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A new plant species unique to western Anatolia has been discovered in the Odemis district of Izmir, according to a statement from Ege University.
The species has been named Umbilicus choripetalus, with the Turkish name “Izmir gobek otu,” and has entered scientific literature as Türkiye’s first endemic member of the Umbilicus genus.
Researchers from Ege University and Hacettepe University conducted the study after identifying plant specimens believed to differ from known species.
Fieldwork, morphological examinations and the scientific description were carried out by Professor Dr. Hasan Yildirim and Dr. Tugkan Ozdol from Ege University’s Department of Biology.
Genetic and phylogenetic analyses were conducted by Dr. Baris Ozudogru and Dr. Ilgin Deniz Can from Hacettepe University’s Department of Biology.
Laboratory processes and measurements were supported by Dr. Ademi Fahri Pirhan and Dr. Sukru Arasan.
Field studies and the article’s evaluation process were supported by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Maruf Balos, while Musa Gecit contributed through field observations and research on the plant’s distribution.
The findings were published in an international scientific journal, formally introducing the species to the academic world.
Professor Dr. Hasan Yildirim said the Izmir gobek otu is also ecologically distinctive due to its association with volcanic substrates, further highlighting its uniqueness among regional plant species.
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