Limonium ksamilum Bogdanović, Shuka, Giusso & Brullo, 2022

Bogdanović, Sandro, Shuka, Lulëzim, Galdo, Gianpietro Giusso Del & Brullo, Salvatore, 2022, Limonium ksamilum (Plumbaginaceae), a new species from Albania, Phytotaxa 554 (1), pp. 85-92 : 86-90

Limonium ksamilum Bogdanović, Shuka, Giusso & Brullo , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

A Limonio dictyophoro internodis saepe longioribus, inflorescentia rigida, leviter contract, spicis brevioribus, spiculis 1–3 floris, ad 4–5 in 1 cm dispositis, bractea inferiore latiore, bractea superiore latiore, acumine breviore, costis calycis pilosis, lobis ovatotriangularis, acutis, longioribus differt.

Type :— ALBANIA. Ksamil, SW promontory, on calcareous rocky coast, 39°46’10.80”N, 19°59’8.90”E, 3 August 2021, S. Bogdanović s.n. (holotype ZAGR-73805!, isotypes CAT!, TIR!, ZA!, ZAGR-73806!) .

Plant perennial, 15–40 cm tall, glabrous, with robust tap-root. Caudices branched, 1–4 cm long, and covered by leaves in the upper part. Leaves rigid, rugose, glabrous, green, 1–5 cm long, 2–10 mm wide, spathulate to linear-spathulate, revolute at the margin, 1-nerved, tapering into a long petiole, retuse at the apex. Stems numerous, erect, rigid, robust, striate, glabrous, with numerous sterile branches, branched, fragile at nodes, slightly curved, diverging at the angle of 10–25°, internodes 1–5 cm long. Inflorescence erect, slightly contract, rigid, branched; spikes 1–5 cm long, straight to curved. Spikelets 6–6.5 mm long, 1–3-flowered, 4–5 per cm; outer bract 1.2–1.7 mm long, 1.5–1.7 mm wide, ovate, acute, narrowly membranous, glabrous, with central part fleshy, acuminate, with acumen not reaching the apex; middle bract 2–2.2 mm long, 1.6–1.8 mm wide, hemielliptical, rounded at the apex, membranous, glabrous; inner bract 3.6– 4.5 mm long, 2.5–3.2 mm wide, ovate-oblong, obtuse to subrounded, with margin membranous, glabrous, 0.3–0.6 mm wide, with central part fleshy, glabrous, 1.7–2 mm wide, long apiculate, forming a triangular tip, 0.6–0.8 mm long, no reaching the upper margin. Calyx 5–5.2 mm long, exserted 2.2–2.7 mm from the inner bract, tube and ribs hairy, ribs reaching the middle part of the lobes; calyx lobes, ovate-triangular, 1–1.3 × 0.8–1 mm, acute. Corolla lilac.

Habitat and Distribution:— Limonium ksamilum is localized on rocky stands near the sea, markedly affected by the marine aerosol ( Fig. 2 ). It exclusively grows on the crevices of calcareous outcrops featured by a very feeble accumulation of salty soil. The vegetation colonizing this peculiar habitat shows very poor cover values and is dominated by L. ksamilum growing together with few other halophytes, such as Crithmum maritimum Linnaeus (1753: 246) , Lotus cytisoides Linnaeus (1753: 776) , Silene sedoides Poiret (1789: 164) , Reichardia picroides ( Linnaeus 1753: 792) Roth (1787: 35) , Elymus acutus (Candolle de 1813: 153) M.-A. Thiébaud (1987: 340), etc. Basing on personal field observations, this species is localized on a narrow coastal area represented by the promontory at southwest of the Ksamil village (southern Albania), as well as on the small islets facing the village ( Fig. 3 ).

Etymology:— The epithet refers to Ksamil, village in southern Albania where the plant was collected.

Phenology:— Flowering from June to September.

Conservation status:— Limonium ksamilum is currently known from a single population occurring in the neighbouring of Ksamil village (South Albania) represented by about 1,000 mature individuals scattered over an area of ca. 2 km 2. The habitat of this species, exclusively growing along a narrow coastal belt (wide 8–20 m), is continuously threatened by tourist activities that have already damaged part of it. Therefore, according to the IUCN Red list category ( IUCN 2022), this species for its restricted distribution, low number of mature individuals and severe human pressure should be considered as Vulnerable—VU D1+2.

