Phytotaxa 438 (2): 065–079 ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition) https://www.mapress.com/j/pt/ PHYTOTAXA Copyright © 2020 Magnolia Press Article ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition) https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.438.2.1 Notes on Crocus L. Series Flavi Mathew (Iridaceae) and a new species with unique corm structure ALMILA ÇIFTÇI1,4, DOERTE HARPKE2,5, RACHEL MOLLMAN1,6, HASAN YILDIRIM3,7 & OSMAN EROL1,8* 1 Botany Division, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Istanbul University, 34116 Beyazıt, Istanbul, Turkey. 2 Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Research (IPK), 06466 Gatersleben, Germany. 3 Biology Dept, Botany Section, Science Faculty, Ege Univ., Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. 4 �[email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3406-3064 5 �[email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1667-2912 6 �[email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6873-6212 7 �[email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3951-4343 8 �[email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6310-1402 *Author for correspondence Abstract Crocus asymmetricus (Iridaceae) is described as a new species endemic to the southern part of the Anatolian diagonal in Turkey. It is phylogenetically related to C. vitellinus and morphologically to C. antalyensis, but differs from these species in showing an asymmetric corm and a single point of root emergence. Both C. antalyensis and C. asymmetricus are illustrated and compared in this paper. A Bayesian phylogenetic tree of the nuclear rDNA ITS region confirms the affiliation of C. asymmetricus to C. ser. Flavi, and its close relationship to C. vitellinus. A new identification key to the species of C. ser. Flavi occurring in Turkey is also presented. Introduction Crocus Linnaeus (1753: 36) (Iridaceae) is one of the largest genera in the flora of Turkey. This genus is represented by over 135 species according to Rukšāns (2017). Some species are taxonomically doubtful, because of unclear locality data, inadequate type specimens, and lack of clear diagnoses. Despite this, Turkey is the centre of diversity of the genus and scientists still discover new taxa even near heavily trafficked roads and human settlements. Most of the Turkish Crocus taxa belong to C. sect. Nudiscapus Mathew (1982: 61), which is further divided into series. In several cases, a detailed examination of corm tunics allows the placement of a taxon in a series or even identification at the species level (Kerndorff et al. 2015). Therefore, the corm still represents a useful part of the plant for diagnostic purpose. Within C. sect. Nudiscapus, C. ser. Flavi Mathew (1982: 84) is characterized by membranous (sometimes papery) parallel-fibrillated tunics and multifid stigma branches (Mathew 1982), with the exceptions of C. adanensis Baytop & Mathew (1975: 245) and C. paschei Kerndorff (1994: 76), both of which have a three-branched stigma and poorly developed rings at the base of the corm. Phylogenetic studies (Petersen et al. 2008, Harpke et al. 2013) placed the latter two taxa as sister to all the other C. ser. Flavi members. In the current circumscription, C. ser. Flavi includes 16 taxa: C. adanensis, C. antalyensis Mathew (1972: 327) subsp. antalyensis, C. antalyensis subsp. striatus Erol & Koçyiğit (2010: 187), C. antalyensis subsp. gemicii Sik & Erol (2011: 282), C. antalyensioides Rukšans (2015: 6), C. balansae J.Gay ex Baker (1879: 234), C. candidus Clarke (1812: 145), C. mouradi Whittall (1889: 473), C. flavus Weston (1771: 237), C. graveolens Boissier & Reuter (1882:107), C. hyemalis Boissier (1859: 93), C. istanbulensis Mathew (1982: 99) Rukšâns (2017: 271), C. olivieri Gay (1831: 319), C. paschei Kerndorff (1994:76), C. sarichinarensis Rukšans (2010: 157) Rukšans (2017: 442), and C. vitellinus Wahlenberg (1828: 1000). An amateur scientist, Mehmet Çelik, found a Crocus population near the locus classicus of C. adanensis in Maraş province, Turkey. The individuals of this population are characterized by asymmetric corms, a shape unique among all species of the genus, thus suggesting that they represent a new species. Therefore, we carried out a thorough morphological investigation and used the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region to confirm its rank as a putative new species of C. ser. Flavi and to identify its closest relatives. Accepted by Giovanni Astuti: 13 Mar. 2020; published: 6 Apr. 2020 65 FIGURE 1. Crocus asymmetricus from its locus classicus: habit (A, B); peeled corm (C); corms with tunics (D). The most interesting feature of Crocus asymmetricus sp. nov. is the organization of its corm tunics. Its flower morphology is similar to C. antalyensis, but it differs by its asymmetrically oriented corm and tunics, as well as by its lack of persistent cataphylls (Figs. 1, 2, 3). 