The monotypic Leptaleum DC. (Cruciferae/Brassicaceae) is recorded for the first time from Turkey. The diagnostic characters of Leptaleum filifolium (Willd.) DC. are given and its ecology and conservation status are discussed. | Turk J Bot 31 (2007) 337-339 © TÜB‹TAK Research Note A New Genus (Leptaleum DC.) Record for Turkey Murat ÜNAL*, Fevzi ÖZGÖKÇE Yüzüncü Y›l University, Faculty of Arts and Science, Department of Biology, 65080 Van - TURKEY Received: Accepted: Abstract: The monotypic Leptaleum DC. (Cruciferae/Brassicaceae) is recorded for the first time from Turkey. The diagnostic characters of Leptaleum filifolium (Willd.) DC. are given and its ecology and conservation status are discussed. Key Words: Flora of Turkey, Kars, Cruciferae/Brassicaceae, Leptaleum, new record Türkiye ‹çin Yeni Bir Cins ( Leptaleum DC.) Kayd› Özet: Monotipik bir cins olan Leptaleum DC. (Cruciferae/Brassicaceae) Türkiye’den ilk defa kaydedilmektedir. Leptaleum filifolium (Willd.) DC.’ un tan›t›c› özellikleri, yetiflme ortam› ve koruma durumu belirtilmektedir. Anahtar Sözcükler: Türkiye Floras›, Kars, Cruciferae/Brassicaceae, Leptaleum, yeni kay›t Introduction During floristic investigations, the authors collected many interesting specimens of Cruciferae from around the River Aras (Halıkıfllak, Kars, north-east Anatolia, Turkey). Initial attempts to name one specimen using the Flora of Turkey (Davis, 1965; Davis et al., 1988; Güner et al., 2000) were not successful. Eventually, using the family account in the Flora of Iraq (Townsend, 1980), Flora Iranica (Rechinger, 1968), Flora URSS (Kamarov, 1970) and Flora Palaestina (Zohary, 1966) the specimens were identified as Leptaleum filifolium (Willd.) DC. It was a new record for Turkey. The record is not surprising since the species also grows in nearby Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Leptaleum DC. is monotypic and exists mainly in the Irano-Turanian region. The name derives from the Greek leptaleos (slender), referring to the filiform leaves (Townsend, 1980). The species has a wide range of distribution in SW Asia. So far L. filifolium is known from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Arabia, and Egypt (Figure 1); it is also found in the Caucasus, W .
