Liliaceae

A. pseudoflavum Vved. in Byull Sredneaz. Gosud. Univ. 19:123 (1934). Syn: A. filifolium Freyn & Sint. in Öst. Bot. Zeitschr. 44:392 (1894)1 non Regel (1887); A. freynii Bornm. & A. freynianum Bornm. in sched.; A. flavum auct. cauc. non L. (1753). Ic: Fl. URSS 4: t. 12 f. 1 a-c (1935); Grossh., Fl. Kavk. ed. 2, 2: t. 16 f. 5 (1940). Map 19.
Bulb oblong or ovoid, 0.8-1.2(-1.5) cm diam.; outer tunics brownish or greyish, inner coriaceous, yellowish with distinct parallel veins. Stem 20-50 cm. Leaves linear-filiform, 0.5 mm broad, semicylindrical, lower sheaths and lamina minutely and densely velutinous or scabrid. Spathe linear-subulate. Umbel 2-4(-8) cm diam., lax; pedicels unequal. Perianth ellipsoid-campanulate; segments pale yellow or greenish-yellow, rarely tinged with pink or purple, shiny, elliptic-oblong, 3.5-4 mm, obtuse with apex rounded or more often with a small apiculus. Filaments and style exserted. Capsule globose-depressed, 3.5-4 mm. Fl. 6-8. Mountain steppe, Artemisia steppe, dry rocky igneous slopes, fallow fields and margins, roadsides, on saline and soft calcareous soils, 300-2000 m.
Type: Transcaucasia: Armenia, distr. Nor-Bajazat, in montibus prope pag. Subbotan, 7 viii 1928, Zedelmejer & Gejdeman (holo. LE!). Mainly Inner Anatolia. A4 Ankara: 26 km N. of Kizilcahamam, 1800 m, Sorger 71-63-16! A5 Amasya: c. 30 km from Çorum to Merzifon, 900 m, Marais 1610! A6 Sivas: Sivas to Suşehri, 1910-2000 m, Buttler 15636! A9 Kars: 33 km from Beliahmet to Kağizman, 1600 m, D. 46673! B2 Denizli: Çivil to Denizli, 920 m, N. &E.Özhatay&Tuzlaci(ISTE 44770)! B4 Ankara:N. end of Tuz G., Sorger 70-8-33! B5 Kayseri: Kültepe, İ050 m, Sorger 71-55-2! B6 Sivas: 8 km from Sivas to Ulas, 1300-1450 m, D. 68622! B7 Tunceli: Pertek, 1500 m, D. 31514! B9 Ağıl: Diyadin, 1070-1220 m, Hewitt! B10 Kars: Pamuk Da., N. side of pass, between lğdir and Doğubayazit, 1500 m, D. 47044! C2 Denizli: 10 km N.W. of Denizli, 300 m, Sorger 65-14-21!
E. & S. Transcaucasia, N. Iran. Ir.-Tur. element. Allied to A.flavum subsp. flavum, replacing it in Inner Anatolia and Soviet Armenia. A. pseudoflavum has been considered by some authors (Wendelbo, 1971; Steam, 1978) to be a synonym of A. stamineum. Field studies of the variability of A. stamineum in Palestine have shown that .4. stamineum is characterised by a short, stout, usually fiexuous stem, glabrous leaves and purplish-pink flowers. The flowers axe sometimes green, but not yellow. Some specimens from N. & C. Anatolia (A3 Bolu: Abant G., 1300 m, Sorger 69-4-71! A4 Ankara: Kurtbogazi, 1000 m, Koyuncu et al. AEF 5443! A5 Amasya: Merzifon to Amasya, Suluova, 600 m, T. Baytop lSTE 32232! Sinop: 13 km W. of Boyabat, 400 m, Sorger 69-16-22! B4 Ankara: 15 kmW.of Kirik-kale, tır Kiziiirmak, 1000 m, Sorger 64-16-4! B5 Nevşehir: 11 km S. of Ürgüp, 1300 m, Sorger 77-34-1! B6 Sivas: 35 km W. of Suşehri, 700 m, M. Zohary 97135! Malatya: 25 km from Darende to Hekimhan, N. Özhalay lSTE 47213!) resemble A. pseudoflavum in their oblong bulbs, densely and minutely velut-inous lower sheaths, exserted filaments etc., but differ in having perianth segments which are pinkish-purple when dry. It is possible that in living material from these localities the basic yellow colour of the perianth segments is tinged or flushed with rose or purple. In one collection (A4 Ankara: Çubuk Tal, Kotte!}, some specimens have a yellow perianth while in others collected at the same time it is purple. Many of these specimens have been named as A, stamineum but, as indicated above, typical A. stamineum as known from Palestine has a stouter stem and glabrous leaves. The status of these purple-flowered plants from N. & C. Anatolia is uncertain; they should perhaps be recognised as a variety of A. pseudoflavum.