Crocus bif

Harpke, Dörte, Kerndorff, Helmut, Pasche, Erich & Peruzzi, Lorenzo, 2016, Neotypification of the name Crocus biflorus Mill. (Iridaceae) and its consequences in the taxonomy of the genus, Phytotaxa 260 (2), pp. 131-143 : 133-134

Crocus bif l orus Miller (1768: Crocus no. 4)

Type (neotype designated here): — Italy, Tuscany, Monte Javello (province of Prato), February 2013, G. Gestri, H. Kerndorff & E. Pasche HKEP1307 ( GAT 25812 !) ; image viewable at http://webapps.ipk-gatersleben.de/jacq-viewer/viewer.html?rft_id= GAT _ 0025812&identifiers=

Note: — Miller (1768) used the spelling “ Biflora ”, to be corrected as “ biflorus ” according to Art. 23.5 and Rec. 60 F. 1 of the ICN ( McNeill et al. 2012).

Detailed description (from the topotypical population): — Corm sub-globose ( Fig. 1 ), about 10–12 mm in diameter; outer tunics coriaceous, the inner ones softer in some cases even almost membranous; tunic splits into segments> 5 mm, sub-splits absent; neck short (3–4 mm), made by rather broadly based and occasionally outwards curved triangles originated by short splits of the main tunic downwards from the tips; rings coriaceous or softer, narrow or sporadically broader, mainly whole-edged, rarely with distant very short teeth <0.5 mm long; cataphylls yellowish to brownish or speckled brown especially at tips; leaves 3–5 (mean 3.8) green, glabrous, 1–2 mm in diameter, very differently developed at anthesis from “just visible” to overtopping the flower, no ribs underneath; white stripe 1/3 of leafdiameter, rarely narrower. Flowers 1–2(–4), honey-scented. The outer segments 20–31 mm, but usually 25 mm long, 6–12 mm, mostly 8.5 mm wide. The inner segments 19–29 mm, but usually 25 mm long and 7–11 mm, in average 9.4 mm wide. Segment proportion of length/width of the outer segments is 2.9. The adaxial side of all of segments is white, the inner segments with an indistinct brownish-greyish zone or striping near the basis at the abaxial side, overlaid by the yellow of the throat, which shines through ( Fig. 2 ). The abaxial side of the outer segments has either a white or yellowish ground colour (buff-coloured), dominated by three intense brownish-violet stripes, vertically orientated to the tips, occasionally accompanied by many thin ones also upwards orientated, but more to the edges than to the tips of the segments ( Fig. 2 ). There is also a brownish to greyish zone or stripes of the same colour near the bases of the segments blending into the perigone tube of the same colour, which is otherwise colourless (white) especially near the ground. Prophyll absent. Bract and bracteole present, subequal, silvery-white and skinny when young, becoming significantly brown or speckled brownish with age. Filaments yellow, papillose to densely pubescent especially towards basis, 4–7 (mean 5.6) mm long; anthers yellow 6–10 (mean 8.2) mm long, mostly yellow but can have greyish to blackish basal lobes, connective colourless. Throat yellow, glabrous to papillose. Pollen yellow. The orange-red to red styles are divided into three branches frequently papillate in the upper part. The branches are 3–8 (mean 5.7) mm long, significantly expanded towards and fringed at the apex. The styles are always longer than stamen. Capsule small, roundish-elongate the three segments with little peaks at top, 8–10 mm long and 5 mm broad. Seeds light brownish-yellow to ochre-coloured, main body subglobose 1.1–1.2 mm long and 0.9–1 mm wide. Caruncle prominent, darker than main body, 0.6 mm long, raphe indistinct mostly invisible ( Fig. 1 ).

Chromosome number: — 2n = 8 (based on material from Tuscany [Argentario], Latium, Calabria, and Sicily; Brighton et al., 1973, Baldini, 1993, Illuminati et al., 1995, Campo et al., 1999; Peruzzi & Cesca, 2003).

Distribution: — Endemic to Italy, where it is currently known to occur in all regions with the exception of Valle d’Aosta and Sardinia ( Conti et al., 2005). Mathew (1982) recorded this taxon also for Rhodos ( Greece) and NW Turkey (Istanbul and Çanakkale region). However, these populations were later described as different species, namely C. rhodensis Rukšāns ( Rukšāns 2015) and C. bifloriformis Kernd. & Pasche ( Kerndorff et al. 2012). Interestingly, C. biflorus is not the only Crocus species limited to Italy; according to Peruzzi et al. (2014, 2015), also C. etruscus Parlatore (1860: 228) , C. ilvensis Peruzzi & Carta (2011: 7) , C. imperati Tenore (1826: 10) , C. minimus DC. in Redouté (1804 –1805: pl. 81), C. siculus Tineo ex Gussone (1832: 7) , C. suaveolens Bertoloni (1826: 278) are endemic to the country, albeit with more restricted distributions.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Morphological features of the corm tunics and seeds (bottom left) of Crocus biflorus from the type population of Monte Javello, Tuscany.

FIGURE 2. Flowering plants of Crocus biflorus from the type population, Monte Javello, Tuscany. Pictures by G. Gestri (15 January 2007).