Allium sect. Asteroprason, R. M. Fritsch

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 : 51

Identification key to Allium sect. Asteroprason

A revised and updated identification key to the species of Allium sect. Asteroprason (after Memariani et al. 2012) is provided here to facilitate identification of nine species of this section.

1. Plants of compact stature; tepals in fruiting stage crumpled and not prickly; leaves glabrous (Subsect. Asteroprason ) ..................2

- Plants of larger stature; tepals in fruiting stage stiff and prickly; leaves hairy or glabrous (Subsect. Christophiana) ......................8

2. Scape stout, thickened, up to 10 mm in diameter; tepals after anthesis recurved; pedicels in fruiting stage up to 9 cm long; leaves in upper part spirally twisted ............................................................................................................................ Allium helicophyllum

- Scape weak, up to 8 mm in diameter; tepals after anthesis patent; pedicels in fruiting stage not more than 4.5 cm long; leaves not twisted.................................................................................................................................................................................................3

3. Tepals ± dark violet, after anthesis not much changing; leaves 0.3–1.1 cm wide; plants smaller in habit .......................................... .......................................................................................................................................................................... Allium monophyllum

- Tepals violet, purple, pink, lilac, white, after anthesis longitudinally enrolled; leaves up to 8 cm wide; plants larger in habit.......... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................4

4. Pedicels up to 4.5 cm long; scape up to 15(–20) cm long..................................................................................................................5

- Pedicels up to 2.5 cm long; scape up to 8 cm long.............................................................................................................................6

5. Ovary surface glass-like glossy and colorless; filaments 3/5 to 2/3 as long as tepals............................................ Allium elburzense

- Ovary with coarse surface; filaments nearly as long as tepals ................................................................... Allium pseudobodeanum

6. Leaves 1.5–3 cm wide ........................................................................................................................................................................7

- Leaves 5–8 cm wide ......................................................................................................................................... Allium kuhsorkhense

7. Flowers flat-star like; tepals white, at base 0.5–1 mm wide; anthers violet in early anthesis............................. Allium aladaghense

- Flowers funnel-star like; tepals violet, pink to pale purple, at base 1.5–2 mm wide; anthers yellow in anthesis................................ .................................................................................................................................................................................. Allium parhamii

8. Leaves hairy, rarely subglabrous; pedicels up to 11 cm long; filaments 1/2 as long as tepals................................. Allium cristophii

- Leaves glabrous; pedicels up to 6 cm long; filaments 2/3 as long as tepals .................................................................. Allium ellisii