Stachys bombycina Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Orient.

Akçiçek, Ekrem, 2020, Taxonomic revision of Stachys sect. Olisia (Lamiaceae: Lamioideae) in Turkey, Phytotaxa 449 (2), pp. 109-148 : 129-131

5. Stachys bombycina Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Orient. 12: 79 (1853) ( Figs. 1G , 15, 18 )

≡ S. pseudobombycina Kaynak, Daşkın &Yılmaz, Nordic J. Bot. 28: 341 (2010)

Type:―”in Syria ” [sic], 1846, Pestalozza s.n. (holo: G!).

Description:―Suffrutescent perennial herbs. Flowering stems erect, numerous, 30‒50 cm, simple or branched, densely crisped woolly-tomentose. Lower cauline leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1‒2.5 × 0.7‒2 cm, floccose-tomentose on both surfaces, crenate-dentate at margin, subcordate to rounded at base, petiole 0.5‒2 mm, gradually passing into smaller short-petiolate or ± sessile upper cauline and floral leaves. Upper cauline leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 1‒1.8 × 0.5‒1(‒1.5) cm, 1‒3 mm petiolate or ± sessile, mucronulate at tip. Floral leaves oblong-lanceolate, 0.5‒1.2(‒2) cm, as long as or longer than verticillasters, mucronulate. Verticillasters 1‒2(‒4), remote, 1.5‒7 mm distant, 6‒12(‒20)-flowered. Bracteoles rhomboid-ovate to lanceolate, 5‒8 mm, woolly-tomentose, mucronate at tip. Pedicels 0.3‒1 mm or subsessile. Calyx sub-bilabiate, subcampanulate, 8‒12 mm, woolly-tomentose; teeth subequal, lanceolate-subulate, erect to subpatent, as long as or slightly shorter than tube, 3.5‒5 mm, glandular and eglandular hairy inside, mucronate at tip (mucro 0.5‒1.5 mm.) Corolla purple to pale lilac, 9‒13 mm, tube subexserted, annulate; limb bilabiate, adpressed hairy outside, upper lip 2‒4 mm, emarginate, lower lip 3-lobed, middle lobe largest and suborbicular, 3.5‒5 mm. Stamens 4, exserted more than half-way along upper corolla lip.. Nutlets obovoid, faintly trigonous, slightly winged near base, 2‒2.5 × 1.5‒1.7 mm, minutely reticulate, blackish-brown.

Phenology: ―Flowering between May and June.

Distribution and ecology: ―Endemic to Turkey (South-west Anatolia). East Mediterranean element. Limestone rocks near seashore, under Pinus brutia woods, 10– 600 m.

Conservation status: ―VU [Criteria B2ab(i,ii,iv)] ( IUCN 2017). This species has no more than 10 locations, with an estimated area of occupancy smaller than 2000 km ². The habitat of the species is threatened by human activities (tourism) and deforestation in all sites.

Remarks: ―There is no other specimen in the G herbarium than the type specimen.As Pestalozza did not collect in Syria or Lebanon, it can be assumed that the type specimens came from south-west Anatolia (probably near Antalya). Stachys bombycina is endemic to southwestern Anatolia (Antalya Province). Yılmaz et al. (2010: 341) described a new species, S. pseudobombycina , based on material collected in 2008 from a single locality in Antalya. The new species apparently growed sympatrically in Antalya with S. bombycina . However, an investigation of the type specimens of both species (G, BULU) and field studies in the type locality of S. pseudobombycina revealed that these two species can not be separated. Consequently, S. pseudobombycina was included in synonymy of S. bombycina by Akçiçek (2012).

Figures

FIGURE 1. A. Stachys recta subsp. subcrenata (Ö. Güner 2412); B. S. atherocalyx (Akçiçek 5637); C. S. iberica subsp. iberica var. iberica (Akçiçek 5588); D. S. hakkariensis (M. Fırat 32600); E. S. sparsipilosa (Akçiçek 5598); F. S. aleurites (Akçiçek 5601); G. S. bombycina (Akçiçek 5550). Photograph D by M. Fırat.

FIGURE 18. Distribution map of Stachys aleurites (▃), S. bombycina (●), S. distans var. distans (▲) and S. distans var. cilicica (▼) in Turkey.