Isoëtes volkanii (Isoëtaceae): A new aquatic quillworts from Türkiye

Abstract

The genus Isoëtes is the only surviving genus of the Isoëteaceae family, a fern that produces two distinct spores. Generally, less than 10 cm tall, the species is very similar in appearance, making field collection and identification challenging. At the base, there is a tuber-like rhizome, surrounded by spirally arranged leaf-like sporangia. The outer ones produce macrospores, while the inner ones produce microspores. The genus is named based on these mature spores. Isoëtes volkanii is described as a species new to science from Hatay (Türkiye). Basically, it resembles I. olympica. Its macrospores and micropores are mainly different from it. Diagnostic characters, comprehensive description, photographs, and identification key are provided.

Keywords

• Aquatic quillworts
• ecology
• Hatay
• Isoëtes
• systematic

References

1. Altay, V., Karahan, F., Ozturk, M., Hakeem, K.R., Ilhan, E. & Erayman, M. (2016). Molecular and ecological investigations on the wild populations of Glycyrrhiza L. taxa distributed in the East Mediterranean area of Turkey. J. Plant Res. 129(6): 1021-1032.
2. Atasoy, A. (2017). Hassa İlcesi’nin (Hatay) toprak coğrafyası. Uluslararası Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi 10(48): 253-269.
3. Aytac, A.S. & Semenderoglu, A. (2014). Amanos dağlarının orta kesimi ve yakın cevresinin iklim Ozellikleri. Turkish Studies 9(2): 251-289.
4. Belguzar, I. (2017). Antakya (Hatay)-Kahramanmaraş Arasındaki Karasu Grabeninin Volkan Topografyası. Yükseklisans Tezi (pp.1-91). İstanbul Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, İstanbul.
5. Ben-Natan, D. & Shemesh, B. (2025). Isoëtes durieui (Isoëtaceae) – a new species to the Flora Palaestina Region. Fl. Medit. 35: 119-125.
6. Bolin, J.F., Bray, R.D., Keskin, M. & Musselman, L.J. (2008). The Genus Isoëtes L. (Isoëtaceae, Lycophyta) in South-Western Asia. Turk. J. Bot. 32: 447-457.
7. Eker, I. & Keskin, M. (2025). Polygonum anatolicum (Polygonaceae): a new unique species from Türkiye. Phytotaxa 696(2): 192-200.
8. IUCN (2012). IUCN red list of threatened species, categories, and criteria, ver. 3.1. IUCN Species Survival Commission.

