Gagea spelaea: A new species of Star-of-Bethlehem from the Western Tian Shan of Kyrgyzstan.

The genus Gagea comprises spring-flowering, herbaceous Lilies know by the common name of Stars-of-Bethlehem. The genus is a taxonomically difficult group, which requires examination of living plants for precise identification. A number of features, including the structure of bulbs, the character of vegetative reproduction, the presence, length, and cross section of the basal leaf, the shape of the inflorescence and capsules, the colour of tepals, and so on, are important for taxonomic identification in this genus. For correct identification, the characters of not only generative but also vegetative individuals are usually required. There are different estimates of the number of species in the genus, from about 100 to more than 320. In Kyrgyzstan 36 species of this genus have been described, with several undescribed taxa known in the mountains surrounding the Fergana Valley.

In a paper published in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity on 3 February 2019, Igor Levichev of the Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chang-gee Jang of the Department of Biology Education at Kongju University, Seung Hwan Oh of the Forest Biodiversity Division at the Korea National Arboretum, and Georgii Lazkov of the Institute for Biology of the  National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan, describe a new species of Star-of-Bethlehem from the Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve in the Chatkal Range of the Jalal-Abad Region of western Kyrgyzstan, part of the Western Tian Shan Mountain Range.

The new species is named Gagea spelaea, where 'spelaea' means a den or small cave, in reference to the environment where the plants were found, on niches on conglomerate cliffs, in the Bokchop River Gorge. This species is distinctive in having completely white flowers, unlike the yellow or yellowish white. The species also has relatively small vegetative bulbils underground at the base, with a slender above-ground plant reaching about 25 cm in height.

Gagea spelaea: (A) general habit; (B) open flower. Georgii Lazkov in Levichev et al. (2019).

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A new species of Tulip from Anhui Province in eastern China.

Tulips of the genus Amana are found in eastern Asia. They are very similar to the Tulips of Western Asia and Europe, which are placed in the genus Tulipa, differing only in the presence of bracts on the upper part of the flowering stem, and not all botanists have recognised the two genera as distinct. However modern genetic studies appear to support the separation of the two groups, as closely related but distinct genera with different geographical ranges.

In a paper published in the journal Phytotaxa on 27 August 2014, Bangxing Han of the Research Center of Research and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine at West Anhui University and the National Resource Center for Chinese Materia Medica at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Ke Zhang of the Department of Pharmacy at Anhui University of Chinese Medicine and Luqi Huang, also of the National Resource Center for Chinese MateriaMedica at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Science, describe a new species of Tulip from Ningguo County in Anhui Province, eastern China.

The new species is named Amana wanzhensis, meaning ‘from Wanzh’, though no explanation of this is given. It is a 15-30 cm high perennial herb growing from 1.5-2.5 cm bulbs, producing white flowers with brown stripes and green bases in February and March. It is widespread around the town of Xianxia, where it grows in moist Bamboo forests and meadows, at altitudes of 600-800 m above sea-level.

Amana wanzhensis.Yun-Xi Zhu in Han et al. (2014).

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A new species of Turmeric from the Bù Gia Mập National Park in southern Vietnam.

Turmeric (Curcuma) plants are members of the Ginger Family (Zingiberaceae) native to India, southern China, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and northern Australia. Several species are grown for use as a spice or dye, and the more colourful species are popular garden plants in tropical areas, though they need constant warm temperatures and high rainfall to thrive. The plants can reproduce both sexually by flowering and asexually by means of...

A new species of Peruvian Lily from the Talamanca Mountains of Panama.

Peruvian Lilies, Alstroemeriaceae, are a small group of flowering plants found across Central and South America, the islands of the Caribbean and the Falklands. The are members of the Lily order, Liliales, and have relatives in Australia and New Zealand. Some...

New species of Onion from Kyrgyzstan.

Plants in the genus Allium are found throughout temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, with a few species from Africa and South America. The genus includes a number of important food plants, including Onions, Garlic, Leeks, Chives and Shallots. The number of species in the genus is disputed, but there are probably around 750 valid described forms.

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A new species of Peruvian Lily from the Talamanca Mountains of Panama.

Peruvian Lilies, Alstroemeriaceae, are a small group of flowering plants found across Central and South America, the islands of the Caribbean and the Falklands. The are members of the Lily order, Liliales, and have relatives in Australia and New Zealand. Some species are cultivated for their edible tubers or for cut flowers for the floristry industry.

In a paper published in the journal Phytotaxa on 30 May 2013, Daniel Cáceres González of the Herbarium of the Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí and the Herbarium Senckenbergianum describes a new species of Peruvian Lilly based upon material collected from the cloud forests of the Reserva Forestal Fortuna in the Talamanca Mountains in Chiriqui Province, Panama, during a botanical expedition in 2006.

The new species is placed in the genus Bomarea, vine-like Peruvian Lilies producing clusters of flowers, some of which are cultivated for food or cut flowers, and given the specific name rinconii, in honour of Rafael Rincón Gómez of the Escuela de Biología at the Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí, a distinguished Panamanian botanist.  Bomarea rinconii is a twining, vine-like plant reaching 3 m in length. It  has large, broad leaves and produces dark reddish-orange bell shaped flowers in April to May; the end of the local dry season. 

Bomarea rinconii growing. Cáceres González (2013).

The plant is only known from a single site, in cloud forest at about 1800 m, and only a few individuals were observed, though the Reserva Forestal Fortuna is not well explored, so there is a possibility of larger populations existing. It is considered to be Critically Endangered under the guidelines of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

The approximate location of the Reserva Forestal Fortuna, the only place where Bomarea rinconii has been found growing in the wild. Google Maps.

See also A new species of Bromeliad from Tamaulipas State, Mexico, New species of Onion from Kyrgyzstan, New species of Pipewort from Brazil, A new species of Orchid from Bahia State, Brazil and New species of Bromiliad from Brazil.

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