A new plant species was introduced to the world plant literature by Prof. Dr. Ahmet Zafer TEL, one of the faculty members of our Department of Agricultural Biotechnology. The species' name species' name was Fritillaria arzuae (Arzu Tel Reverse Tulip).
Iğdır University Faculty Member Prof. TEL, who was honored by his colleagues by giving his name and surname to two different plant species (Wire Light; Rheum telianum and Victory Star; Hespsris victory) due to his important studies in the field of Plant Systematics and Vegetation, reminded that 53 of the 162 species of the genus Fritillaria (Crying Tulip), popularly known as Reverse Tulip, grow in our country:
"Fritillaria arzuae, which we have identified as a new species for the world, dazzles with its aesthetic appearance as well as being endemic. The taxon, which grows in a very narrow region of Adıyaman Mount Nemrut, which is my doctoral study area, is in the ‘Critical’ status among the IUCN danger categories and needs to be taken under protection. An initiative has been initiated on the subject. Like almost all bulbous species, this species has economic and medicinal value."
Stating that the results of the ongoing biochemical study on the species will soon be published, TEL said, "I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Ahmet İLÇİM and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maruf BALOS for their help in the publication process of the species, as well as our rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Hakkı ALMA for his personal and public support."