Taxonomic remarks:— Limonium ksamilum shows close morphological relationships ( Table 1 ) with some species localized in the calcareous rocky coast of southern Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Kerkyra island in Greece. Among the allied species can be mentioned L. dictyophorum (Tausch) Degen , L. himariense F.K.Meyer and L. arcuatum Artelari (1984: 20) which are all characterized by a very similar habit, with leaves spathulate, revolute at margin, emarginate at the apex, stems glabrous, erect, fragile at the nodes, with sterile branches in lower part, inflorescence lax, diffuse, spikes with remotely arranged spikelets, calyces long exerted from bracts ( Meyer 2011, Bogdanović & Brullo 2015, Brullo & Erben 2016). In particular, L. ksamilum differs from L. dictyophorum in having inflorescence more rigid and contract (vs. flexuous and lax), spikelets 4–5 per cm, with 1–3 flowers (vs. 2–4 per cm, with 3–7 flowers), inner bract obtusesubrounded, wider up to 3.2 mm broad (vs. subacute and max. 2.7 mm broad), calyx hairy also in the ribs (vs. ribs glabrous above), calyx lobes acute, ovate-triangular, 1–1.3 mm long (vs. rounded, hemielliptical, 0.6–0.7 mm long) (see Bogdanović & Brullo 2015, Figs. 7, 36). Besides, L. ksamilum shows some relationships with L. arcuatum , but significant features allow to distinguish very well the two species. Actually, according to Brullo & Erben (2016, Fig. 32), L. ksamilum differs from the latter for the internodes slightly curved up to 5 cm long (vs. very curved max. 3 cm long), inflorescence slightly contracted, with 4–5 spikelets per cm (vs. lax, with 2–4 spikelets per cm), middle bract 2– 2.2 × 1.6–1.8 mm (vs. 1.3–1.8 × 1–1.2 mm), inner bract ovate-oblong (vs. elliptical), calyx exserted 2.2–2.7 mm from the inner bract, densely hairy in the tube and ribs hairy (vs. exerted 1.5–2 mm from the inner bract, sparsely hairy in the tube and ribs glabrous), calyx lobes acute 1–1.3 mm long (vs. rounded, 0.8 mm long). Finally, L. ksamilum shows a strong affinity with L. himariense , which also grows in Albania but in northern coastal stands. In order to emphasize the morphological features of L. himariense a detailed illustration is provided ( Fig. 4 ). The more relevant diagnostic features that allow to differentiate L. ksamilum from L. himariense are the inflorescence slightly contracted (vs. lax), spikelets 6–6.5 mm long, 4–5 per cm (vs. 4.5–5.2 mm long, 3 per cm), outer bract 1.5–1.7 mm long, acute (vs. 1–1.2 mm long, obtuse), inner bract 3.6–4.5 × 2.5–3.2 mm, ovate-oblong (vs. 3–3.4 × 2.5–2.6 mm, ovate-subrounded), calyx 5–5.2 mm long, exerted 2.2–2.7 mm from the inner bract (vs. 3.8–4 mm long, exerted 1.2–1.8 mm from the inner bract), calyx tube densely hairy and ribs hairy (vs. sparsely hairy and ribs glabrous), calyx lobes acute, 1–1.3 mm long (vs. obtuse, 0.5 mm long).

Basing on literature ( Demiri 1983, Meyer 2011, Vangjeli 2015, Pils 2016, Barina 2017), the following analytical key of the Limonium species occurring in Albania is provided:

1. Leaves sinuate, stem winged, calyx lobes blue ................................................................................................................. L. sinuatum

- Leaves entire, stem not winged, calyx lobes white ............................................................................................................................2

2. Stems without sterile branches, leaves very large, with pinnately nerves..................................................................... L. narbonense

- Stems with sterile branches, leaves linear-spathulate, 1-nerved ........................................................................................................3

3. Leaf margin flat, stem rigid not fragile at the nodes, inner bract markedly curved .......................................................... L. virgatum

- Leaf margin revolute, stem curved, fragile at the nodes, inner bract straight ....................................................................................4

4. Spikelets 4.5–5.2 mm long, outer bract obtuse 1–1.2 mm long, inner bract 3–3.4 mm long, calyx 3.8–4 mm long, with lobes obtuse 0.5 mm long.................................................................................................................................................................... L. himariense

- Spikelets 6–6.5 mm long, outer bract acute 1.2–1.7 mm long, inner bract 3.6–4.5 mm long, calyx 5–5.2 mm long, with lobes acute 1–1.3 mm long.................................................................................................................................................................. L. ksamilum

Other specimen examined of Limonium ksamilum (paratype):— ALBANIA. Ishujt e Ksamilit, in front of Ksamil village, on calcareous rocky coast, 39°46’31.49”N, 19°59’26.63”E, 3 August 2021, S. Bogdanović s.n. (CAT!, ZAGR!) .

