Allium zhouquense (Amaryllidaceae) - a new species from Gansu, China Author Bai, Zengfu Author Zhang, Zhihua Author Chen, Xuelin Author Zhang, Ji text Phytotaxa 2024 2024-08-22 663 3 165 170 https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.663.3.6 journal article 10.11646/phytotaxa.663.3.6 1179-3163 14515682 Allium zhouquense Z.F.Bai & Xue L.Chen , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–2 ). Type: — CHINA . Gansu : Zhouqu County , Bailongjiang Chagangliang Provincial Nature Reserve , under a deciduous broadleaf forest or thicket , elec. 2800–3041.5 m , 27 August 2023 , Zengfu Bai & Xuelin Chen 2023008 ( holotype NWTC ; isotypes NWTC , GAUF ) . Diagnosis :—It resembes both A. plurifoliatum and A. paepalanthoides , and can be distinguished from them by the following combination of traits: 1) outer filaments with a broadened base and two top shallow cracks, and inner filaments with one basal tooth on both sides; 2) pedicels 6–8 times the length of perianth; 3) the position of leaf sheath covering 1/3 to 1/2 of scape height; and 4) strigose along leaf edge, leaf sheath, and midvein. Detailed comparison among the three species is summarized in Table 1 . Description: —Herbs perennial, with onion-like odor. Bulb solitary, rarely paired, cylindric, measuring 0.5–1 cm in diameter, with irregularly split grayish-brown membranous tunics. Leaves are linear, shorter than scape, 13–16 × 0.3–0.6 cm , flat, clearly 1-keeled abaxially, margin setose-ciliate. Scapes reach 24–30 cm , 2-angled, and bear setose-ciliate along angles, covered by leaf sheaths from 1/3 to 1/2. Spathe 1-valved, membranous, persistent; Umbel few flowered. Pedicels unequal, 3–5.5 cm , ebracteolate. Perianth purple red; segments with purple midvein, free at base; inner segments slightly longer and wider than outer ones, elliptic-oblong obtuse or rounded at apex, 4–6 × 1–1.3 mm ; outer ones ovate or boat-shaped, apex retuse to obtuse or acuminate, 4–5 × 1–1.2 mm . Filaments unequal, outer filaments clearly longer than inner ones, outer filaments obviously broadened at base, with 1-toothed on each side at base, teeth 1–1.2 mm long, apex of tooth usually forming 1–2 irregularly obtuse or minute faint blunt denticules, rarely entire; inner filaments broadened at base ca. 0.3–0.5 mm wide, slightly narrower than outer ones, with 1 obtuse tooth on each side, teeth 0.3–0.6 mm long, entire at apex. Ovary obovoid-globose, with concave nectaries covered by hoodlike projections at base; ovules two per locule. Style exserted, 4–7 mm long; stigma entire. Capsule obovoid, 4–5 × 4–7 mm . Seed unknow. FIGURE 1. Habitat and habitus of Allium zhouquense . A–B Natural habitat under the mixed needleleaf and broadleaf forest from the type locality in Bailongjiang Chagangliang Provincial Nature Reserve of Zhouqu County, Gansu Province; C–E habitat and habit. FIGURE 2 . Morphology of Allium zhouquense . A Bulbs; B Leaves; C Leaf sheaths; D Spathes; E– F Inflorescence; G leaf, single flower and all parts of flower; H all parts of flower, ①outer filaments, ②inner filaments, ③outer tepals, ④inner tepals; I Capsule. TABLE 1. Diagnostic morphological characters of A. zhouquense , A. plurifoliatum and A. paepalanthoides

Characters	A. zhouquense	A. plurifoliatum	A. paepalanthoides
Growth habit	solitary, rarely paired	usually clustered	solitary
Outer bulb tunics	grayish brown, membranous, irregularly splitting	blackish brown to yellowish brown, fibrous, sometimes subreticulate	yellowish brown to blackish brown, sometimes tinged with red, papery, laciniate, sometimes subfibrous.
Leaves	13–16 cm long, 4–6 mm wide, margin flat, setose-ciliate	15–40 cm long, 2–6 mm wide, abaxially glaucous, margin revolute, glabrous	20–40 cm long, 5–15 mm wide, glabrous
Scape	usually 2-angled,10–15(–20) cm long.	terete, 7.5–20 cm long.	terete, (7.5–)15–25 cm long.
Spathe	persistent	persistent or deciduous	persistent or deciduous
Umbel	nearly hemispherical	hemispherical	hemispherical
Pedicels	unequal, 6–8 times as long as perianth	subequal, 2–4 times as long as perianth	subequal, 2–4 times as long as perianth
Perianth and Segment	purple to dark purple; segments elliptic-oblong	pale red or pale purple to purple; segments ovate, boat-shaped or ovate-oblong	white, segments ovate, boat-shaped or ovate-oblong
Filaments	outer ones with a broadened base and the top 2 shallow crack; inner ones with 1-toothed on each side at base	outer ones subulate; inner ones subulate and entire at base or broadened and 1-toothed on each side at base	outer ones subulate; inner ones broadened at base, 1-toothed on each side

FIGURE 3. Allium zhouquense . A Habit; B Single leaf; C Single flower; D capsule; E Outer filament; F Inner filament; G Outer tepal; H Inner tepal (Drawn by Zun-Rong Wen). Phenology: —Flowering and fruiting from August to September. Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to the county name of the type locality. Hence, the Chinese name “ ffiffl ¨ (zhōu qū jiǔ)” is suggested. Distribution and habitat: — Allium zhouquense is only known to its type locality, Zhouqu County in southern Gansu , China ( Fig. 4 ). It grows under a deciduous broadleaf forest or thicket with an elevational range 2800–3050 m , and exhibits adaptations to the habitat, with average temperature 11.8°C, and average annual precipitation ca. 960 mm . Notes: — Allium zhouquense is found within the same valley as another species in the genus: A. plurifoliatum . These species typically inhabit shaded and moist habitats under mixed forests and share the same flowering time (August). Despite this proximity, no morphologically putative hybrids between them were observed during our study.