66 • Phytotaxa 438 (2) © 2020 Magnolia Press ÇIFTÇI ET al. Material and Methods Morphological investigations:—Standard deviations (SD) were calculated for each quantitative morphological parameter. The number of individuals measured (indicated by n) for each morphological character is given in the description. Photographs of the plants were taken with a Canon 5Ds digital camera (60 and 100 mm macro-lenses). Macromorphological features were examined under a stereo-binocular microscope. We compared the morphology of the undescribed specimens to the relevant species descriptions available in the taxonomic literature (Maw 1886, Bowles 1952, Mathew 1982, Mathew 1984, Rukšāns 2017) and herbarium material conserved in EGE, ISTE, ISTF, K (acronyms follow Thiers 2019). FIGURE 2. Illustration of C. asymmetricus: A. Habitus; B. Flower dissection; C. Leaf cross section; D. Corm: D1. General view, D2. Young (above) and mature corm (below); E. Corm tunics (E1 and E2); F. Basal tunic. Drawing made from specimen ISTF 41370. NOTES ON CROCUS L. SERIES FLAVI Mathew Phytotaxa 438 (2) © 2020 Magnolia Press • 67 FIGURE 3. Illustration of Crocus antalyensis: A. Habitus; B. Flower dissection; C. Leaf cross section; D. Corm: D1. General view, D2. Young (above) and mature (below) corm; E. Tunics (E1, E2, E3). Drawing made from specimen ISTF 41144. Molecular methods:—The extraction of genomic DNA and amplification of the nuclear ribosomal region ITS of five individuals were performed according to Harpke et al. (2013). Both strands of the PCR products were directly Sanger sequenced with Applied Biosystems BigDye Terminator technology on an ABI3730xl automatic DNA sequencer using the primers from PCR amplifications. 68 • Phytotaxa 438 (2) © 2020 Magnolia Press ÇIFTÇI ET al. FIGURE 4. Phylogenetic tree obtained by Bayesian inference of the nuclear rDNA ITS. Numbers along branches are posterior probabilities. NOTES ON CROCUS L. SERIES FLAVI Mathew Phytotaxa 438 (2) © 2020 Magnolia Press • 69 70 • TABLE 1. Morphological comparison of Crocus asymmetricus and its related species (abbreviations written in bold and a list of all abbreviations given at the end of the table in Phytotaxa alphabetical order).* 438(2)©2020 MagnoliaPress Species/ Characters C. graveolens C. vitellinus C. hyemalis C. olivieri C. balansae C. istanbulensis C. flavus C. mouradi C. candidus C. antalyensioides C. paschei C. sarichinarensis C. asymmetricus C. antalyensis C. adanensis Corm shape asym sym sym sym sym sym sym sym sym sym sym sym sym sym sym Emergence two one full full full full full full full full full full full full full of root – several c/m heads c m with m towards m/c m coarsely fibrous p, spl into spl at base m p, spl at p, with prl fibrous, one side m, spl into m/c, spl at spl at base spl length fibrous, points at m, distinctly narrow bands into coarse, spl at base m, spl into base into occasional outer tunics Tunics (asym) spl stripes or base into prl into narrow ways into fibrils prl, apex, spl at fibrous with or prl fibrils prl fibres or into prl prl fibrils many prl splits at split strap- into narrow prl fibrils fibrils strips or prl strips at weakly the base into prl fibrils from base triangular fibrils fibrils base like at base bands, or fibrils base reticulate at coarse prl teeth triangles apex fibres from base narrow, poorly sharp narrow formed fibrous fibrous formed formed narrow formed formed sharp, developed, triangular sharp Tunic neck by old short, p points of points of bristly by old by old sharp by old short, p by old triangular soft fibrous fibrous fibrous cataphylls main tunic main tunic cataphylls cataphylls tunic splits cataphylls cataphylls teeth points points splits poorly Basal rings ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab ab developed Flower nd wai; obl el, obl to obl obov to el to obl; ob obov to sla; wai; obl or obl to ov; el to obl; obl or ov; ob ov to sla; ov; ob to segment el; ob to sac to obov; ob obov; ob to ov; sac or ov; ob, el; ob obl; ob to to sac ob to sac el; ac to ob sac to ob sac to sac ob to sac sac Ç shape to sac sac sac to a sac IFTÇI ......continued on the next page ET al. N OTES TABLE 1. (Continued) ON Species/ C Characters R O C C. candidus C. antalyensioides C. paschei C. sarichinarensis C. asymmetricus C. antalyensis C. adanensis C. graveolens C. vitellinus C. hyemalis C. olivieri C. balansae C. istanbulensis C. flavus C. mouradi US L.S outside sil to buff-colored ERIES wh with pl or deep with a pur usually li bl, or pl to dark uniform distinct gr- y, occ wh F bright y staining or uniform y to o y, pl y to LA wh with y, same bl or with ish speckled or creamy, dull li-wh y o usually to o y, speckling, bright sometimes deep o y, V bl staining color inside spotted or dkr vio-bl basal blotch always I M with three with 3 sometimes sometimes