Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 698 No. 3: 30 Apr. 2025
Type: Article
Published: 2025-04-30
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.698.3.2
Page range: 155-164
Abstract views: 281
PDF downloaded: 34

Insights from morphological investigations and molecular phylogenetics reveal a new synonymy in Bellevalia (Asparagaceae: Scilloideae) in Iran

Department of Plant Science, Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, PO Box 14155-6455, Tehran, Iran
Bonn Institute of Organismic Biology, University of Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 170, 53115 Bonn, Germany
Bonn Institute of Organismic Biology, University of Bonn, Meckenheimer Allee 170, 53115 Bonn, Germany
Department of Plant Science, Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, PO Box 14155-6455, Tehran, Iran
Geophyte flora Taxonomy Systematics Morphology Species delimitation Monocots

Abstract

Bellevalia with 19 recognized species in Iran, is an important geophytic genus within the Iranian flora that is poorly understood regarding intraspecific variation in morphological characters, taxonomy, and phylogeny. We initiated morphological analyses of its species using both herbarium specimens and field samples in preparation of a monographic study of this genus. The present paper focuses on the variability of B. decolorans and its relationship with B. shiraziana. These two species are generally recognized as distinct, but we find that the morphological differences used to distinguish them—such as broadly ovate leaves, longer pedicels, and varying capsule shapes in B. decolorans—are too minor and variable to warrant recognition as distinct species. The differences in capsule and fruit shapes reflect ontogenetic variation within a single species. Our molecular phylogenetic analysis, utilizing nrDNA ITS and cpDNA rps16 sequences, confirms the placement of B. shiraziana within sect. Bellevalia and the close relationship to B. decolorans. Although sequencing the ITS region proved challenging in Bellevalia, the rps16 marker appears to be an effective tool for elucidating interspecific relationships within the genus. Ultimately, we conclude that B. shiraziana should be treated as a synonym of B. decolorans.

