Salvia shahkuhmahalei Akhani, 2016

Akhani, Hossein, Khoshravesh, Roxana & Malekmohammadi, Maryam, 2016, Taxonomic novelties from Irano-Turanian region and NE Iran: Oreosalsola, a new segregate from Salsola s. l., two new species in Anabasis and Salvia, and two new combinations in Caroxylon and Seseli, Phytotaxa 249 (1), pp. 159-180 : 171-175

Salvia shahkuhmahalei Akhani , sp. nov. Figs. 7 , 8 .

Type: — IRAN. Khorassan / Golestan: Central parts of Golestan National Park, Almeh valley, scrub vegetation, 37°20ʹ32ʺ N, 56°08ʹ33ʺ E, 1601 m, 06.06.2002, H. Akhani 16365 (holotype IRAN, isotypes FUMH, H. Akhani).

Diagnosis: —The new species differs from S. rhytidea Bentham (1848: 280) in eglandulose hairs in lower parts of the plant, a longer calyx, corolla and nutlets, and the yellow (vs. white) lower corolla limb.

Description: —Perennial herb, 40–85 cm tall, ascending and much branched from base, not or slightly branched above; stem and lower parts eglandular-pubescent of very short hairs, mixed with sparse sessile glands, some multicellular flexuous long and flattened hairs present at the lower parts of stem and on the base of petioles, inflorescence glandulose or not. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, 7–12 × 3–8 cm; upper surface greenish, sparsely pilose to subglabrous, hairs eglandulose, lower surface greyish, densely pilose of eglandulose hairs, mixed with sessile glands; margin erose, subtruncate to ± cordate; petioles 2–5 cm long. Inflorescence simple or scarcely branched in the lower part; verticillasters 4–6-flowered. Bracts broadly ovate, abruptly narrowed at apex, acuminate, (6–)10–15 × (7–) 10–12 mm, ± membranaceous, whitish-purple at center, green at margins, lower and median bracts densely pubescent at lower surface with eglandulose hairs; pedicel 1–2 mm long. Calyx campanulate-tubular, 10–12 mm long in flower and up to 13 mm in fruit, scabrid, covered by long multicellular eglandulose hairs and sessile and shortly stalked glandulose hairs; upper limb tridentate, mucronate. Corolla 25–30 mm long, upper limb blue, falcate; lower limb yellow, 13–15 mm wide; tube ventricose, invaginate, lower theca sterile, dolabriform. Nutlets ovoide, dark brown, 3 × 2.5 mm.

Additional examined material: — IRAN. Golestan National Park, south-center of the Park: 2–4 km NW of Almeh, North of Almeh flats and Southern slopes of Qara-Qineh mountain , 37°22’ N, 56°6’ E, 1900 m, 29.05.1995, Akhani 11016 (Hb. Akhani) ; Golestan National Park, Afrali , 37º24ʹ40ʺ N, 56º3ʹ44ʺ E, 1935 m, 30.06.2010, Akhani & Samadi 21411 (Hb. Akhani) ; ca. 2 km SW of Almeh towards Cheshmeh-Khan , in mix formations of thorn-cushion and grassland, 37°20’ N, 56°7’ E, 1750–1850 m, 06.07.1994, Akhani 9455 (Hb. Akhani) ; E. Almeh ; undulating slopes, northern side of the Almeh valley, very open Juniper woodland, 1700–1820 m, 30.05.1995, Akhani 11028 (Hb.Akhani) ; Almeh , 1500–1800 m, 19.06.1974, Wendelbo & Foroughi 12614 ( E) .

Affinity: —The new species is closely related to S. rhytidea , a widely distributed species in Afghanistan, which grows disjunctly in a few localities in Kerman (Kuh-e Lale Zar) in South Iran as well ( Fig. 9 ). Hedge (1982: 455) has already reported two specimens of this new species collected from Almeh, 1500–1800 m, Rechinger 53141, and ibid., Wendelbo & Foroughi 12614. He commented that these plants doubtfully may belong to S. rhytidea . Based on field studies and comparison of the plants from Golestan with the type specimen of S. rhytidea ( Afghanistan: Griffith 474 K!) and several identical specimens from Afghanistan, we revealed their separate specific status. The morphological differences between both species are summarized in Table 4. Salvia shahkumahalei grows at altitudes from 1600 to 1935 m. In comparison, S. rhytidea is a true alpine species, which usually grows at higher altitudes from 2000 to 3800 m. From the distribution ranges of both species ( Fig. 9 ) we speculate that postglacial climatic changes might have disjuncted a former continuous distribution and caused evolving a separate species in the westernmost populations.