Specimens examined of Limonium himariense :— ALBANIA. Himara, Dhermi, Strand , an Felsen im flachen Meer , 7 September 1961, F. K. Meyer 5964 (holotype: JE00016701 !, isotype: JE00016702!); Porto Palermo , calcareous rocky coast, 1 August 2021, S. Bogdanović s.n. (CAT!, ZAGR!) ; Himare, Spile bay , southern rocky coast, 25 June 2019, S. Bogdanović s.n ( ZAGR!) ; Palermo , calcareous rocky coast, 1 August 2021, S. Bogdanović s.n. (CAT!, ZAGR!) ; Himare, Spile , calcareous rocky coast, 6 October 2017, S. Bogdanović s.n. ( ZAGR!) ; Qeparo, Grava bay , S. Bogdanović s.n. ( ZAGR!) ; Porto Palermo , na stijenama uz obalu mora, 8 July 2010, C. Gangale & D. Uzunov s.n. ( ZAGR!) ; Himara , costa rocciosa, 16 June 2018, S. Cambria s.n. ( CAT!) ; Vlorë, Dhërmi , 2 m, 21 November 1984, V. Tartari & A. Mullaj s.n. ( TIR!) ; Dhërmi , 3-4 m, 26 August 1957, A. Duka s.n. ( TIR!) , sub. Statice oleifolia ; Ranishtet e Himarës , 3 August 1960, V. Tartari s.n. ( TIR!) , sub Statice cosyrense ; Ranishtet e Himarës , 3 August 1960, s.l., ( TIR!) , sub. Statice oleifolia ; Himara , 13 May 2018, S. Cambria s.n. ( TIR!) ; Dhërmi, on the coastal rocky cervices, 2–15 m, 3 July 2018, L. Shuka s.n. (private herbarium Shuka!) ; Himara , on the coastal rocks, 5–10 m, 8 August 2019, D. Shuka s.n. (private herbarium Shuka!) .

Specimens examined of Limonium arcuatum :— GREECE. Corfù a Paleokastritsa, rupi calcaree sul mare, 19 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. ( CAT!) ; Isole ioniche, Corfù a Ermones, rupi calcaree sul mare, 19 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. ( CAT!) ; Corfù a Glifada, rupi calcarenitiche sul mare, 19 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. ( CAT!) ; Ins. Kerkyra : ad loco Agios Gordios, in rupestribus maritimis, 13 August 1978, R. Artelari 223 (M!) .

Specimens examined of Limonium dictyophorum :— CROATIA. Dubrovnik , Dalmazia meridionale, sotto albergo Neptun, litorale roccioso, 6 November 2006, Brullo, Bogdanović & Giusso s.n. (CAT!, ZAGR!) ; Trsteno , sotto l’arboreto, Dalmazia meridionale, litorale roccioso, 6 November 2006, Brullo, Bogdanović & Giusso s.n. (CAT!, ZAGR!) ; Prevlaka , Dalmazia meridionale, litorale roccioso, 6 November 2006, Brullo, Bogdanović & Giusso s.n. (CAT!, ZAGR!) ; Isola di Sv. Andrija vicino a Lopud, Sud Dalmazia, 16 June 2005, Kovačić s.n. (CAT!, ZAGR!) , Vitaljina (selo kod Igala), obalni grebeni uz more, 12 October 1981, Hećimović s.n. ( ZA!) ; Duboka (uvala i selo kod Kleka), obalni grebeni uz more, 10 November 1981, Hećimović s.n. ( ZA!) ; Mrkan , otočić kod Cavtata, pukotine stijena uz more, 20 June 1979, Hećimović s.n. ( ZA!) ; Lokrum kod Dubrovnika, 26 September 1930, Lochingg s.n. ( ZA!) ; Otok Šipan : Kaludrica, uz more, u as. Limonietum anfracti, 25 August 1979, Hećimović s.n. ( ZA!) ; Bobara , otočić kod Cavtata, pukotine stijena uz more, 8 August 1979, Hećimović s.n. ( ZA!) ; In maritimis Gravosae, 1808, Vodipić s.n. ( ZA!) . MONTENEGRO. Budva , Felsküste, 14 July 1973, Heinrich s.n. (M!); An der Bucht südlich Rodovići, 1 September 1977, Krach s.n. (M!); In rupestribus maritimis ad Pristan-Bar, July 1890, Baldacci s.n. (K!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Diagnostic features of Limonium ksamilum. A. Habit. B. Inflorescence. C. Spikelet. D. Inner bracts, dorsal view. E. Inner bract, lateral view. F. Outer bracts. G. Middle bracts. H. Calyces. I. Calyx lobes. J. Leaves. Illustration by S. Brullo based on living material coming from the type locality (CAT!).

FIGURE 2. Limonium ksamilum A. Habitat. B. Detail of the inflorescence. C. Habit. D. Detail of the inflorescence of Limonium himariense.

FIGURE 3. Geographical distribution of Limonium ksamilum (orange dot), L. arcuatum (blue dots), L. himariense (red dots) and L. dictyophorum (green dots).

FIGURE 4. Diagnostic features of Limonium himariense. A. Habit. B. Inflorescence. C. Detail of inflorescence. D. Spikelet. E. Inner bract, dorsal view. F. Inner bracts, lateral view. G. Outer bracts. H. Middle bracts. I. Calyces. J. Calyx lobes. K. Leaves. Illustration by S. Brullo based on living material coming from the type locality (CAT!).