Eremogone ali-gulii (Caryophyllaceae), a new species from Turkey

Abstract Eremogone ali-gulii (Caryophyllaceae) is described as a new species of Eremogone in Turkey. The specimens were collected from Kop Mountain (Erzurum). The new species is endemic of the Irano-Turanian region and is related to Eremogone scariosa and Eremogone armeniaca. The differences on sterile shoots, habit, sepals and capsules between these species are discussed. Description, distribution, illustration and conservation status of the new species are given.


Introduction
Caryophyllaceae is a very large family mainly found in the northern hemisphere and includes 88 genera and 3000 species (Rabeler and Hartman 2005). Th e family has often been divided into three subfamilies namely Alsinoideae Burnett, Caryophylloideae Arn., and Paronychioideae A.St. and fi ve tribes (Bittrich 1993). However, recent molecular studies have illustrated that these groups are polyphyletic (Fior 2006). For instance, Harbaugh et al. (2010) evaluated the MatK, trnL-F and rps16 sequences of 146 species of Caryophyllaceae and recognized 11 tribes, including the newly described Eremogoneae Rabeler & W.L.Wagner (Harbaugh et al. 2010).
Eremogone was described by Fenzl in 1833, then it was later described as a subgenus of Arenaria by Fenzl in 1842. Molecular phylogenetic studies carried out in recent years suggest that species previously placed in Arenaria subgen. Eremogone (approximately 70 species), Arenaria subgen. Eremogoneastrum Williams (22 species) and Minuartia subgen. Spergella (Fenzl) McNeill (3 species) comprise the genus Eremogone (Fenzl 1833, McNeill 1967. Eremogone is a natural group consisting of 95 species with leaves narrowly linear to fi liform and capsules splitting apically into six teeth or three bifi d valves (Dillenberger andKadereit 2014, Sadeghian et al. 2015). Th e Turkish name for Eremogone is "İğnekumotu". Th ere are 18 taxa of Eremogone in Turkey, 11 of which are endemic (McNeill 1967, Dinç 2012. In the fl ora of Turkey (McNeill 1967), Eremogone is treated as a subgenus of Arenaria (Fenzl 1833, McNeill 1967. Th is work describes Eremogone ali-gulii, a new species of Eremogone found in Turkey.

Material and methods
Authors collected Eremogone specimens from Kop mountain (Erzurum) during a project (KBAG-113Z260-TUBITAK) to revise Turkey Minuartia taxa (Caryophyllaceae). Th ese specimens were compared with related species or photographs in the herbaria of E, ANK, GAZI, Bozok University Herb., and with records in the literature (McNeill 1963, Rechinger 1964, Zohary 1966, McNeill 1967, Halliday 1976, Rechinger 1988, Shishkin 1995, Bojňanský and Fargašová 2007, Rabeler and Wagner 2015. Th e studies showed that these specimens are representatives of a species new to science.
Th is study is based on literature and fi eld observations of living plants. Th e materials were examined using an Olympus SZ61 microscope. Mature seeds were collected from capsules of the holotype. Measurement of vegetative characters was made with a ruler accurate to 0,5 mm and fl oral characters were measured with an ocular micrometre.

Results
Th e specimens introduced here as the new species in this study were collected from Erzurum province, Kop mountain. At fi rst glance, these specimens resemble Eremogone armeniaca and E. scariosa. Yet, comprehensive studies that were subsequently carried out revealed that they belonged to a new species.

Distinction from other taxa
Eremogone ali-gulii is similar to a group of fi ve Irano-Turanian Eremogone species previously placed in Arenaria sect. Scariosae by McNeil (1967): 2 from Northern Iran -E. polycnemifolia (Boiss.) Holub and E. zargariana (Parsa) Holub; and 3 species from eastern Turkey -E. armeniaca, E. scariosa and E. pseudoacantholimon (Bornm.) Holub. All of them share spiny or setaceous leaves, coriaceous or scarious sepals, and petals of similar size. Eremogone ali-gulii is more similar to E. armeniaca and E. scariosa due to the scarious margins of the sepals never extending right to the tip and to the deeply bifurcate staminal glands, appearing as 10, distinct, alternating with the stamens (Mc-Neill 1962). However, Eremogone ali-gulii diff ers markedly from both species due to its fasciculate sterile shoots, tufted habit, sepals 2.8-4.5 mm long and capsules 3-4 mm long. Th e diagnostic features of these three species are listed in Table 1.