Researchers discover 13 new plant species across Türkiye

ANKARA

From the shores of the Aegean to the rugged terrain of eastern Anatolia, researchers across Türkiye have identified 13 previously unknown plant species.

Published in the inaugural e-bulletin of the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry’s Nature Conservation and National Parks General Directorate, the findings highlight the extraordinary ecological richness across the nation’s diverse climate zones.

Botanists discovered a new onion species in eastern Anatolia, while southwestern Anatolia yielded oriental bindweed and cornflower. The eastern province of Elazığ recorded onion, rock mustard, hyacinth and star tulip. Teams found bellflower in the eastern province of Bitlis, mountain thyme in the southern province of Hatay and globe flower in the southwestern province of Muğla.

Researchers also identified crane’s-bill subspecies at Akdağ in the western province of İzmir, elderberry in the northeastern province of Artvin and forget-me-not in northern Türkiye. These discoveries add to the 13,000 plant species, including 4,000 endemics, registered in the country.

Botanists across the country are compiling the “Illustrated Flora of Türkiye Project,” supported by the Ali Nihat Gökyiğit Foundation under presidential auspices. Set to become the definitive reference for the nation’s plant life, this landmark 62-volume work features detailed botanical illustrations and introduces the first-ever scientific classification of species using Turkish names.