Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 744 No. 3: 10 Mar. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-03-10
DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.744.3.8
Page range: 281-287
Abstract views: 19
PDF downloaded: 4

Gagea deyuanana (Liliaceae), a new species of Gagea (Liliaceae) from Xinjiang, north-western China

Xinjiang Key Laboratory for Ecological Adaptation and Evolution of Extreme Environment Organisms, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Ürümqi 830052, China
Xinjiang Key Laboratory for Ecological Adaptation and Evolution of Extreme Environment Organisms, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Ürümqi 830052, China
Xinjiang Key Laboratory for Ecological Adaptation and Evolution of Extreme Environment Organisms, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Ürümqi 830052, China
Xinjiang Key Laboratory for Ecological Adaptation and Evolution of Extreme Environment Organisms, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Ürümqi 830052, China; State Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ürümqi 830011, China; China-Tajikistan Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ürümqi 830011, China
Flora of China Gagea sect. Minimae karyotype palynology Monocots

Abstract

A new species, Gagea deyuanana (Liliaceae) is described and illustrated from Xinjiang, China. This new species is like G. filiformis and G. granulosa in the G. section Minimae, but is clearly distinguished by its narrowly ovoid, greyish brown and membranous bulbs, two basal leaves, reticulate cristate pollen exine ornamentation and pentaploid cytotype. Based on the assessment conducted according to the IUCN Red List criteria, we propose that Gagea deyuanana be classified as endangered (EN) species.

