A new species of genus Gagea Salisb. (Liliaceae) from Kyrgyz Republic (Western Tian Shan, Chatkal Range, Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve)

Researchers have identified a new white-flowered species of Gagea within the Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve, located in the Chatkal Range of Kyrgyzstan. This discovery, published in the Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity, distinguishes the species from its closest relative, G. delicatula, primarily through differences in bulbil number and location in both generative and vegetative individuals. The new species thrives at relatively low elevations in shallow, shady niches on conglomerate gorge walls. The study employed morphological analysis to elucidate these distinguishing features, contributing valuable insights to the biodiversity of the Western Tian Shan region.

Levichev, I. G., Jang, C.-g., Oh, S. H., & Lazkov, G. A. (2019). A new species of genus Gagea Salisb. (Liliaceae) from Kyrgyz Republic (Western Tian Shan, Chatkal Range, Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve). Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity, 12(2), 341–343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2019.01.010