Leopoldia tijtijensis Jafari., sp. nov. Fig. 1

Leopoldia tenuiflorae (Tausch) Heldr affinis racemus densus, cylindrico-conici nec laxus cylindricus, flores fertiles oblongo-urceolati nec tubularo-urceolati, purpureo-violati nec olivaceus flores sterilibus purpureus nec violacea. Capsula triangulares nec cordato-ovoidea differt.

Type:— IRAN. Kurdistan: Sanandaj to Marivan road, Tijtij, Tijtij hills, 1650 m, 2 May 2010. Jafari, Dezyanian & Kaffash. 110. (Holo: IAUM, Iso: TARI).

Bulbs c.5–6× 4–5 cm, ovoid with greyish cream tunics. Leaves 5–13 in number, c.20–40 × 1.7–2 cm, strap shaped, weakly canaliculated, attenuate with scabrous margins, shorter or longer than raceme. Scape 1, c. 23– 30 cm long. Raceme c.10–15× 2.5–5 cm, dense, cylindrical-conical, rachis violet. Pedicel of fertile flowers deflexed or ascending, c. 0.8–1.5 cm, violet. Fertile flowers 60–70 in number, c. 4.5–5 mm × 1–1.2, oblongurceolate, round shoulder, purple-violet in fresh and pale brown in dried flowers; lobes c. 0.5 mm ascending, weakly deflexed, black. Pedicel of sterile flowers c. 3–5 mm. Sterile flowers 12–20 in number, c. 2–3 mm, same length or shorter than pedicel, ascending, purple, triangular-campanulate. Capsule triangular, c.3–4× 2– 3 mm, obtuse.

Distribution and Habitat: — L. tijtijensis is distributed in the Tijtij hills from 1630–1700 m in Kurdistan province which is part of the Irano-Turanian phytogeographical region. This species grows on stony slopes with Bellevalia pycnantha and B. glauca; L. tijijensis flowers in May. Four specimens were collected from the locality. The specimens are kept in IAUM herbarium.

Comparison: — The most obvious characteristics of L. tijtijensis are the purple-violet fertile and purple sterile flowers respectively. The new species is similar to L. tenuiflora (Tausch.) Heldr in having relatively broad scabrid leaves which are longer than scape, black perianth lobes and horizontal or deflexed pedicels of fertile flowers. It differs in the shape of raceme, the shape and colour of fertile and sterile flowers and the capsule shape (Table. 1).

Ethymology:— The new species was named based on its locality, Tijtij city is between Sanandaj and Marivan.

Additional specimens examined:— IRAN. Kurdistan: Tijtij, Sanandaj to Marivan road. Tijtij hills, 1630- 1700 m, 2 May 2010, Jafari, Dezyanian & Kaffash, 109-112, (IAUM, TARI).

The discovery of this new species raises the number of Iranian species in the genus Leopoldia to six; most of them are distributed in the west and north of Iran.