References

  1. APG (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. Chen, X.Q. & Turland, N.J. (2000) Gagea. In: Wu, Z.Y. & Raven, P.H. (Eds.) Flora of China, vol. 24. Science Press, Beijing, pp. 117–121.
  3. Davis, P.H. & Heywood, V.H. (1963) Principles of angiosperm taxonomy. Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh, 558 pp.
  4. Davlianidze, M.T. (1973) Conspectus of the Caucasian representatives of the genus Gagea Salisb. I. Notulae Systematicae ac Geographicae Instituti Botanici Thbilissiensis 30: 62–66.
  5. IUCN (2022) The IUCN red list of threatened species, version 2021.3. IUCN Red List Unit, Cambridge U.K. Available from: http://www.iucnredlist.org/ (accessed 10 November 2023)
  6. Kurbaniyazova, G.T., Levichev, I.G. & Kadirov, U.K. (2022) The species of the genus Gagea Salisb. is distribution in the flora of the Urgut region (Uzbekistan). American Journal of Plant Sciences 13: 1183–1195. https://doi.org/10.4236/ajps.2022.139080
  7. Kubentayev, S., Levichev, I.G., Nobis, M., Baasanmunkh, S., Klichowska, E., Orazov, A., Alibekov, D., Kubentayeva, B. & Choi, H.J. (2025) Integrative taxonomic revision concerning phylogenetic relationships, morphological variation, distribution, ecology and conservation of Gagea alberti (Liliaceae) within its natural range. Botanical Studies 66: 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40529-025-00465-z
  8. Kunth, K.S. (1843) Gagea. In: Kunth, K.S. Enumeratio plantarum omnium hucusque cognitarum, vol. 4. Cottae, Stuttgart & Tubingen, pp. 233–243.
  9. Lin, M.S., Qiu, J., Xie, K.Q. & Tan, D.Y. (2023) Palynological features and taxonomic significance for 16 species of Gagea (Liliaceae) from Xinjiang, China. PhytoKeys 225: 53–68. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.225.101518
  10. Malakhova, L.A. & Markova, G.A. (1994) Chromosome numbers in the flowering plants of Tomsk region. Monocotyledones. Botanicheskii Zhurnal 79: 134–135.
  11. Peruzzi, L. (2003) Contribution to the cytotaxonomical knowledge of Gagea Salisb. (Liliaceae) sect. Foliatae A. erracc. and synthesis of karyological data. Caryologia 56: 115–128. https://doi.org/10.1080/00087114.2003.10589314
  12. Peruzzi, L. (2008) Hybridity as a main evolutionary force in the genus Gagea Salisb. (Liliaceae). Plant Biosystems 142: 179–184. https://doi.org/10.1080/11263500701873042
  13. Peruzzi, L., Peterson, A., Tison, J.M. & Harpke, D. (2011) New light on phylogeny and taxonomy of the Eurasian Gagea villosa-G. fragifera complex (Liliaceae). Nordic Journal of Botany 29: 722–733. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1756-1051.2011.01187.x
  14. Peruzzi, L. (2016) A new infrafamilial taxonomic setting for Liliaceae, with a key to genera and tribes. Plant Biosystems 150: 1341–1347. https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2015.1115435
  15. Peterson, A., Harpke, D., Peruzzi, L., Leviche, I.G., Tison, J.M. & Peterson, J. (2009) Hybridization drives speciation in Gagea (Liliaceae). Plant Systematics and Evolution 278: 133–148. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-008-0102-3
  16. Peterson, A., Harpke, D., Peterson, J., Harpke, A. & Peruzzi, L. (2019) A pre-Miocene Irano-Turanian cradle: origin and diversification of the species-rich monocot genus Gagea (Liliaceae). Ecology and Evolution 9: 5870–5890. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5170
  17. Peterson, A., Levichev, I.G. & Peterson, J. (2008) Systematics of Gagea and Lloydia (Liliaceae) and infrageneric classification of Gagea based on molecular and morphological data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 46: 446–465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2007.11.016
  18. Peterson, A., Levichev, I.G., Peterson, J., Harpke, D. & Schnittler, M. (2011) New insights into the phylogeny and taxonomy of Chinese species of Gagea (Liliaceae)—speciation through hybridization. Organisms Diversity & Evolution 11: 387–407. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-011-0059-x
  19. POWO (2025) Plants of the World online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet: http://www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ (accessed 23 September 2025)
  20. Qiu, J., Lin, M.S. & Tan, D.Y. (2023) Taxonomic implications of leaf morphology and epidermal anatomy for 14 species of Gagea (Liliaceae) from Xinjiang, China. Botanical Studies 64: 33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40529-023-00405-9
  21. Qiu, J., Zhang, J.W., Gao, T.G. & Tan, D.Y. (2020) Crepis desertorum (Asteraceae, Cichorieae), a new species from northern Xinjiang (China) based on morphological and molecular data. Plant Diversity 42: 74–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pld.2019.11.003
  22. Salisbury, R.A. (1806) On the characters of a distinct genus hitherto confounded with Ornithogalum, and called Gagea; with some remarks on the importance of the inflorescence in distinguishing genera. Annals of Botany 2: 555.
  23. Tison, J.M., Peterson, A., Harpke, D. & Peruzzi, L. (2013) Reticulate evolution of the critical Mediterranean Gagea sect. Didymobulbos (Liliaceae) and its taxonomic implications. Plant Systematics and Evolution 299: 413–438. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-012-0731-4
  24. Turczaninow, N.S. (1854) Flora Baicalense–Dahurica. Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou 27: 53–130.
  25. Zarrei, M., Wilkin, P., Fay, M.F., Ingrouille, M.J., Zarre, S. & Chase, M.W. (2009) Molecular systematics of Gagea and Lloydia (Liliaceae; Liliales): implications of analyses of nuclear ribosomal and plastid DNA sequences for infrageneric classification. Annals of Botany 104: 125–142. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcp103
  26. Zarrei, M., Wilkin, P., Ingrouille, M.J. & Chase, M.W. (2011) A revised infrageneric classification for Gagea Salisb. (Tulipeae; Liliaceae): insights from DNA sequence and morphological data. Phytotaxa 15: 44–56. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.15.1.6
  27. Zarrei, M., Zarre, S., Wilkin, P. & Rix, M. (2007) Systematic revision of the genus Gagea Salisb. (Liliaceae) in Iran. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 154: 559–588. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2007.00678.x
  28. Zhao, L. & Yang, J. (2006) Gagea daqingshanensis (Liliaceae), a new species from Inner Mongolia, China. Annales Botanici Fennici 43: 223–224.
  29. Zhao, Y.Z. & Zhao, L.Q. (2003) A new species of Gagea (Liliaceae) from Nei Mongol, China. Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica 41: 393–394.
  30. Zhao, Y.Z. & Zhao, L.Q. (2004) Gagea chinensis (Liliaceae), a new species from Inner Mongolia, China. Annales Botanici Fennici 41: 297–298.

How to Cite

Qiu, J., Zhang, J., Lin, M. & Tan, D. (2026) Gagea deyuanana (Liliaceae), a new species of Gagea (Liliaceae) from Xinjiang, north-western China. Phytotaxa 744 (3): 281–287. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.744.3.8