Limonium spreit, Brullo, Salvatore & Erben, Matthias, 2016

Brullo, Salvatore & Erben, Matthias, 2016, The genus Limonium (Plumbaginaceae) in Greece, Phytotaxa 240 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

59. Limonium spreit z enhoferi Erben & Brullo, sp. nov. ( Fig. 59 )

Type:— GREECE. Ionian Islands: Cerigo, auf den Felsen bei den Häusern im Hafen von Kapsali, 15 June 1880, G. C. Spreitzenhofer 18 (holotype B!) .

= Limonium sieberi sensu Artelari & Georgiou (2003: 494) , nom. illeg. non (Boissier) Kuntze (1891: 396).

Diagnosis: — Planta perennis, glabra, griseo-viridis, 15–35 cm alta, foliis 10–40 × 3–8 mm, anguste spathulatis ad oblanceolatis, retusis, tuberculatis, 1-nerviis, caulibus paucis, rugosis, proliferis, ramis sterilibus absentibus vel solo 1–3 per caulem, spicis 40–100 mm longis, spiculis 8.5–10.0 mm longis, 1–2-floris, ad 1–4 in 2 centimetris dispositis, bractea inferiore 2.9–3.6 × 2.0– 2.5 mm, anguste triangulari-ovata, apice acuta, bractea media 3.1–4.0 × 2.0– 2.3 mm, bractea superiore 7.5–8.5 × 3.8–4.3 mm, oblongo-obovata, apice rotundata, margine late membranaceo, calyce 6.4–7.2 mm longo, ex bractea superiore 0.5–1.0 mm exserto, tubo unilateraliter sparsim piloso, lobis calycis ca. 0.8 × 1.1 mm, anguste semi-ellipticis.

Description: —Plant perennial, glabrous, forming a sub-shrub 15–35 cm tall, with few erect stems and a robust tap-root. Caudices 15–65 mm long, branched; in the upper half densely spirally leafy. Leaves fleshy, grey-green, flat or v-shaped in cross-section, on both sides tuberculate with many crateriform glands, 10–40 mm long and 3–8 mm broad, narrowly spathulate to oblanceolate, apex obtuse to acute, retuse, with one central nerve, gradually tapering into the petiole. Stems 15–35 cm long, more or less flexuous, grey-green, rugose, branching begins near the base of the stems, sometimes proliferating in axils. Inflorescence obtrullate or paniculate in outline. Sterile branches absent or only 1–3 per stem, 5–50 mm long, straight to slightly curved, undivided. Fertile branches 3–7 cm long, verrucate, more or less straight, directed obliquely upwards, forming branching angles of 35°–50°, normally unbranched. Spikes 40–100 mm long, straight to slightly curved, directed obliquely upwards; axis of spike with some crateriform glands. Spikelets 8.5–10 mm long, composed of 1–2 flowers, very remotely arranged with 1–4 per 2 cm. Outer bract 2.9–3.6 mm long and 2.0– 2.5 mm broad, narrowly triangular-ovate, acute; bract

LIMONIUM (PLUMBAGINACEAE)

Phytotaxa 240 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press • 131 132 • Phytotaxa 240 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press

BRULLO & ERBEN margin broadly membranous; central part slightly fleshy, sometimes only at the base, acuminate. Middle bract membranous, 3.1–4.0 mm long and 2.0– 2.3 mm broad, narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblong-obovate, obtuse. Inner bract 7.5–8.5 mm long and 3.8–4.3 mm broad, oblong-obovate, rounded; bract margin broadly membranous; central part fleshy, 5.8–6.5 mm long and 2.2–3.0 mm broad, oblong, acuminate, forming a narrowly triangular tip, 1.0– 1.8 mm long, not reaching the upper margin. Calyx 6.4–7.2 mm long, exceeding the inner bract by 0.5–1.0 mm; calyx tube unilaterally sparsely long hairy, with 5 ribs ending above the base of lobes; calyx lobes ca. 0.8 × 1.1 mm, narrowly semi-elliptic. Corolla lilac.

Chromosome number: —2n = 43 (Erben Li–1802; unpubl.).

Distribution: —Restricted to Kythira, an Ionian Island of the southern Peloponnese ( Fig. 93G ).

Habitat: —Calcareous rocky coast.

Etymology: —This species is dedicated to G. C. Spreitzenhofer (1835–1880), who was the first to collect this plant.

Taxonomic remarks: — L. spreitzenhoferi is similar in habit to L. grabusae and L. sougiae , but it differs from both species by having longer spikelets, bracts and calyces, and from L. sougiae by having more remotely arranged spikelets.

Specimens examined (Paratypes): — GREECE. Ionian Islands: Cerigo, im Sande der Meeresbucht des Vall´ Charko. Desgleichen auf Felsen an der Marina von Kapsali , 20 June 1880, Spreitzenhofer 82 (B); Kìthira: Bucht Furni südl. Platia-Ammos, 2 m, Poros. Sehr häufig in der Sprühzone, in sonniger Lage mit ersten Blüten, 19 May 1964, Greuter 6677 (Herb. Greuter); Kithira, B. Fourni, a Sud di Platia Ammos , 14 June 2004, Brullo & Musarella s.n. (CAT, Herb. Erben); Kithira, Chalkos Bay , 15 June 2004, Brullo & Musarella s.n (CAT, Herb. Erben); Kithira, Avlemona, costa Ovest, 15 June 2004, Brullo & Musarella s.n. (CAT, Herb. Erben); Insel Kythira, Ostseite, Avlemonas, Sandstrand ca. 1 km westlich des Ortes, April 2013, Kocyan s.n., (Herb. Erben = Li–1802) .

Figures

FIGURE 59. Limonium spreitzenhoferi Erben & Brullo. A) Habit; B) Spikelet; C) Outer bract; D) Middle bract; E) Inner bract; F) Calyx; G) Calyx lobes; H) Leaf. (Habit and leaf drawn from “Kithira, Chalkos Bay, Brullo & Musarella s.n., CAT”, spikelet details from “G.C. Spreitzenhofer 18, B”).

FIGURE 93. (Map 8) Geographical distribution of Limonium echiodes (A); L. helenae (B); L. quinnii (C); L. lobatum (D); L. monolithicum (E); L. taenari (F); L. spreitzenhoferi (G).