Allium vavilovii M. Popov et Vved. and a new Iranian species are the closest among the known relatives of the common onion A-cepa L. (Alliaceae)

A wild onion species from Karaj valley east of Tehran is taxonomically desc ribed as Allium asarense R. M. Fritsch et Matin. Sharing the bubble-like in flated lower scape with A. vavilovii, the new species differs by semi-cylin drical leaves and small flowers with translucent greenish-yellow tepals fro m all other known species of Allium sect. Cepa. Molecular data suggest a cl ose relationship to A. cepa (but to a lesser degree than A. vavilovii) and indicate a still weaker phylogenetic connection of A. oschaninii to the com mon onion. The question about the possible wild ancestor of A. cepa is disc ussed against this background, and a key for determination of the Oschanini i-alliance of sect. Cepa is presented.