Allium kazim-kosei, a New Species (A. sect. Codonoprasum, Amaryllidaceae) from Central Anatolia (Türkiye)

Allium kazim-kosei sp. nov. (Amaryllidaceae, sect. Codonoprasum) is described as a new species from Central Anatolia, Türkiye. The new species is morphologically similar to A. pseudoflavum but differs in several diagnostic characters, including bulb structure, scape height, leaf morphology, spathe venation, inflorescence and pedicel dimensions, tepal shape, presence of interstaminal teeth, capsule shape, and seed size. SEM observations reveal distinct micromorphological differences in seed testa ornamentation and pollen exine structure between the two species. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear ITS and chloroplast trnL intron sequences support the recognition of A. kazim-kosei as a distinct species. The Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) genetic distance between A. kazim-kosei and A. pseudoflavum (8.54% for ITS) is considerably higher than typical interspecific divergences within sect. Codonoprasum. In the Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic tree, the two species form well-separated sister branches with high bootstrap support. The species is known only from gypseous soils around Kavuncu village (Eskişehir province, Türkiye), with an estimated Area of Occupancy (AOO) of 8 km2 and Extent of Occurrence (EOO) of 45 km2. Based on IUCN criteria, A. kazim-kosei is assessed as Endangered (EN) B1ab(iii) + B2ab(iii). This discovery increases the total number of Allium species in Türkiye to 239 and the number of sect. Codonoprasum taxa to 74. The molecular results are fully congruent with the macro- and micromorphological characters, providing robust multi-evidence support for the recognition of the new species.