Echinops spinosissimus Turra subsp. neumayeri (Vis.) Kožuharov

Conti, Fabio, Reich, Dieter & Gutermann, Walter, 2020, Notes on the genus Echinops L. (Asteraceae) in SE Europe, Adansonia 42 (3), pp. 95-104 : 100-102

Echinops spinosissimus Turra subsp. neumayeri (Vis.) Kožuharov

In Botanical Journal of Linnean Society 71 (1): 41 (1975). — Echinops neumayeri Vis., Flora Dalmatica 2: 25, t. 10 (1847).

LECTOTYPE [DESIGNATED HERE]. — s.loc., s.d., s.n., Neumayer / Visiani , Flora Dalmatica. [ Montenegro/Herzegovina:] In m[ont] e Orjen [mountain range N of Herceg Novi], Neumayer (lecto-, PAD[ PAD, digital photo!], Fig. 4 ).

DALMATIAN MATERIAL COMPARED. — Croatia. Locus unicus, steiniger Eichenwald bei Ragusa: Cibaca im Brenotale, 12 m, 29.VIII.1911, R. Berger s.n. (W[W1927-0005326]), Brenotal bei Ragusa, 6 m, 29.VIII.1911, R. Berger s.n. (W[W1919-0016192]); Čibača prope Dubrovnik (Ragusa), 5.X.1925, V. Loschnigg s.n. (W[W1929- 0011984]).

ALBANIAN MATERIAL SEEN. — Albania. presso la costa tra Dermi e Saranda, pendii aridi e rupestri, 10.VII.2012, F. Conti s.n. ( APP [ APP 49070, APP 49071]); presso Porto Palermo, bordo strada, 27 m, 40°04’08”N, 19°47’22”E, 24.VI.2015, F. Conti, A. Stinca & R. Pennesi s.n. ( APP [ APP 56391]) .

IONIAN MATERIAL SEEN. — Corfu. Paleokastrítsa, Klosterberg von Kímisis bis Theotókou, M: 34S CJ 8892, 10- 50 m, ruderalisierte Lichtungen im Hartlaubwald, steinige Wegböschungen, 25.IV.1989, W. Gutermann 23633 (Herb. Gutermann).

Lefkada. Ghialós Paralía WNW unter Atháni, nördlicher Abschnitt des Strandes, UTM: 34S DH 6180, 0-40 m, Kiesschuttflur, 14.VII.1996, E. Hörandl et al. 7765 (Herb. Gutermann).

Ithaca. Bucht von Péra Pighádhi NE unter der Arethusa-Quelle [Arethoúsa Kríni], 2 km WNW Akr. Moúnta, UTM: 34S DH 7742, 0-3 m, strandnahe, sehr lückige Felsfluren, 6.VII.1994, A. Lindhof 257 ( WU [ WU 0103731], Herb. Gutermann [5 capitula]).

REMARKS ON THE LECTOTYPE

Echinops neumayeri was described by Visiani (1847) “in Dalmatia, unde absque loci speciali indicatione, sed probabiliter

ex Narenta communicavit Fr. Neumayer”. In PAD, where the main collection of Visiani is stored ( Stafleu & Cowan 1986) we traced a specimen with two labels: the first one without locality, collector Neumayer. The second label shows: Visiani, Flora Dalmatica [printed], in m[ont]e Orjen, Neumayer. Even though this localization is not congruent with the protologue, the tab. Xter of Visiani’s Flora Dalmatica obviously was drawn from the mounted plant and the specimen perfectly fits the description. It can be assumed that the second label giving the locality (positioned in SE Dalmatia) was added to the specimen only after publication of the Flora Dalmatica. We thus here designate the above discussed voucher as lectotype for E. neumayeri .

Until recently E. spinosissimus was known from Greece only from the Aegean region, i.e. from Kithira (S of Peloponnesus), Crete, the Cyclades and East Aegean Islands ( Strid 2016); all these records were assigned to either subsp. spinosissimus or subsp. bithynicus ( Dimopoulos et al. 2013) , or to frequent intermediates between them ( Strid 2016). Additional records of the species from the Ionian Islands and the nearby mainland were accepted under the binominal heading only ( Dimopoulos et al. 2016) though the latter record was published as subsp. neumayeri (Sánchez-Jiménez et al. 2012a) . The Ionian plants have likewise been relegated to that taxon (cf. Sánchez-Jiménez et al. 2012b; Flora Ionica Working Group 2016) based on collections from Corfu, Lefkada, Ithaca, and field observations from Cephalonia. Recently, it was recorded also west of the Adriatic Sea, in Puglia ( Wagensommer & Medagli 2014), where, according to the photograph given by the authors, the plants show bluish corollas as the Albanian ones, while the Ionian plants are white-flowering as those known from Dalmatia, the type region. We think that this population needs further study.

It was recorded from Albania ( Meyer 2011) though erroneously as the specimens collected by F. K. Meyer have been revised and assigned to E. sphaerocephalus ( Barina 2017, Barina et al. 2018). When revised by us, these specimens turned out to belong to E. albidus . Nevertheless, our own collections from Albania quoted above do confirm the occurrence of E. spinosissimus subsp. neumayeri in this country.

The taxonomy of the E. spinosissimus aggregate is linked with uncertainties that make a safe discrimination between the subspecies as currently defined dissatisfying. Only the complex of South Mediterranean plants (represented in Europe by subsp. spinosus Greuter ) are set apart by eglandular leaves with very narrow, linear-lanceolate segments and by the bristles subtending the capitula distinctly longer than the outer phyllaries. As already noted by Meikle (1985) and Strid (2016) there are frequent intermediates between subsp. bithynicus and subsp. spinosissimus as presently defined, following “ Flora Europaea ” ( Kožuharov 1976). The variation of discriminating features still is insufficiently studied.

The Ionian plants are consistent with material from Dalmatia (where the original material for this taxon was gathered: Visiani 1847: 25). They correspond to the definition of subsp. neumayeri in “Flora Europaea”, we thus provisionally adopt this name for the material quoted above pending further comparative studies with plants of the E Mediterranean.

The nomenclatural situation is also somewhat confusing. Echinops spinosissimus was founded on plants said to originate from Crete (obviously relying on Tournefort), but were characterised by leaves being tomentose on both sides ( Turra 1765). The latter feature points to subsp. spinosus (see above) not known from Crete, where subsp. bithynicus as well as subsp. spinosissimus (sensu “ Flora Europaea ”) are indicated. Typification of the name E. spinosissimus is needed, but with careful consideration of nomenclatural complications linked to the still unsolved taxonomy of the complex.

Figures

FIG. 4. — Lectotype of Echinops neumayeri Vis. (PAD).