polycarpos woodland, 2040 m, 9 June 2008, Memariani & Zangooei 40733- A ( FUMH) .

Eponymy:— The specific epithet of the new species is commemorated to the late Saied Parham, an Iranian nature conservationist in North Khorassan province who was killed by the poachers on December , 1 st 2010 when he was on his official duties in Sarani Protected Area . The type locality of Allium parhamii (Sivak Mount) is located at the southeastern borders of Sarani Protected Area which has been protected since 1973. The area is a part of the Kopet Dagh Biosphere Reserve which was designated as one of the UNESCO worldwide inscribed areas in the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) in 2018.

Phenology:—An ephemeroid species, leaf sprouting is initiated in mid-May, flowering and fruiting is completed in mid-June.

Distribution and habitat:—So far, A. parhamii was found in higher elevations of Sivak Mt. in Central Kopet Dagh Mountains, NE Iran. It grows on south facing stony slopes, between 2000–2200 m a.s.l., in mountain steppes and very open Juniperus polycarpos var. turcomanica (B.Fedtsch.) R.P.Adams woodlands.

Conservation status:—According to IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria ( IUCN 2019), A. parhamii is Critically Endangered (CR, B1+2ab(iii)). Its extent of occurrence is not more than 10 km 2 and the area of occupancy is less than 5 km 2. The small populations are located at the borders between Sarani Protected Area and Gharajagheh P. A. It is highly recommended to extend the borders of these protected areas more southwards to the Aq-Kamar Mount which inhabits several narrow and regional endemic plants; however, the area is under high grazing by the livestock of local nomads which may enter illegally to the adjacent protected areas ( Fig. 1C ). Very peculiar habitats of fragmented populations of the new species in subalpine zone may be sensitive to climate change and global warming.

Taxonomic relationships:—Based on nuclear and plastid molecular markers, Allium sect. Asteroprason constitute a distinctive subgroup within A. subg. Melanocrommyum ( Fritsch et al. 2010, Gurushidze et al. 2010). Morphologically, the new Allium species belongs to A. sect. Asteroprason subsect. Asteroprason which differs from the species of A. subsect. Christophiana i.e. A. cristophii Trautvetter (1884: 268) and A. ellisii Hooker (1903 : t.7875) by its compact stature and crumpled and not prickly tepals in the fruiting stage. Allium parhamii is more similar to A. monophyllum especially in the shape and color of the flowers; however, it can be distinguished from the latter by its dense and many-flowered inflorescence, usually 2 leaves with considerably wider blades, and larger habit, capsules, and seeds ( Fig. 3 , Table 1 ). In dried herbarium specimens, several diagnostic characters of living material may be lost. So, A. parhamii may be confused with A. aladaghense Memariani & Joharchi in Memariani et al. (2012: 29) in dried material; however, it differs from the latter by its yellow (not violet) anthers ( Fig. 2A , Table 1 ).

Seed coat micromorphology:—The seeds of the new species are oval-spherical, 1.3–1.5 mm wide and 2.0– 2.3 mm long. The most frequent shape of testa cells is elliptic. The periclinal walls are convex with verrucate and granulate sculpture and the anticlinal walls are loosely undulated ( Fig. 4 ). Based on Neshati & Fritsch (2009), the closely related A. monophyllum has different seed coat micromorphology with penta- to hexagonal testa cells, and very shallow Sundulation in anticlinal walls.

Chromosome number and karyotype:—The diploid chromosome number of 2n = 16 was found in Allium parhamii . The karyogram presented six pairs of metacentric chromosomes(m) and two pairs of satellited submetacentric chromosomes (sm) as well as one relatively long B chromosome ( Fig. 5 , Table 2 ). Fritsch (2018) reported the same chromosome number and symmetric karyotype for the closely related A. monophyllum ; however, it differs from A. parhamii by its longer chromosome length, very short to invisible satellites, and absence of B chromosomes. Different ploidy levels i.e. 2n = 16, 32, 48, and 64 have been reported for Allium species ; however, most of taxa are diploid ( Pastor et al. 1995, Fritsch & Astanova 1998, Peruzzi et al. 2017). Analysis of somatic metaphase spreads in A. parhamii confirmed the previous reports on the basic chromosome number of x = 8, a uniform karyotype, and presence of satellites and B chromosomes in Allium subg. Melanocrommyum ( Fritsch & Astanova 1998, Genç et al. 2013). Table 3 shows the evaluation parameters for karyotype asymmetry in A. parhamii and A. monophyllum . According to Stebbins’ categories ( Stebbins 1971), the new species is placed in the class 2A, while A. monophyllum in 1A. Therefore, these results indicate a symmetric karyotype for both species. Genç et al. (2013) reported a similar symmetric karyotype in Allium subg. Melanocrommyum from Turkey. Based on the results, the karyotype of A. parhamii is more interchromosomally (CV CL = 17.70) and intrachromosomally (M CA = 13.41) asymmetric than that of A. monophyllum ( Table 3 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Allium parhamii in its natural habitat on exposed stony slopes. A–B. habit in early flowering stage with compact stature showing semi-globose inflorescence and two leaves, C. sub-globose bulbs and the grazed leaves by the livestock.

FIGURE 2. Flower details in Allium parhamii. A. close-up view of a flower; B. coarsely tuberculate ovary, conical style, and undivided stigma.

FIGURE 3. A. Allium parhamii with dense many-flowered inflorescence and two wider leaves. B. the closely related species, A. monophyllum, with lower number of flowers in inflorescence and a single narrow leaf.Both species are endemic to Kopet Dagh Mountains, NE Iran.

FIGURE 4. A–D. Scanning electron micrographs of Allium parhamii seeds and details of testa sculpture.

FIGURE 5. Karyotype and idiogram of Allium parhamii. A–B. Metaphasic plate, showing 2n = 16 + 1B with two satellite chromosomes (I & II). C. Haploid idiogram based on the data of Table 2.