Ege University (EU) Botanical Garden and Herbarium Application and Research Center Faculty Member Prof. Dr. Hasan Yildirim and his team introduced a new wild onion (allium) species detected in the Koycegiz district of Mugla to the scientific world.
Ayhan Toprak, who lives in Mugla and makes amateur studies on plants, came across a plant that he thought was different on the summit of Cicek Baba, at an altitude of 2,200-2,250 meters, in the Koycegiz district of Sandras Mountain, a part of which is within the borders of Denizli.
Soil, detailed photos of the plant, Ege University Botanical Garden and Herbarium Application and Research Center Lecturer Prof. Dr. Hasan Yildirim delivered it.
As a result of his research, Yildirim determined that the plant was not recorded in the literature.
The scientific article on “Mugla onion“, which was prepared after the field and laboratory work involving graduate student Seval Erdem and doctoral student Tugkan Ozdol, was published in the Finnish-based international peer-reviewed journal Annales Botanici Fennici.
The plant, which was brought to the world of science, was given the Turkish name, “Mugla Sogani”. The scientific name of the plant was “Allium ayhan-toprakii Yildirim”, referring to the discoverer Ayhan Toprak.
“Sandras is very important for biodiversity”
prof. Dr. Hasan Yildirim told Anadolu Agency (AA) that with the discovery of the Mugla onion, the number of endemic onions in Turkey increased to 120, and the onion species in Turkey to 225.
Congratulating amateur botanist Ayhan Toprak, who sent them photos of the plant and started the scientific study, for his discovery, Yildirim continued:
“Mount Sandras, where this plant grows, is indeed a very important mountain in terms of biodiversity. We can say that it is a very hot spot both in our country and around the world. When we look at the species discovered so far, this mountain is only found on the summit and foothills of this mountain and elsewhere in the world. We can say that it has more than 30 endemic plant species that do not spread. As in this plant, the discovery of new species continues.”
Hasan Yildirim also stated that they are concerned that the mining activities in the mountain will harm the biodiversity of the region.
Stating that the discovery of new plant species is also important in terms of medicine, Yildirim said that as a result of the studies to be carried out, new drugs may also emerge.
Source: Anadolu Agency