Ecology: — Salvia shahkuhmahalei was found at altitudes from 1700 to 1935 m in montane steppes dominated by Stipa zalesskii Smirnov (1925: 232) and Poa densa Troitsky (1928: 619) , and scrub valley dominated by Acer monspessulanum subsp. turcomanicum (Pojarkova ex Czerniakowska 1930: 273) Murray (1969: 8) . The associated species with S. shahkuhmahalei are listed in Table 5 based on two plots after Braun-Blanquet’s method of plant sociology ( Braun-Blanquet 1964). The data in this table clearly show a high alpha diversity (58 species) of the plots where S. shahkuhmahalei is reported.

Etymology: —The specific epithet of this new species is commemorated to the late Yahya Shahkuhmahale, an Iranian keen nature conservationist and the former director of Golestan National Park and Jahan Nama Protected Area. Sadly, he was killed by poachers when he was on his official duties on July, 10 th 2006 in Salook Protected Area.

Additional species occurring only in plot 2 with cover-abundance value = 1.

Tanacetum polycephalum subsp. duderanum (Boiss.) Podlech , Thlaspi perfoliatum L., Umbelliferae (unidentified), Verbascum sp. , Veronica intercedens Bornm. , Achillea biebersteinii Afan. , Allium chelotum Wendelbo , Alyssum szovitsianum Fisch. & C.A. Mey. , Artemisia cf. kopetdaghensis Krasch., Popov & Lincz. ex Poljakov , Bromus tectorum L., Centaurea virgata Lam. , Cruciata taurica (Pall. ex Willd.) Ehrend. , Dactylis glomerata L., Ephedra major subsp. procera (Fisch. & C.A. Mey.) Bornm. , Eremurus sp. , Hypericum scabrum L., Isatis sp. , Linaria sp. , Marrubium parviflorum Fisch. & C.A. Mey. , Galium spurium subsp. ibicinum (Boiss.) Ehrend. , Hyoscyamus turcomanicus Pojark. , Polygonatum sewerzowii Regel , Scandix stellata Banks & Sol.

Additional species occurring in plot 1 with cover-abundance value = +.

Silene cyri Schischk. , Aegilops tauschii Coss. , Bromus briziformis Fisch. & C.A. Mey. , Erysimum ischnostylum Freyn & Sint. , Euphorbia humilis C.A. Mey. ex Ledeb. , Haplophyllum acutifolium (DC.) G. Don , Phlomis cancellata Bunge , Inula oculus-christi L.

Additional species occurring in plot 2 with cover-abundance value = +.

Adonis sp. , Lamium amplexicaule L.

Endemism and threat: — Salvia shahkuhmahalei is another local endemic species known only from the territory of Golestan National Park ( Fig. 9 ). Previously, several other endemic and subendemic species have been known from the area including Ferula laseroides ( Akhani 2005: 341) Spalik & Downie in Kurzyna-Mlynik et al. (2008: 59), Johrenia golestanica Rechinger (1987: 376) , Crocus almehensis Brickell & Mathew (1973: 360) , Diaphanoptera stenocalycina Rechinger & Schiman-Czeika (1988: 334) , Eriocycla ghafooriana Akhani (1999: 21) , Centaurea golestanica Akhani & Wagenitz in Akhani (1999: 6), Astragalus memoriosus Pakravan et al. (1994: 257) , Plantago podlechii Akhani (1999: 16) , Seseli kiabii Akhani (below), Poa golestanensis Akhani & Scholz (1998: 449) , Festuca akhanii Tzvelev (1997: 118) and Stachys subaphylla Rechinger (1980: 288) .

Salvia shahkuhmahalei is a rare plant with a small distribution range in the valley scrub and surrounding montane grasslands. The most important threat to this species is fires that have happened several times in the area. The species seems to be palatable for grazers. Reducing of protection level of the area and possible introduction of domestic grazers is another danger for the future of this species. The extent of occurrence (EOO) of this species is just 16 km 2 and the area of occupancy (AOO) is only 5 km 2. Therefore, based on the IUCN threat categories this species falls into Critically Endangered (CR) ( IUCN 2012).

Figures

FIGURE 7. The line drawing illustration of Salvia shahkuhmahalei. A. Habit. B. Lower part of stem showing petioles and indumentum. C. Flowers (Drawing by Roxana Khoshravesh).

FIGURE 8. Salvia shahkuhmahalei in nature. A. Habit and habitat at the margin of montane scrub in Almeh valley. B. Cauline leaves and part of inflorescence. C. Close up of one verticillaster.

FIGURE 9. Known distributions of Salvia shahkuhmahalei (triangle) and S. rhytidea (dots) (above), and the local distribution of Salvia shahhkuhmahalei in Golestan National Park (below).