Clinopodium italicum (Huter) Bräuchler 2018

Bräuchler, Christian, 2018, And now for something completely different-new names in Clinopodium with comments on some types, Phytotaxa 356 (1), pp. 71-80 : 75-76

Clinopodium italicum (Huter) Bräuchler , comb. et stat. nov.

≡ Micromeria marifolia ( Cavanilles 1800: 192) Bentham (1834: 382) var. italica Huter (1907: 402)

≡ M. fruticosa ( Linnaeus 1753: 593) Druce (1914: 421) var. italica (Huter) Fenaroli (1973: 375)

Lectotype (designated by Fenaroli (1973: Tav. XXVIII): [ ITALY] austral. Apulia, an Felsen bei Manfredonia. Raro! Porta , P. & Rigo, G. Iter II. Ital. 387 ( FI018282 !; isolectotype BOZ! Herb. Huter 41698, consisting of two sheets).

Nomenclatural notes:—Since no holotype has been indicated in the protologue reference to a type by Fenaroli (1973: Tav. XXVIII - “Campione tipo de Micromeria fruticosa (L.) Druce ssp. fruticosa var. italica (Huter) Fenaroli ( Porta e Rigo 387, FI)”) constitutes valid and effective typification. In case this is considered not to be sufficient for typification, the corresponding specimen kept at FI and illustrated by Fenaroli (1973: TAV. XXVIII) is formally designated as lectotype here. It was annotated by Davis as “ M. fruticosa subsp. serpyllifolia var. italica (Huter) Davis ”, a name never published. The herbarium of Huter, which was donated to the Vincentinum at Brixen/Bressanone ( Italy), currently is kept at BOZ. The collection Porta & Rigo 387 is mounted on 2 sheets, only the second of which contains a branch with very few flowers and would not have been the ideal choice for a lectotype. Duplicates may be preserved at numerous other institutions, though most of the major herbaria have been searched without success.

Taxonomic notes:—At the current state of knowledge this taxon is best considered as a distinct species. It is endemic to the area of Mt. Gargano (Apulia, Italy) and restricted to few localities on limestone rock ( Wagensommer 2010, Wagensommer & Perrino 2013). The record of Clinopodium serpyllifolium (M.Bieb.) Kuntze subsp. fruticosum (L.) Bräuchler (2006: 980) from Apulia by Bartolucci et al. (2018) should be referred to this species. It differs from C. marifolium (Cav.) Melnikov (2016: 103) by a number of characters, that remained consistent in F1 generations for both species cultivated in the green house at the Botanical Garden Munich. Most prominent characteristic is the part of the corolla (including upper lip) exserted from the calyx throat not being longer than 1.5–1.7 mm in fully developed flowers (not 2.5–3(4) mm as in C. marifolium ). Due to the generally more upright position of the calyx (almost vertical) and the larger dimension of the free part of the corolla in C. marifolium , the outline of the corolla is clearly bent outwards whereas it is more or less straight in C. italicum . In C. italicum , the lower surface of the leaf is covered by lax short white hair giving the lower surface a bright green colour and leaving the veins clearly visible. In C. marifolium the lower leaf surface is white due to a much denser indumentum and appears punctate by the exudate of glands all over; veins are much less clearly visible. Winter leaves are covered by a dense indumentum of long hair in C. marifolium , but not in C. italicum (a character observed in cultivation and previously not reported). Clinopodium italicum differs from C. serpyllifolium among others by calyx teeth obtuse to deltoid not acute and being no longer than 0.5 mm. A full revision of the group is on the way.

Figure 2. Lectotype of Thymus brevifolius Wahlenb. (UPS V-569897).