Hedysarum vuralii Yıldız, Aytaç & T. Ertuğrul, 2024

Ertuğrul, Tuğba, Yildiz, Bayram, Öztürk, Meryem Günay, Fişne, A., Bağ, Ecem & Aytaç, Zeki, 2024, Hedysarum vuralii (Fabaceae), a new species from Turkey, Phytotaxa 641 (1), pp. 47-56 : 48-52

Hedysarum vuralii Yıldız, Aytaç & T. Ertuğrul sp. nov.

Sect. Multicaulia ( Figure 1–3 ).

Type: Turkey. Ankara: Etimesgut, Yapracık , Ankara-EskiŞehir road 23. km, marly steppe, 1000–1100 m, 06.06.2023, M.Günay Öztürk 1643 (holotype GAZI!, isotypes ANK!,) .

Paratype: Turkey. Ankara: Etimesgut, Yapracık, Ankara-EskiŞehir road 23. km, marly steppe, 1000–1100 m, 12.07.2022, M.Günay Öztürk 1641.

Diagnosis: Hedysarum vuralii is related to H. dededaghense in stipule shape and length. However, it differs in densely adpressed white sericeous stem indumentum (versus spreading pilose), 7–10 paired, linear-narrowly elliptic, 5–16 × 1–3 mm, glabrous above leaflets (versus –8 paired, oblong-elliptic, 5–20 × 2–5 mm, spreading hairy on both surface), inflorescence capitate (versus elongated), bracts 6–7 mm long, linear (versus 4–5 mm, linear-lanceolate), bracteoles 5–6 mm long (versus 3–4 mm), calyx 6–7 mm long (versus 4–5 mm), calyx teeth unequal, at least twice as long as tube (versus subequal, as long as tube), corolla greenish yellow, keel and wings violet spotted at tips (versus purple), standard 15–16 mm long (versus 19 mm), keel 13–16 mm long (versus 13 mm), wings 13–15 mm long (versus 15 mm), pods 12 × 4 mm, 2 (–3)-jointed (versus 14 × 5–6 mm, 1–2 jointed), joints 4–6 × 2–4 mm, pubescent with echinate in the center (versus c. 6 × 6, pubescent with setae). The diagnostic characteristics of H. vuralii and H. dededaghense are listed in Table 1 .

Description: Perennial, herbaceous. Stem 20–30 cm long, branched above with densely adpressed sericeous from white hairs. Leaves imparipinnate, 6–10 cm long; leaflets 7–10 pairs, 5–16 × 1–3 mm, linear to narrowly elliptic, involute, glabrous above, sparsely spreading hairy below. Stipules prominent, straw-coloured or brownish, herbaceous-membranous, 6–8 mm long, connate from base to middle, lanceolate, sericeous, persistent. Inflorescences raceme, capitate, 15–25-flowered, up to 3 cm long, peduncles elongate, 7–12 cm long, longer than leaves (including raceme). Bracts linear-lanceolate, membranous at margins, 6–7 mm long, longer than pedicels, sparsely spreading hairy. Bracteoles 2, filiform, 5–6 mm long. Pedicels thin, very short, 1–3 mm long, much shorter than flowers. Calyx 6–7 mm long, sparsely spreading hairy; tube 2–3 mm long; teeth unequal, at least twice as long as the tube. Corolla greenish yellow, persistent in fruting; standard glabrous, 15–16 mm long, longer than wings and keel, with reticulate weins, emarginated at apex; wings ligulate, rounded at apex, as long as keel, violet spotted at tips; keel 13–15 mm long, covered by the standard, violet spotted at tips, acute. Ovary linear, with densely appressed hairs. Pods 12 × 4 mm, 2(–3)-jointed; joints suborbicular, biconvex with flattened margin, 4–6 × 2–4 mm, pubescent with echinate in the center. Seeds reddish brown, reniform, 3–4 × 2–3 mm.

Phenology: Flowering in June and fruiting in July.

Distribution and Ecology: The new species is known from the type location collected on different dates. It is endemic and an Irano-Turanian element ( Figure 4 ). H. vuralii is distributed on the marly steppe, 1000–1100 m, and grows together with Poa bulbosa L. and Festuca valesiaca Schleich. ex Gaudin , Thymus sipyleus Boiss. , Stipa lessingiana Trin. & Rupr. , Marrubium parviflorum Fisch. & C.A.Mey. , Salvia absconditiflora (Montbret & Aucher ex Benth.) Greuter & Burdet , Astragalus microcephalus Willd. , Berberis crataegina DC. , Sanguisorba minor Scop. , Centaurea carduiformis DC. , Centaurea virgata Lam. , Silene supina M.Bieb. , Helianthemum sp. There is a Pinus nigra J.F.Arnold plantation in the area.

Conservation status: H. vuralii is a local endemic known from the type locality in Ankara. It was less than 250 individuals. The extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) are less than 10 km ². AOO and habitat quality are continuing to decline because of construction and plantation activities, for these ArcGIS and spatial analysis programs were used for these. So it is considered “critically endangered” CR B1ab (i, ii, iii, v) + 2ab (i, ii, iii, v). (IUCN Ver. 15.1 2022).

Etymology: The epithet of the new species was given in honor of Dr. Mecit Vural, who contributed to the scientific world by describing many new taxa to the Turkish flora. We propose “ Ankara Batalağı” as a vernacular name for H. vuralii ( Menemen et al. 2016) .

Pollen morphology: The taxa were investigated for the first time using a light and scanning electron microscope. The pollen grains of H. vuralii are isopolar, symmetric and tricolpate. Generally triangular-obtuse in polar view and rectangular-obtuse in equatorial view. Shapes of pollen grains are prolate. The ratio of P/E is 1.49 μm. The size of polar axis (P) varies from 21.12–27.8 μm and equatorial axis (E) ranges from 11.5–17.28 μm in H. vuralii . The ectocolpi were elongated and straight, and different-sized sculptural elements covered the colpus membrane. Colpus length (Clg) is 18.78 ± 2.39 (16.32–25.9) μm, and colpus width (Clt) is 3.46 ± 0.78 (1.78–4.80) μm. The exine thickness is 0.48–1 μm. Exine ornamentation is reticulate in both the equatorial and polar views. Reticules at the edge of the colpus are narrower than in the mesocolpium area. The length between two colpus (t) close to each other in polar position is 6.69 ± 0.72 μm. Detailed pollen morphological characters of examined H. vuralii are given in ( Table 2 , Figure 5 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. A—Habit, B1—upper surface of leaflet, B2—lower surface of leaflet, C—flower, D—calyx, E—standart, F—wing, G—keel, H—androecium, I—pistil, J—legume.

FIGURE 2. a—Hedysarum vuralii Yıldız, Aytaç & T. Ertuğrul (holotype), b—H. dededaghense Govaerts (H. Duman 10308).

FIGURE 3.A—Hedysarum vuralii, B—H.dededaghense. a—leaflets, b—flowers, c—calyx, d—standard, e—wings, f—keel,g—stamen, h—lomentum.

FIGURE 4. Distribution map of H. vuralii (), H. dededaghense ().

FIGURE 5. SEM micrographs of pollen grains of Hedysarum vuralii. A–B: equatorial view, C—polar view, D—exine ornamentation.