References

  1. APG IV. (2016) An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG IV. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 181: 1–20 https://doi.org/10.1111/boj.12385
  2. Boissier, P.E. (1859) Diagnoses plantarum novarum praesertim orientalium, ser. 2, 4. p. 110. Apud Herman, Lipsiae. Available from: [https://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/viewer/10731/?offset=#page=112&viewer=picture&o=bookmark&n=0&q=]
  3. Boissier, P.E. (1884) Flora Orientalis: sive, Enumeratio plantarum in Oriente a Graecia et Aegypto ad Indiae fines hucusque observatarum. Apud H. Georg Bibliopolam, Genevae & Basileae, 308 pp. [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/18116268#page/5/mode/1up]
  4. Bornmüller, J. (1908) Plantae Strussianae, sieve enumeration plantarum a Th. Strauss annis-1889-1899 in Persia occidentali collectarum. Beihefte zum botanischen Centralblatt. Erste Abteilung, Anatomie, Histologie, Morphologie und Physiologie der Pflanzen 24, Abt.2: 109. [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/34013361#page/555/mode/1up]
  5. Borzatti Von Loewenstern, A., Giordani, T., Astuti, G., Andreucci, A. & Peruzzi, L. (2013) Phylogenetic relationships of Italian Bellevalia species (Asparagaceae), inferred from morphology, karyology and molecular systematics. Plant Biosystems 147: 776–787 https://doi.org/0.1080/11263504.2013.829884
  6. Brullo, C., Brullo, S. & Pasta, S. (2009) Bellevalia pelagica (Hyacinthaceae), a new species from the islet of lampione (pelagian archipelago, sicily). Edinburgh Journal of Botany 66: 65–75. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0960428609005265
  7. Douzery, E.J., Pridgeon, A.M., Kores, P., Linder, H.P., Kurzweil, H. & Chase, M.W. (1999) Molecular phylogenetics of Diseae (Orchidaceae): a contribution from nuclear ribosomal ITS sequences. American Journal of Botany 86: 887–899. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10371730/]
  8. Feinbrun, N. (1939) A monographic study on the genus Bellevalia Lapeyr. Palestine Journal of Botany 1: 336–409.
  9. GBIF (2024 [continuously updated]) GBIF: The Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Available from: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 12 February 2024)
  10. Grossheim, A.A. (1925) Travaux du Musée de Géorgie 3. In: Grossheim, A.A., Sosnovsky, D. & Schischkin, B. (Eds.) Flora Tphilisiensis 1-re Partie. pp. 113. [https://books.google.de/books?id=-xPNEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false]
  11. Grossheim, A.A. (1928) Flora Kavkaza, vol. 1, 2nd edition. Trudy Botanicheskogo Instituta 10. AzFAN, Baku, 234 pp. [In Russian]
  12. JSTOR (2024 [continuously updated]) JSTOR Global Plants. Available from: https://plants.jstor.org/ (accessed 12 February 2024)
  13. JACQ (2024 [continuously updated]) Virtual Herbaria JACQ. Available from: https://www.jacq.org/#database (accessed 12 February 2024)
  14. Jafari, A. (2023) Bellevalia Lapeyr. In: Assadi, M. (Ed.) The Persian Flora of Iran, V. 172: Hyacinthaceae. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran, pp. 65–94.
  15. Jafari, A., Vaezi, J., Forghanifard, M.M., Forest, F. & Manning, J.C. (2021) A revised infrageneric classification of Bellevalia Lapeyr. (Asparagaceae: Scilloideae) based on molecular analysis. Phytotaxa 525 (1): 70–84. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.525.1.9
  16. Kunth, K.S. (1843) Enumeratio plantarum omnium hucusque vognitarum, vol. 4. Sumptibus J.G. Cottae, Studgardiae & Tubingae, 309 pp.
  17. Lapeyrouse, P.P. de (1808) Bellevalia, Noueveau genre de plante de la Famaille des Liliacées. Journal de Physique, de Chimie, d’Histoire Naturelle et des Arts 67: 425–427. [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6204967#page/439/mode/1up]
  18. Nylander, J.A.A. (2004) MrModeltest 2.0. Program distributed by the author. Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University.
  19. Oxelman, B., Lidén, M. & Berglund, D. (1997) Chloroplast rps16 intron phylogeny of the tribe Sileneae (Caryophyllaceae). Plant Systematics and Evolution 206: 393–410 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00987959
  20. Özhatay, N., Johnson, M.A.T., Mathew, B. & Dalgıç, G. (1991) A new hexaploid Bellevalia (Hyacinthaceae) from European Turkey. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 107: 89–99 https://doi.org/10.1111/J.1095-8339.1991.TB00217.X
  21. Parsa, D.A. (1949) New species and varieties of the Persian flora: III. Kew Bulletin 4: 33–36.
  22. Pfosser, M. & Speta, F. (1999) Phylogenetics of Hyacinthaceae based on plastid DNA sequences. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 86: 852–875 https://doi.org/10.2307/2666172
  23. Müller, K., Müller, J., Neinhuis, C. & Quandt, D. (2010) PhyDE: Phylogenetic data editor, version 0.9971. Program distributed by the authors. [http://www.phyde.de]
  24. POWO (2024) Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet. Available from: http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org (accessed 29 April 2025)
  25. Rambaut, A., Drummond, A.J., Xie, D., Baele, G. & Suchard, M.A. (2018) Posterior summarisation in Bayesian phylogenetics using Tracer 1.7. Systematic Biology 67: 901–904. [https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/publications/posterior-summarisation-in-bayesian-phylogenetics-using-tracer-17]
  26. Reichenbach, H.G.L. (1830) Flora germanica excursoria ex affinitate regni vegetabilis naturali disposita, sive principia synopseos plantarum in Germania terrisque in Europa media adjacentibus sponte nascentium cultarumque frequentius, vol. 1. Apud Carolum Cnobloch, Lisiae, 105 pp. [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/7359#page/3/mode/1up]
  27. Ronquist, F. & Huelsenbeck, J.P. (2003) MRBAYES 3: Bayesian phylogenetic inference under mixed models. Bioinformatics 19: 1572–1574 https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btg180
  28. Speta, F. (1982) Die Gattungen Scilla L. s. str. und Prospero Salisb. im pannonischen Raum. Veröffentlichungen der Internationalen Clusius-Forschungsgeselschaft Güssing 5: 1–19. [https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/Veroeff-Int-Clusius-Ges-Guessing_5_0001-0019.pdf]
  29. Speta, F. (1998) Systematische Analyse der Gattung Scilla L. s.l. (Hyacinthaceae). Phyton, Annales Rei Botanicae 38: 1–141. [https://www.zobodat.at/pdf/PHY_38_1_0001-0141.pdf]
  30. Stamatakis, A. (2014) RAxML version 8: a tool for phylogenetic analysis and post-analysis of large phylogenies. Bioinformatics 30: 1312–1313. https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btu033
  31. Swofford, D.L. (2002) PAUP: phylogenetic analysis using parsimony, version 4.0 b10. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland.
  32. Tenore, M. & Sangiovanni, G. (1841) Rapporto sulla memoria del Cav. Gussone, sulle piante gigliacee. Ann. Civili Regno Due Sicilie 26: 42–53. [https://books.google.it/books?id=Wts7AQAAMAAJ]
  33. Thiers, B. (2018 [continuously updated]) Index herbariorum: a global directory of public herbaria and associated staff. New York Botanical Garden’s virtual herbarium, New York. Available from: http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/ih/ (accessed 12 February 2024)
  34. Wendelbo, P. (1985) Bellevalia Lapeyr. In: Townsend, C.C. & Guest, E. (Eds.) Flora of Iraq, vol. 8. Ministry of Agriculture, Baghdad, pp. 113–127.
  35. Wendelbo, P. (1990) Bellevalia Lapeyr. In: Rechinger, K.H., Browicz, K., Persson, K. & Wendelbo, P. (Eds.) Flora Iranica: Liliaceae II. Akademische Druck-u. Verlagsanstalt, Graz, pp. 149–165.
  36. White, T.J., Bruns, T., Lee, S. & Taylor, J. (1990) Amplification and direct sequencing of fungal ribosomal RNA genes for phylogenetics. In: Innis, M.A., Gelfand, D.H., Sninsky, J.J. & White, T.J. (Eds.) PCR protocols: A guide to methods and applications. San Diego: Academic Press, pp. 315–322. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-372180-8.50042-1

How to Cite

Abdollahi, M.R., Bӧhnert T., Weigend, M. & Zarre, S. (2025) Insights from morphological investigations and molecular phylogenetics reveal a new synonymy in Bellevalia (Asparagaceae: Scilloideae) in Iran. Phytotaxa 698 (3): 155–164. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.698.3.2