Gagea khassanovii Levichev, Turginov & W. J. Li, 2025

Turginov, Orzimat Turdimatovich, Levichev, Igor Germanovich, Kurbaniyazova, Gulsauir Tanirbergen qizi, Karimov, Farhod Isomiddinovich, Yang, Lei & Li, Wen Jun, 2025, A new white-flowered species of Gagea (Liliaceae) from the Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, PhytoKeys 260, pp. 139-152 : 139-152

Gagea khassanovii Levichev, Turginov & W. J. Li sp. nov.

Figs 2 , 4

Holotype.

Uzbekistan • Andijan Region. Fergana Valley, Iman-Ata Mountains, Alay ridge (foothills) , Rocks; 904 m. a. s. l.; 12 March 2020; 40°53'52.3"N, 72°14'04.9"E; Leg.: Turginov, Rakhmatov ( TASH: TASH 032651 !, iso- LE: TASH 032652 !).

Diagnosis.

The species is similar to G. circumplexa Vved. in habit, but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: perianth is white (vs. golden yellow); inner tepals are linear, rounded at the apex (vs. lanceolate, pointed); cauline and basal leaves are much longer than the inflorescence (vs. equal to or slightly longer) (Table 1 ).

Description.

Single, squat, with white tepals of the plant. The bulb is 9–20 mm in diameter, round, tightly braided with sclerified roots, covered with grey-brown tunics, continued in a filmy neck (10–25 mm long). There is no vegetative reproduction. Peduncle 3–8 cm long, half submerged in the soil, in cross section rounded, about 1 mm in diameter. The basal leaf is single, linear, 2–2.5 times larger than the inflorescence, about 1.5–2 mm wide, on the cross section grooved-semicircular with a large cavity in the centre. Leaves on the peduncle 3–5, in a whorl; the lower leaf is the basal origin, proportional to or much longer than the inflorescence, narrowly lanceolate, up to 5 mm wide, gradually long-pointed, scaphoid on the cross section. Inflorescence 2–3 - flowered; umbellate, pedicels of different lengths (0.5–45 mm). The perianths are different: external lanceolate, 15–18 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, pointed at the top, internal linear, shorter and narrower than the outer ones, rounded at the top, milky-white inside, bright green outside, white-edged. Anthers yellow, linear (3 mm long), opened - oblong (about 2 mm long). The capsule is ovate-rounded, less than half the length of the leaves. Seeds are flat.

Distribution and habitat.

Gagea khassanovii is endemic to the eastern part of the Fergana Valley, occurring in the middle belt of the Chatkal and Alay Mountain ranges (Fig. 5 ). The species inhabits gravelly soils and rocky outcrops of mountain spurs, typically within well-drained, xerophytic habitats.

Phenology.

Flowering from March and fruiting in April.

Etymology.

The species is named in honour of the researcher and expert on the flora of Central Asia, Professor F. O. Khassanov.

Conservation status.

G. khassanovii is currently known only from the foothills of the Chatkal and Alay ranges in the Fergana Valley ( Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan). Due to limited population data and the absence of repeated field observations (i. e. known only from the type locality), its conservation status remains uncertain. Based on the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (IUCN 2019), the species may be assessed as Data Deficient (DD). However, given its narrow distribution and potential threats to its habitat, it could plausibly fall under either Critically Endangered (CR) criteria B and C (e. g. Wagensommer et al. 2017; Wagensommer and Venanzoni 2021) or Near Threatened (NT) ( Perrino et al. 2018), pending further field investigations.

Additional specimens (paratypes).

Uzbekistan • Andijan Region, Khojaabad Region, east-south-eastern part of the Fergana Valley, Kyrtashtau Mountains, near the Village of Imam-ata , 40°32'30.94"N, 72°36'29.88"E, 870 m. a. s. l. clay hillside. 12 III 2020. D. A. Krivenko, O. A. Chernysheva, T. Kh. Makhkamov. ( IRK: IRK 58734 !) . - Uzbekistan • Andijan Region, Jalakuduk Region, Fergana Valley, 1 km west of the village. South Alamyshik , high. 770 m a. s. l. clay hillside. 12 III 2020. 40°45'34.21"N, 72°35'25.36"E. D. A. Krivenko, O. A. Chernysheva. ( IRK: IRK 58735 !) .

Notes.

