Micromeria tenensis Puppo & P. Pérez, 2023

Puppo, Pamela, Paz, Pedro Luis Pérez De, Curto, Manuel & Meimberg, Harald, 2023, Micromeria tenensis (Lamiaceae), a new species from Tenerife, Canary Islands, Phytotaxa 626 (1), pp. 1-7 : 2-3

Micromeria tenensis Puppo & P. Pérez , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–3 )

Diagnosis:—Differing from M. tragothymus in having more or less pendulous branches (vs. erect); stems tomentose (vs. strigose); leaves ovate, villous or pilose adaxially, densely tomentose abaxially (vs. narrowly lanceolate, revolute, sparsely strigose adaxially, glabrous abaxially but strigose on the midvein); calyx hispid with abundant translucent sessile glands (vs. strigose with few glands), calyx apices triangular to lanceolate, densely white hispid, 0.3–0.7 mm long (vs. subulate to falcate, strigose, 1.5 mm long).

Type :— SPAIN. Tenerife : Claros fayal-brezal en Teno Alto, 879 m, UTM 28 R: 0317271-3135723, 05 July 2023, P. Puppo & P.L. Pérez de Paz s.n. (Holotype: TFC 54.826; Isotypes: B; G; K; LPA; MA; ORT; TFC) .

Description:—Subshrub, up to 30 cm high, highly branched; branches persisting and entangled, more or less pendulous, basal part of branches shedding bark, stems tomentose throughout with long, soft, white hairs. Basal leaves opposite and decussate, shortly petiolate, petioles less than 1 mm long, densely tomentose, internodes conspicuous; blades herbaceous 4–6 mm long × 1.5–3 mm wide, ovate, basal ones straight, upper ones somewhat revolute, green sometimes tinged with red or yellow, villous or pilose adaxially, densely tomentose abaxially. Cymes shortly pedunculated arranged on the tip of young branches; peduncles 1–1.5 mm long, densely tomentose; bracts present, 1–1.5 mm long, tomentose. Calyx tubular, green tinged with purple or red, hispid with abundant translucent sessile glands, 2.5–3 mm long, calyx apices triangular to lanceolate, densely white hispid, 0.3–0.7 mm long. Corolla white to lilac, 4–5 mm long, exerted, lower lip projected downwards. Anthers lilac included or barely exerted. Style included or exerted.

Phenology:—Like other species of Micromeria on the island, M. tenensis flowers mostly from March to June, rarely throughout the year.

Distribution and ecology:—Distributed throughout the Teno massif, from the coastal zone to the highest parts between 100–1000 m elevation growing mostly on shallow, eroded areas.

Etymology:—The species epithet refers to its distribution in the massif of Teno.

Conservation status:—This new species is locally abundant and has a wide area of distribution in the massif of Teno, so it is considered as LC (Least Concern) according to the categories of the IUCN (2022).

Figures

FIGURE 1. A. Map of Tenerife showing distribution of Micromeria tenensis in Teno (blue) and M. tragothymus in Anaga (dark grey); Dashed lines indicate remnants of paleo-islands; Triangles and black dots indicate collections made in July 2023. B–D. Micromeria tenensis, habitat (B), habit (C), and detail of flowering branch (D). Photos taken by P. Puppo.

FIGURE 2. Holotype of Micromeria tenensis Puppo & P. Pérez (TFC 54.826).

FIGURE 3. A–C. Micromeria tenensis, flowering branches (A), leaf, abaxial (B), and calyx (C). D–F.M.tragothymus, flowering branches (D), leaf, abaxial (E), and calyx (F). Scale bars indicate 2 mm for leaves and 1 mm for calyces. Photos and drawings by P. Puppo.