Hypericum bilgehan-bilgilii Başköse & Savran, 2018

Başköse, İsa & Savran, Ahmet, 2018, A new species from southern Anatolia (Dedegöl Mountain Series-Çürük Mountain) in Turkey: Hypericum bilgehan-bilgilii (Hypericaceae), Phytotaxa 374 (2), pp. 110-118 : 111-114

Hypericum bilgehan-bilgilii Başköse & Savran sp. nov. ( Figs. 2A , 3 and 4 )

Type:— TURKEY, Konya: Beyşehir district, Dumanlı village– Antalya road, 8 km S-SW of Dumanlı village, Çürük Mountain, Düden cave environments, on calcareous rock, chasmophyte, 1650 m, 02 July 2016, N 37º 29’ 21.66’’ – E 31º 19’ 35.81’’, Başköse and Savran- 4600, (holotype ANK, Isotypes ANK and Herbarium of Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University).

Diagnosis: –– Hypericum bilgehan-bilgilii is similar (in habitat, sepals colour, stamen structure, anthers gland, and capsule shape) to H. ternatum and H. pallens . It differs from H. ternatum by having woody rhizoms and pulvinate habit (not rounded shrub); stem up to 6 cm high (not 8–15(–27) cm); leaves succulent, obovate and with black glands (not subcoriaceous, oblanceolate to elliptic, and without black glands); sepals with 1–2 punctiform black glands towards the apex (not with 0–4 black gland scattered on the outer surface); petals obovate-oblanceolate, rarely ovate, eglandular (not elliptic to oblong and with indistinct pale dots toward apex), stamens 40–55 (not ca. 10); seeds dark brown (not blackish). It is distinguished from H. pallens by stems up to 6 cm high (not 5–25 cm); leaves in whorls of 3, succulent (not paired and coriaceous); flowers 1, only terminal (not 1 (–2–3), terminal and axillary); sepals with 1–2 punctiform black glands towards apex (not with 2–8 black gland scattered on outer surface); petals obovate-oblanceolate, rarely ovate, eglandular (not elliptic to oblong and with laminar glands scattered); stamen 40–55 (not 20–30); seeds dark brown, 1.5–1.9(–2) mm long (not reddish-brown, ca. 1 mm long) ( Table 1, Fig. 3 , Fig. 4 ).

Description:— Woody rhizomatous perennial shrublet, rhizomes vertical or horizontal, pulvinate. Stem short, up to 6 cm tall, much branched, strongly lignified, with branches erect; wholly glabrous. Stems 3-angled; bark smooth, in maturity grey colored. Leaves 3-whorled, (5.5–)4.5 × 2.0(–2.5) mm, obovate, succulent; above green, beneath glaucous, marked 1-veined; petiolate, petiole up to 1.5 mm long, in maturity dark red or black; apex rounded, margin entire, base narrowly cuneate; laminar black glands marked. Inflorescence 1-flowered, terminal; bracteoles 1 or not, 1–1.5 mm long, linear, submembranous; pedicels 3.5–7 mm long, slender, yellowish. Flowers ca. 15–20 mm in diam.; buds ovoid-pyramidal, acute. Sepals 5, green, 2–5.5 × 0.6–1.5 mm, equal or subequal, lanceolate, chartaceous, apex acute, with 1 or 2 punctiform black glands towards the apex, margin denticulate with 3–5 reddish glands on each side, back side prominent 3–5 reddish veins. Petals 5, bright yellow, persistent, obovate-oblanceolate or ovate, 8.5–10 × 2–3 mm, apex rounded, margin entire, prominent nerved, eglandular. Stamens 40–55, longest 5–9 mm; anthers gland black. Pistil 1, 3-valved, rarely 4-valved, 5–7 mm long, yellow; stigma punctate, reddish; styles 3, rarely 4, 3–4.5 mm long, cylindric, spreading to outwards; ovary 1.75–3.0 × 1–1.5 mm, narrowly ovoid, acute. Capsule 3.5–5.5 × 2–3.5 mm, ovoid, narrowly acute, dark brown, valves with longitudinal vittae, equaling or exceeding sepals. Seeds dark brown, 1.5–1.9(–2) mm long, carinate; testa linear-foveolate.