The Incrustatae section stands out for its taxonomically distinct position amongst other subdivisions of the genus, original morphological features and compact distribution in the western part of the Irano-Turan Region, including the Balkhash Region. At the moment, the section includes nine species and one more, the tenth taxon from the Peter the Great Ridge in the Pamir-Alay, is scheduled for description. All species are rare, few in number, with narrow local distribution in the foothills or in the mountains ( Ajani et al. 2010) 1.

Local rarity (Fig. 1 ) is one of the reasons for the superficial approach to the taxonomy of the representatives of the section, when several (up to 3–5) taxa from different sections and from remote geographic regions are combined under one name. Flat seeds, whorled inflorescence and bulb braid with thick roots, which are well preserved during herbarisation, become the reason for combining taxa from the sections Graminifoliae Levichev, Platyspermum Boiss., Stipitatae Davlianidze and Incrustatae (e. g. Wendelbo and Rechinger 1990; Zarrei et al. 2007: 572, etc.). Such associations are invalid since, in the section Graminifoliae , the root leaves are flat, as clearly (Wendelbo l. C.). In the Platyspermum section, the leaves are of a pentahedral type, narrow, grooved from above, and reinforced along the ribs with surface stiffening strands made of sclerenchyma. In the Stipitatae section, the leaves are round, unifacial and without sclerenchyma, often with a central fistu la, as in the Incrustatae section, but the inflorescence is necessarily branched (sometimes short-branched).

In Flora Iranica for G. circumplexa , a vast natural habitat is specified: from Libya to China (Wendelbo l. C.: 39), but the study of synonyms in the nomenclature quotation and studied samples from amongst those cited confirmed the inconsistency of such definitions and generalisations. In fact, in such a vast area under this name, all taxa with sclerified roots are listed in succession.

It should be emphasised that braiding with ageotropic, rigid roots is a very common feature characteristic of many species of all sections of the genus and even of vegetative bulbs.

This feature is a consequence of the two-cycle development of each shoot and the formation of different types of annual roots in successive cycles ( Levichev 2001). Geotropically orientated, soft, thin roots appear in the autumn-spring period, feeding the aerial shoot. Much later, thick, rigid, ageotropically braiding and sclerified roots that rise to the bulb neck emerge from the bottom, which are produced by the bulb growing inside ( Levichev 1999 a). In the next year, this bulb develops an aerial shoot and soft (feeding) roots that literally pierce through the consumable storage scales of the previous year’s cycle ( Levichev 1999 b, Taf. 1).

Even in the first year of seedling life, this feature is observed: the primary (embryonic) root is feeding and the adventitious ageotropic rigid roots that appear later develop the first replacement bulb inside the cotyledon ( Levichev 1999 b, Taf. 3).

The first to draw attention to the thickened roots was Pascher (1942), calling them both “ basket roots ” (Korbchenwurzel) and “ root basket ” (Wurzelkorbchen) with the function of retaining moisture around the bulb. It should be added that the geotropic orientation of these roots to the root collar makes it possible to collect drops of scanty precipitation and dew in arid regions, flowing down to the shoot base and feeding the replacement bulb during the period of intensive increase in its mass. In addition, after dying off and over the course of many years, empty, large cells with thickened walls probably also perform the function of a soil velamen in a loose substrate, condensing vapours of air and retaining any minimum moisture content.

Figures

Figure 1. A. View of the classic habitat of G. khassanovii (arrows indicate the position of individual); B. G. khassanovii from the foothills of the Alay and C. Chatkal (Sumsar) ranges. Photo: A, B. O. Turginov, C-A. Zhdanko.

Figure 2. Morphological features of G. khassanovii. A. General view; B. A bulb covered with soil braid of ageotropic sclerified (a) and geotropic feeding with (b) roots; Cross - sections of dry samples; C. The basal leaf (1–5); D. The lower leaf under the inflorescence (6–9, see the marks in A); c, e. sections of the basal leaf (fresh herbarium, c-below the middle, d. in the middle, e-above the middle); E. Section of the peduncle; F. Mature bud; Tepals: f. outer, g. inner.

Figure 4. Typical herbarium specimen Gagea khassanovii Levichev, Turginov & W. J. Li, sp. nov.

Figure 5. Schematic map of the Fergana Valley and habitat G. incrustata, G. circumplexa and G. khassanovii Levichev, Turginov & W. J. Li, sp. nov.