9. Karahan, F. (2022). Monitoring of heavy metals and essential trace elements in aquatic plant Ranunculus sphaerospermus Boiss. & Blanche (Ranunculaceae), sediments, and water of volcanic Haydarlar Lake, Türkiye. Frontiers in Life Sciences and Related Technologies 3(2): 43-48.
10. Keskin M. (2004). İstanbul’un Trifolium L. (Fabaceae) Türleri. Kırsal Cevre Yıllığı, 7-16.
11. Keskin M. (2009). Polygonum istanbulicum Keskin sp. nov. (Polygonaceae) from Turkey. Nordic Journal of Botany 27: 11-15.
12. Keskin, M. & Merrick, D. (2021). A new species from Turkey: Eleocharis divaricata (Cyperaceae) and a note for E. atropurpurea. Front Life Sci RT, 2(1): 10-13.
13. Keskin, M. & Musselman, L.J. (2014). Türkiye'nin Çimeğreltisi [Isoëtes L. (Isoëtaceae)] türleri. Bağbahce Bilim Dergisi 1 (2): 1-13.
14. Keskin, M. (2012a). Isoëtes L. In: A. Güner, S. Aslan, T. Ekim, M.Vural & Babac, M.T. (eds.) Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler) (pp.1). Nezahat Gokyigit Bahcesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Dernegi Yayını.
15. Keskin, M. (2012b). Trifolium L. In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babac, M.T. (eds). Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler) (pp.488-498). Nezahat Gokyigit Bahcesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Dernegi Yayını. İstanbul.
16. Keskin, M. (2018). Isoëtes L. In: Güner, A., Kandemir, A., Menemen, Y., Yıldırım, H., Aslan, S., Ekşi, G., Güner, I. & Cimen, A.O. (eds.). Resimli Türkiye Florası 2 (pp.100-110). ANG Vakfı Nezahat Gokyigit Botanik Bahcesi Yayınları. İstanbul.
17. Keskin, M. (2025). Polygonum oktaysinanoglui sp. nov. (Polygonaceae) from Türkiye and MultiAccess Key to Turkish Polygonum. Phytotaxa, 716 (1): 045–054.
18. Keskin, M., Altay, V., Yalcin, I. I. & Ozturk, M. (2024a). An ecological study on the Isoëtes community in Istanbul, Turkiye. NUST Journal of Natural Sciences, 9 (2): 42-51. DOI:10.53992/njns.v9i2.177.
19. Keskin, M., Karaer, M. & Celep, F. (2024c). Cerastium mahmutkilincii (Caryophyllaceae), A New Species From Türkiye. Phytotaxa 668(2): 201-206.
20. Keskin, M., Sonay, V. & Balos, M.M. (2023). Trifolium elazizense (Fabaceae), a new species from Turkey. Phytotaxa 583 (2): 199-206.
21. Keskin, M., Sonay, V., Yalcın, I.E., Altay, V. & Oztürk, M. (2024b). Ecology of Trifolium elazizense, an Endemic Alpine Meadow Species from Türkiye. Environmental Toxicology and Ecology, 4(2), 97-106.
22. Larsén, E., Khodabandeh, A. & Rydin, C. (2025). Spore morphology and evolution in Isoëtes (Isoëtales). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 00, 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boaf078.
23. Menemen, Y., Aytac, Z. & Kandemir, A. (2016). Türkce bilimsel bitki adlandırma yonergesi. Bagbahce Bilim Dergisi 3 (3): 1-3.
24. Musselman L.J. (2002a). Ornamentation of Isoëtes (Isoëtaceae, Lycophyta) Microspores. The Botanical Review 68(4): 474-487.
25. Musselman, L.J. (2002b). The only quillwort (Isoëtes olympica A. Braun) in Syria is threatened with extirpation. Fern Gaz. 16 (6, 7 & 8): 324-329.
26. Ozyigit, I.I., Dogan, I., Eskin, B., Keskin, M., Demir, G. & Yalcin, I.E. (2013). Mineral element uptake status of endemic Isoëtes anatolica Prada & Rolleri populations from Bolu-Turkey. Pakistan Journal of Botany 45: 515-519.
27. Topsakal, Y. & Dinc, A. (2021). Cukurova Ekoturizm Bolgesi Geliştirme Potansiyeli Üzerine Bir Araştırma. In: C. Cobanoglu et al. (eds.). Daha İyi Bir Dünya İcin Turizm (pp.128-142). University of South Florida M3 Center Publishing S.
28. Troia, A., Johnson, G. & Taylor, W.C. (2019). A contribution to the phylogeny and biogeography of the genus Isoëtes (Isoëtaceae, Lycopodiidae) in the Mediterranean region. Phytotaxa 395 (3): 168-178.
29. Wang, M., Shang, H., Shao, W., Ge, B., Song, Y., Yan, Y., Ma, W., Gu, Y. & Shen, H. (2025). A New Hexaploid Species of Isoëtes (Isoëtaceae) From Fujian, China, Based on Morphological and Molecular Evidence. Ecology and Evolution, 15:e72140, 1-10.
30. Zare, G., Keskin, M., Dogru-Koca, A. & Armagan, M. (2016). Isoëtes vanensis (Isoëtaceae) sp. nov. from Turkey. Phytotaxa 269 (4): 294-300.