Allium xinlongense D.F. Xie & X.J. He, 2020

Xie, Deng-Feng, Xie, Fu-Min, Jia, Sheng-Bin, Li, Hao, Yang, Xin, Zhang, Xiang-Yi, Zhou, Song-Dong & He, Xing-Jin, 2020, Allium xinlongense (Amaryllidaceae, Allioideae), a new species from western Sichuan, Phytotaxa 432 (3), pp. 274-282 : 280

Allium xinlongense D.F. Xie & X.J. He , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Diagnosis: — Allium xinlongense resembles A. maowenense and other species of Allium sect. Daghestanica , such as A. chrysanthum , A. rude , A. xichuanense , A. chrysocephalum , A. herderianum and A. xichuanense . However, its tepals color varies from white to pink; tepals are 5–8 mm long and have greenish midveins, those on outer tepals are slightly distinct than those on inner tepals; outer filaments are curved and slightly longer than the inner ones; anthers are vividly saffron-colored; nectaries are concave with an apparent U-shaped notch structure. Leaves are semiterete, gradually changing from narrowly fistulose at the base to distinctly fistulose near the top, 20–30(–55) cm long.

Type: — CHINA. Sichuan province, Xinlong County, arid slopes, meadows ; 31°12′35″ N, 100°18′49″ E; elevation 3000-3800 m a.s.l., 23 September 2019, XDF20190923 (holotype SZ; isotype SZ) ( Fig. 4) .

Description: —Bulbs solitary or clustered, ovoid to narrowly so, 1–2 cm in diameter, tunics pale brown to brown, thinly leathery, apex sub-fibrous. Leaves longer than scape, 3–10 mm wide, semiterete, fistulose, gradually changing from narrowly fistulose at the base to distinctly fistulose near the top, smooth. Scape 18–30(–45) cm, terete, covered with leaf sheaths only at base. Spathe 2- or 3-valved, caducous. Umbel globose, dense, many flowered. Pedicels equal, ca. 2–3 times longer than tepals, ebracteolate. Tepals white to pink; segments with greenish midvein, midveins of outer segments slightly distinct with respect to those of inner segments, 5–8 mm long. Filaments subulate, outer filaments curved and slightly longer than inner ones, connate at the base and adnate to tepals; anthers saffron. Ovary green, subglobose, with concave nectaries covered by short, hood like projections at the base, and with an apparent U-shaped notch structure; style exerted; stigma punctiform; ovules 2 per locule. Capsule ovate. Seeds black, rhomboidal, 1.5–2 mm long ( Fig. 2 ; Table 1).

Phenology: —Flowering from September to October, fruiting from October to November.

Etymology: —The specific epithet is derived from the name of Xinlong County (Sichuan province), where the type material was collected.

Distribution, habitat and ecology: — Allium xinlongense is currently known only from the type locality in Xinlong County (in the dry-hot valley of the Ya-lung River), and from Luhuo County (in alpine meadows). This species grows in clusters or alone on rather dry soil.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Allium xinlongense in the field. (A-B) Habitat; (C) inflorescence; (D) bulb.

FIGURE 2. Morphological characters of Allium xinlongense. (A) Single flower; (B) outer (left) and outer tepals (right); (C) inner tepal and stamen; (D) stamens with saffron-colored anthers; (E–F) ovary and concave nectaries with the U-shaped notch structure; (G) crosssection of ovary showing the carpels; (H) cross-sections of leaf (changing from narrowly fistulose at the base to distinctly fistulose near the top as indicated by the arrows).