Festuca albomontana (Poaceae), a new chasmophytic fescue from the Western Taurus Mountains (Antalya, Turkey)

Abstract

A new species of Festuca from the Western Taurus Mountains (Antalya, Turkey) is described here and named F. albomontana. The new species can clearly be distinguished from the other species included in the F. alpina group by its leaf anatomical features. It has a geographically isolated position in the Western Tauruses whereas a closely related species, F. sommieri, is very local in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. It is suggested that it should be in the critically endangered threat category according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria. Observations on the ecology of the population are noted.