Fritillaria marivanensis M.Advay, sp. nov.

(Figs 2, 3, Table 1)

Type:— IRAN. Kurdistan Province: Marivan, Miraje Mountain, Nie Village, 352909° N, 460517° E, in Quercus forest, mountain steppe, subalpine pasture and grassy ledges, 1930 m, 22 Apr. 2013, Advay 11496 (holotype: HKS; isotype: TUH).

The new species is like F. armena, F. kordestanica, F. chlorantha, F. shahuensis in its narrowly campanulate flowers and habit but differs from these species in number and size of leaves and size and colour of perianth segments, filament colour and length, anthers length, nectary length and colour, style surface and branching (Table 1).

Bulb-bearing herbs, bulbs globose 1.0– 1.5 cm in diameter, without bulblets. Stem 5.0– 15 cm, 5.0– 10 cm above ground, sometimes to 20 cm in fruiting stage, glabrous. Leaves 5–8 per stem, sessile, alternate, green, the lowest 9.0–10 × 2.0– 2.5 cm, oblong, lanceolate, acute, sometimes twisted. Bracts 3.5–12.0 × 0.3–0.5 cm, narrowly oblanceolate, acute. Flower 1–2, perigone narrowly campanulate, dark purplish brown, sometimes yellowish, greenish orange outside, not glaucous outside, purplish brown, yellowish orange on brown background inside, outer tepals 21.0–25.5 × 5.2–6.6 mm, oblonglanceolate, subacute to obtuse, sometimes recurved, ciliate-tufted at apex, inner tepals 20.0–29.3 × 5.5–6.8 mm, lanceolate, obtuse. Nectaries 3.5–4.5 × 0.8–1.0 mm, linear, greenish yellow, 1 mm above the base tepal. Filaments 7.5–8.0 mm, yellow, cylindric, densely papillose; anthers 7–8 mm, ellipsoid, yellow, basifixed. Ovary 8–11 mm long, style 7.0–8.0 × 1.5–2.5 mm, cylindrical, greenish, divided at apex, slightly trilobed, 1.0– 1.5 mm, branched, densely papillose. Capsule 3.2–5.7 × 1.6–2.6 mm, obovoid-oblong, cuneate, not winged; seeds 6.7–9.0 × 4.9–6.8 mm, obovate, brown (Figs 2, 3).

Etymology:— Referring to the type locality, Marivan City.

Distribution, habitat and phenology:— Known also from Kurdistan and Kermanshah Provinces. It is an element of the Irano-Turanian floristic region and grows in Quercus forest, mountain steppes and grassy ledges, 1600–2300 m. Flowering

April–May, fruiting June–July (Fig. 5).

Species conservation assessment:— Following the criteria of IUCN (2022), the extent of occurrence (EOO) is less than 5.000 km 2, and the area of occupancy (AOO) is less than 500 km 2 (criterion B1, B2); locations are less than five (a) with an estimated continuing decline (a, b) of occurrence (i), of occupancy (ii), quality of habitat (iii), and number of subpopulations (iv). Its populations are threatened by grazing. The developing capsules are usually grazed before maturation. This new species is assessed to be considered as endangered, EN B1ab (i, iv) B2ab (ii, iii, iv)” (IUCN 2019).

Notes:— The new species is similar in terms of general facies to other species of the F. caucasica group (Table 1), which is is diverse in Turkey and Iran. The size of leaves (especially lowest leaves) and outside and inside colour of the tepals are usually variable in Fritillaria, particularly in this group, and these species have generally been broadly circumscribed.

Selected specimens examined:— IRAN. Kurdistan Province: Marivan ca. 40 km from Marivan to saqqez, Ghemchian Village, 15 May 2014, Advay 12463 (HKS). Baneh, Terkhan Abad Village, Babos Mountain, 22 Apr. 2013, Advay 11496 (HKS). Avroman (= Hawraman) region: North slope of the Zarraveh Mountain, 21 Apr 2023, Advay 48215 (TUH).