Limonium heraionense Erben & Brullo, 2016

Brullo, Salvatore & Erben, Matthias, 2016, The genus Limonium (Plumbaginaceae) in Greece, Phytotaxa 240 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

82. Limonium heraionense Erben & Brullo , sp. nov. ( Fig. 82 )

Type:— GREECE. Attika: Korinthos, Akro Ireo (C. Melangavi) presso le rovine di Heraion, 1 September 2002, Brullo & Sciandrello s.n. (holotype MSB-464030!, isotypes CAT!, FI!, Herb. Erben!) .

LIMONIUM (PLUMBAGINACEAE)

Phytotaxa 240 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press • 175

Diagnosis: — Planta perennis, glabra, viridis, 15–30 cm alta, foliis rosulatis, densis, 15–30 × 5–10 mm, spathulatis, margine undulatis, 1–3-nerviis, caulibus tenuibus, solitaribus vel nonnullibus, subflexuosis, ramis sterilibus absentibus, spicis

176 • Phytotaxa 240 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press

BRULLO & ERBEN

10–30 mm longis, spiculis 5.5–6.0 mm longis, 1–3-floris, ad 2–5 in 1 centimetro dispositis, bractea inferiore 1.3–1.7 × 1.4–1.7 mm, triangulari-ovata, bractea media 1.7–2.0 × 1.3–1.5 mm, oblongo-elliptica, bractea superiore 4.3–4.6 × 2.9–3.1 mm, elliptica ad obovata, margine late membranaceo, calyce 4.0– 4.5 mm longo, ex bractea superiore 1.5 mm exserto, tubo sparsim piloso, lobis calycis ca. 0.8 × 0.8 mm, semi-ellipticis.

Description: —Plant perennial, glabrous, forming a cushion-shaped sub-shrub 15–30 cm tall, with erect stems and a robust tap-root. Caudices 4–7 cm long, densely branched and very densely spirally leafy in the upper half. Leaves coriaceous, rigid, green, 15–30 mm long and 5–10 mm broad, spathulate, apex obtuse to rounded, margin undulate, with one central nerve, large leaves additionally with 2 weak lateral nerves. Stems slender, 10–25 cm long, smooth, green, slightly flexuous, branching frequently begins above the lower third. Inflorescence obtrullate in outline. Sterile branches absent. Fertile branches 1–5 cm long, normally curved, directed obliquely upwards, forming branching angles of 40°–55°, undivided or sometimes branched in the upper half. Spikes 10–30 mm long, curved, erect to directed obliquely upwards. Spikelets 5.5–6.0 mm long, composed of 1–3 flowers, remotely to densely arranged with 2–5 per cm. Outer bract 1.3–1.7 mm long and 1.4–1.7 mm broad, triangular-ovate, obtuse; bract margin broadly membranous; central part slightly fleshy, sometimes only at the base, acuminate. Middle bract membranous, 1.7–2.0 mm long and 1.3–1.5 mm broad, oblong-elliptic, rounded. Inner bract 4.3–4.6 mm long and 2.9–3.1 mm broad, elliptical to obovate, rounded; bract margin broadly membranous; central part fleshy, 2.8–3.3 mm long and 1.7–2.0 mm broad, oblong, acuminate, forming a narrowly triangular tip, 0.9–1.1 mm long, not reaching the upper margin. Calyx 4.0– 4.5 mm long, exceeding the inner bract by about 1.5 mm; calyx tube sparsely shortly hairy, with 5 ribs ending near the base of lobes; calyx-lobes ca. 0.8 × 0.8 mm, semi-elliptical. Corolla lilac.

Distribution: —Restricted to Cap Melangavi in southern Attika, near Korinthos ( Fig. 86C .

Habitat: —Calcareous rocky coast.

Etymology: —The epithet “ heraionense ” refers to Heraion, a Greek archaeological site where this plant grows.

Taxonomic remarks: —The densely rosulate leaves and delicate stems without sterile branches place L. heraionense in the L. albidum group, together with L. frederici . In particular, L. heraionense shows some affinity with L. panormitanum (Tod.) Pignatti (1971: 365) , a Sicilian endemic with a punctiform distribution. L. heraionense differs from L. frederici by having smaller leaves, shorter spikelets, inner bracts and calyces.

Specimens examined (Paratypes): — GREECE. Attika: Korinthos, Akro Ireo (C. Melangavi), 1 September 2002, Brullo & Sciandrello s.n. (CAT, Herb. Erben) .

Figures

FIGURE 82. Limonium heraionense Erben & Brullo. A) Habit; B) Spikelet; C) Outer bract; D) Middle bract; E) Inner bract; F) Calyx; G) Calyx lobes; H) Leaf. (Drawn from “Korinthos, Akro Ireo, Brullo & Sciandrello s.n., MSB, CAT”).

FIGURE 86. (Map 1) Geographical distribution of Limonium aegaeum (A); L. samium (B); L. heraionense (C); L. crateriforme (D); L. zacynthium (E); L. aphroditae (F); L. albomarginatum (G).