Distribution: —The new species is only known from the type locality, within the borders of Konya province, Beyşehir district, Dumanlı village. On the basis of the current knowledge, it is endemic to the south and southeast (Çürük Mountain) of the Dedegöl Mountains that separate Central Anatolia and Mediterranean region and which are an extension of West Toros Mountains ( Fig. 1 ). On the other hand, Hypericum ternatum is distributed around the provinces of Sarp Mountain (Isparta) and Gebiz (Antalya), which are located in the western part and separated from the Dedegöl Mountain by a deep valley (Kesme valley) which determines a geographic isolation between the two species. The new species occurs on calcareous or limestone rocks and rock cracks, between 1600 and 2100 meters a.s.l., where it grows together with taxa such as Ornithogalum armeniacum Baker (1879: 748) , Omphalodes ripleyana Davis (1956: 82) , Leontodon asperrimus ( Willdenow 1803: 1507) Boissier ex Ball (1850: 15) , Potentilla kotschyana Fenzl (1842: 6) , Symphytum brachycalyx ( Boissier 1844: 43) , Iberis sempervirens ( Linnaeus 1753: 648) , Astragalus angustifolius ( Lamarck 1783: 321) , Galanthus elwesii (Hook 1875: 101) and Geranium glaberrimum Boissier & Heldreich (1849: 116) .

Conservation status: —During the field studies conducted by the authors, Hypericum bilgehan-bilgilii was observed in a single locality. The distribution area (“area of occupancy”) of the new species was calculated as ca. 5 km ² and the number of mature individuals is less than 150. Additionally, the area is under grazing pressure (both goat and sheep). According to the available information, the species should be regarded as Critically Endangered (CR) under the criterion B2ab(i-v) ( IUCN 2017).

Turkish name for the new species:— Hypericum is called in Turkish “Kantaron”. We propose “dumanlı kantaronu” as a vernacular name for Hypericum bilgehan-bilgilii .

Etymology: —The specific epithet is dedicated to the young botanist Assist. Prof. Dr. Bilgehan BİLGİLİ (1977- 2015), who died as a result of heart attack.

Phenology:— Flowering time in late June–July, and fruiting in September.

Specimens examined ( Hypericum ternatum ):— TURKEY Prov. Antalya, distr. Gebiz Lycia, Bozburun dağ, near Tozlu Çukur Yayla , conglomerate cliff., 24 July 1949, Davis -15580 ( K, holotype image!) ; Antalya, Gebiz (Lycia), Bozburun dağ, near Tozlu çukur yayla, Davis-15580 (isotype E, ANK!) ; Prov. Isparta, distr. Sütçüler, W side of Sarp Mountain , limestone rocks, ca. 1700 m, 29 July 1949, Davis-15781 ( ANK!) ; Prov. Antalya, Köprülü Kanyon , calcareous rocks, ca. 600 m, 06 June 1977, Y. Akman -7595 ( ANK!) ; Antalya, Kumluca, Ceneviz village, calcareous rocks, chasmophyte, 3–25 m, 29 April 1980, H.Peşmen-4867 ( AEF, ANK!). ( Hypericum pallens ):— TURKEY Prov. Antalya, Montes inter Aleppo et Antiochiam, 1771, Russell ( BM, type image!) ; İçel, Gülnar-Silifke road, on rocks, 950 m, 05 June 1990 Sümbül-3689 ( HUB!) ; İçel, Anamur, between Güngören-Kürkün village , on rocks, 700 m, 21 May 1995, Dönmez-4536 ( HUB) ; Prov. Mersin, dist. Anamur, between Anamur-Gilindire , 50 m, 14 April 1956, sunny limestone rocks, O. Polunin & Davis-25968 ( ANK!) ; Prov. Mersin, Silifke , 10 km N of Silifke, calcareous rocks, 1960, P. Quezel ( ANK!) ; Prov. Konya, Ermenek, south side of Bozdağ , Quercus coccifera shrub, on rock, ca. 1100 m, 28 May 1978, M. Vural-551 ( ANK!) ; Konya, Hamitseydi pass, between Sarivadi-Beşkuyu , ca. 1500–1700 m, 16 August 1949, Davis-16232 ( ANK!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution map of the taxa of Hypericum section Triadenioides in Turkey.

FIGURE 2. The type specimens of Hypericum bilgehan-bilgilii (A, ANK), H. pallens (B, BM), and H. ternatum (C, K)

FIGURE 3. Hypericum bilgehan-bilgilii. A. flowering time B–C. flower D. leaves E. habitat F. fruit (capsule) G. seed (photos by A. Savran)

FIGURE 4. Hypericum bilgehan-bilgilii. A. habit B. leaf C. calyx D. flower E. pistil, F. capsule, G. seed. (Drawn by İsa Başköse).