Onobrychis kabylica (Bornmüller) Širjaev, Spisy Přír. Fak. Masarykovy Univ.

Sakhraoui, Anis, Ltaeif, Hela Belhaj, Castillo, Jesús M. & Rouz, Slim, 2024, Genus Onobrychis (Fabaceae) in Tunisia: distribution, rediscovery, ecology, and description of two new variety with an updated identification key in the country, Phytotaxa 658 (2), pp. 151-164 : 155-162

Onobrychis kabylica (Bornmüller) Širjaev, Spisy Přír. Fak. Masarykovy Univ. 76: 71 (1926)

Type (syntype, designated here): — ALGERIA. Kerrata, lieux arides, sur le calcaire schisteux, 800 m Montagnes du Magris, lieux arides, sur le calcaire schisteux, 1000 m, 1 June 1898 Širjaev G. [syntype JE 00010093! ( Fig. 9 ) (Image of the syntype available at https:// www.jacq.org/detail.php? ID =189259)].

Description: —Canescent-erect perennial with thick woody rootstock exceeding to 1 m depth. Plant with erect, branched, densely hairy stems, 15–65 cm with sub-appressed hairs (0.5–2 mm). Leaves are large, (9–20 cm), with 5–8 pairs of oblong oval leaflets (2.7–4 cm × 1–1.5 cm), hairy-silky on the underside. Inflorescence 33–55 flowers. Flowers in multiflorous clusters, elongating until reaching 30 cm with the peduncle. Calyx (8-9 mm) campanulate, with 5 subequal teeth; corolla yellowish and large (15–19 mm); standard (14–18 mm) regularly streaked with purple; wings (6–7 mm × 1.6–1.8 mm) and keel (14–15 mm × 7 mm) with some purple lines with claw 2.8–3 mm long;. Pod measuring 20 × 14 mm, kidney-shaped, compressed, surrounded almost entirely by a broad, veined, membranous wing, crowned with 15–23 small spines of 0.2–0.4 mm with very short appressed hairs (0.3–0.4 mm); pod itself honeycombed and equipped with 5–12 stiff hooked prickles 0.9–1 mm ( Fig. 8 ).

Etymology:— The specific epithet corresponds to kabylica, a Latin name for Kabyle region in northeast of Algeria.

Taxonomic notes: — O. hypargyreae is very similar, but it differs: the stems are covered with long, flat hairs, and the leaves are greyish and not silvery underneath, the calyx is 8–9 mm long, the corolla is 19–22 mm long, the major wings are 7 mm long, the central legume pods are spiky and a serrated edge of vegetables.

O. kabylica has been confused with O. venosa , for cl. Desfontaine had wrongly identified his O. venosa for northern Africa, while this species only lives in Cyprus. This error cl. Bornmüller (see p. 105) explored. First O. kabylica probably from cl. Choulette (n. 42) was found and determined as O. venosa .— O. kabylica . It is very similar to O. hypargyreae , from which it hardly differs in the characters listed above. It is noteworthy that O. kabylica is closer to O. hypargyrea than to the latter O. pallasii and O. tournefortii . The garment is plain as in O. pallasii and not erectplain as in O. hypargyrea . The 6–7-jug leaves are observed only in specimens from cl. When picked up again, in the other specimens I have seen the leaves are not infrequently 4–5-jugal. Sometimes (the specimen read by cl. Choulette) specimens are observed in the subcaula.

Phenology: —Flowering from April to June.

Typification: — Širjaev (1926: 2–3) did not cite any original specimen in the protologue of Onobrychis kabylica . A provenance was provided: “Maktar, in alveo Ouad Ousafa, 1896, Murbek, 1896 (UV, UGr)”. We traced three specimens at JE (barcode JE00010093, JE00010094 and JE00010095) which are original material. For this reason, we here designate the specimen in JE as the lectotype ( Fig. 9 ). JE00010093 bears one plant that is well-preserved and morphologically complete, which match the Bornmüller’s description and correspond to the current application of the name.

Distribution and ecology: — Onobrychis kabylica was found by Pottier-Alapetite in 1955 in a marly scree in Bessouagui. O. kabylica has not been encountered in recent extensive surveys in Algeria ( Abdelguerfi & Laouar 2002). In our study, O. kabylica was found in a single location in Kerib within the Tunisian dorsal, along with O. conferta subsp. conferta ( Fig 7 ). Only 6 plants were found in a very restricted area at south-facing slopes at 532 m a.s.l. in upper semiarid bioclimatic zone with temperate winter. Minimum and maximum annual air temperatures ranged from 3.7 to 10.4 ºC and 30.6 and 36.5 ºC, respectively. Mean annual precipitation was 454.8 mm distributed in 62 rainy days. The soils can be classified as fine clay loam with relatively low contents of organic matter (0.7%), high total limestone percentage (52.6%), and alkaline pH of 8.7.

Conservation status: —By considering only the Tunisian population and using the IUCN Regional Guidelines, we have classified O. kabylica as Critically Endangered CR C1 + 2a(i); D. Appling the Criterion B, the Geospatial Conservation Assessment Tool estimates that the Extent of Occurrence (EOO) and Area of Occupancy (AOO) of O. kabylica were 4 km 2, therefore less than the Critically Endangered CR category threshold of <100 km 2 for the EOO and 10 km 2 for the AOO; furthermore, the species is known at only one single location ( Fig. 3 ). Under criterion B, the species is assessed as Critically Endangered (CR) B1ab(ii, iii, iv, v); B2ab(ii, iii, iv, v). Appling the Criterion C, the populations of O. kabylica comprises six mature individuals less than the CR category threshold of <250. The number of mature individuals in each subpopulation (sensu IUCN 2019) is less than 50. However, under criterion C, the species is assessed as Data Deficient since quantitative analysis on population decline is required. Given the limited size of the population, the Criterion D has also been considered. Since it is based exclusively on the number of mature individuals, the species matches with the CR category as the species comprises <50 mature individuals. The species is considered Data Deficient (DD) under criterion A and E (quantitative analysis) as the data required measurements over the longer of> 10 years and estimating the probability of extinction in the wild which is not available. As the species should be listed under the highest category of threat, we propose CR B1ab(ii, iii, iv, v); B2ab(ii, iii, iv, v); D as the conservation status for O. kabylica . The habitat of O. kabylica is currently threatened by overgrazing, deforestation and wildfire. Therefore, the inclusion of O. kabylica in the “Taxon’s at risk of disappearance through serious rarefaction” of the Tunisian Flora ( Le Floc’h et al. 2010) is crucial in our opinion. We recommend more collection efforts in the neighbouring area, in search for other possible populations of O. kabylica .

Selected examined specimens. TUNISIA: —See the Table 2 .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Onobrychis conferta subsp. conferta var Maktaris. A—Above ground, B—inflorescence, C—pods.

FIGURE 7. Collection site of O. kabylica in Fedj El Hdoum, Tunisia.

FIGURE 8. Onobrychis kabylica. A—pods, B—inflorescence, C—pod, D—calix.

FIGURE 9. Syntype of Onobrychis kabylica (Reverchon E., JE 00010093!). Copyright: Herbarium Haussknecht.