Limonium saracinatum Artelari, 1984

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

35. Limonium saracinatum Artelari (1984a: 42 et 1984b: 25) ( Fig. 35 )

Type:― GREECE. Ionian Islands: Ins. Kephallinia: inter promontorium Sarakinato et pagum Poros ; in saxosis calcareis, maritimis, 27 July 1976, Artelari 93 (holotype UPA, isotypes C!, Herb. Erben!) .

Description: —Plant perennial, glabrous, forming a sub-shrub 15–45 cm tall, with numerous ascending to erect stems and a robust tap-root. Caudices robust, 5–12 cm long, branched, leaves in rosettes at apices. Leaves fleshy, rigid, 20–60 mm long and 4–12 mm broad, narrowly oblanceolate-spathulate, apex obtuse to round, margin revolute, with one central nerve, gradually tapering into the petiole. Stems more or less robust, 15–30 cm long,

LIMONIUM (PLUMBAGINACEAE)

Phytotaxa 240 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press • 87 88 • Phytotaxa 240 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press

BRULLO & ERBEN LIMONIUM (PLUMBAGINACEAE)

Phytotaxa 240 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press • 89 flexuous, branching begins near the base. Inflorescence corymbose. Sterile branches at least 6 per stem to numerous, in the lower two third arranged, 0.5–2 cm long, straight, normally unbranched. Fertile branches 0.5–3.5 cm long, sometimes slightly articulate, straight to arched, forming branching angles of 40°– 60°, branched. Spikes 15–70 mm long, straight to arched, erect to inserted obliquely upwards; axis of spike often flexuous. Spikelets 5.8–7.4 mm long, composed of 1–2 (–3) flowers, remotely arranged with 2–4 per cm, sometimes laterally slightly curved near the base. Outer bract 1.5–2.0 mm long and 1.6–2.0 mm broad, triangular-ovate, acute; bract margin broadly membranous; central part slightly fleshy, acuminate. Middle bract membranous, 2.0– 2.4 mm long and 1.7–2.0 mm broad, broadly elliptic, rounded. Inner bract 3.6–4.8 mm long and 3.0– 3.3 mm broad, elliptic to obovate, obtuse to rounded; bract margin narrowly membranous; central part fleshy, 3.0– 3.8 mm long and 1.9–2.2 mm broad, oblong, acuminate, forming a narrowly triangular tip, 0.9–1.1 mm long, reaching nearly the upper margin. Calyx 4.5–5.5 mm long, exceeding the inner bract by 1.5–2.0 mm; calyx tube very sparsely shortly hairy, with 5 ribs ending above the base of lobes; calyx lobes ca. 0.9 × 0.9 mm, semi-elliptic. Corolla violet.

Chromosome number: —2n = 18 (Artelari 1984a, b).

Distribution: —Confined to the Ionian Islands of Ithaki, Kefalonia and Lefkada ( Fig. 87F ).

Habitat: —Calcareous rocky coast.

Taxonomic remarks: — L. saracinatum has a habit similar to that one of L. coronense , but it differs from the latter by having less sterile branches, longer outer and middle bracts, as well as broader inner bracts.

Specimens examined: — GREECE. Ionian Islands: Cefalonia a Poros, rupi calcaree sul mare, 22 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Cephalonia, costa rocciosa calcarea di Poros, 18 July 2011, Brullo & Giacalone s.n. (CAT); Cefalonia a C. Kapri presso Skala, rupi calcaree sul mare, 22 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Ins. Levkada: In ditione pagi Vassiliki; in saxosis calcareis maritimis, 14 August 1979, R. Artelari 271 (Herb. Erben); Lefkada a Vassiliki, rupi conglomeratiche sul mare, 21 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Lefkada a Kathisma, rupi calcaree sul mare, 21 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Lefkada ad Ag. Nikitas, rupi calcaree sul mare, 21 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Lefkada, Agios Nikitas, marne calcaree presso il mare, 15 July 2011, Brullo & Giacalone s.n. (CAT); Lefkada, Vassiliki, rupi calcaree presso il mare, 15 July 2011, Brullo & Giacalone s.n. (CAT); Lefkada, Sivota, litorale roccioso calcareo, 16 July 2011, Brullo & Giacalone s.n. (CAT); Itaca, costa rocciosa presso Vathi, 23 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Ithaki, Sarakiniko Bay, rupi calcaree, 23 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Ithaki, Akros Sarakiniko, rupi calcaree, 23 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT).

Figures

FIGURE 35. Limonium saracinatum Artelari. A) Habit; B) Spikelet; C) Outer bract; D) Middle bract; E) Inner bract; F) Calyx; G) Calyx lobes; H) Leaves. (Habit and leaves drawn from “Cephalonia, Poros, Brullo & Giacalone s.n., CAT”, spikelet details from “R. Artelari 93, Herb. Erben”).

FIGURE 87. (Map 2) Geographical distribution of Limonium corinthiacum (A); L. atticum (B); L. athinense (C); L. frederici (D); L. archaeothirae (E); L. saracinatum (F); L. pylium (G); L. xiliense (H); L. recticaule (I); L. graecum (J); L. pusillum (K).