Limonium sitiacum Rechinger

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

21. Limonium sitiacum Rechinger fil. (1943b: 103) ( Fig. 21 )

Type (lectotype, designated here):― GREECE. Crete: Creta. Disr. Sitia. Strandfelsen am Kap Sidero, Kalk , blühend am 5 May 1942, Rechinger 12638 (lectotype G!, isolectotypes K!, W!) .

Description: —Plant perennial, glabrous, forming a sub-shrub 15–55 cm tall, with several erect stems and a robust tap-root. Caudices 4–15 cm long, branched, more or less densely spirally leafy in the upper half. Leaves fleshy, rigid, rugose to slightly verrucate, glaucous, 15–55 mm long and 5.5–8.0 mm broad, oblong-spathulate, apex rounded, mucronate, often canaliculated, with one central nerve, gradually tapering into the petiole. Stems 15–30 cm long, tuberculate with many crateriform glands or verrucate with many crescent-shaped glands, glaucous, straight to lightly flexuous, branching frequently begins upper lower quarter, sometimes proliferating in axils. Inflorescence obtrullate in outline. Sterile branches absent or only 1–3 per stem, 1–4 cm long, unbranched. Fertile branches 3–25 cm long, straight to slightly curved, directed obliquely upwards, forming branching angles of 40°–60°, branched. Spikes 15–110 mm long, straight to curved, inserted erect to obliquely upwards; axis of spike with many crateriform glands. Spikelets 8.5–10.0 mm long, composed of 1–5 flowers, remotely arranged with 2–3 per cm, laterally slightly curved near the base. Outer bract 3.0– 4.5 mm long and 2.2–2.7 mm broad, more or less narrowly triangular-ovate, acute; bract margin broadly membranous; central part slightly fleshy, sometimes only at the base, acuminate. Middle bract membranous, 3.2–3.6 mm long and 2.0– 2.6 mm broad, oblong-elliptic, rounded. Inner bract 8.6–9.5 mm long and 3.8–4.2 mm broad, oblong-elliptic to oblong-obovate, rounded; bract margin narrowly membranous; central part fleshy, 6.5–7.5 mm long and 2.3–3.5 mm broad, oblong, acuminate, forming a narrowly triangular tip, 1.0– 1.5 mm long, not reaching the upper margin. Calyx 6.3–7.3 mm long, exceeding the inner bract by 0.5–1.0 mm; calyx tube glabrous or sparsely shortly hairy, with 5 ribs ending at the base of lobes; calyx lobes ca. 0.7 × 1.2 mm, broadly semi-elliptic; margin of calyx often lacerate after anthesis. Corolla lilac.

Chromosome number: —2n = 43 (Erben Li–264, Li–1728, unpubl.).

Distribution: —A frequently occurring species confined to the northeastern coast of Crete and the neighbouring islets of Dragonada, Elasa, Gianysada, Mochlos and Psira. There is an isolated locality on the islet of Plati, near Kasos ( Fig. 94F ).

Habitat: —Calcareous and marly rocky coast.

Taxonomic remarks: — L. sitiacum is related to L. monolithicum , from which it is well distinguished by having rigid to slightly verrucate broader leaves, longer bracts and shorter calyces, from L. oligotrichum and L. amopicum by having broader leaves, from L. calliopsium , L. vanandense und L. samium by having longer bracts.

LIMONIUM (PLUMBAGINACEAE)

Phytotaxa 240 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press • 63 64 • Phytotaxa 240 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press

BRULLO & ERBEN

Specimens examined: — GREECE. Crete: Creta: Distr. Sitia: Strandfelsen am Kap Sidero, Kalk, blühend am 5 May 1942, K. H. Rechinger 12638 (G); Creta, Distr. Hierapetre, in saxosis litoreis insula Photia , 22 May 1942, Stubbe 13267 (BM, W); Creta, Ep. Sitia: Insulae Psira parte austro-accidentali, 150 m, in praeruptis rupestribus calcareis ad septentriones spectantibus frequens, 27 September 1966, Greuter 7603 (G, M); Crete, sandy beach ca 2 km south of Aghios Nikolaos , in an area with several big wells, 18 October 1973, Hansen 1082 (Herb. Greuter); Creta, Agios Nicolaos, costal rocks and phrygane vegetation, 0–15 m, 25 May 1983, Larsen & Larsen 38358 (M, Herb. Greuter); Kreta, westl. Sitia, Buchten und Schluchten östl. Kloster Faneromenis, Felsen, 21 March 1989, Kalheber 89–186 (Herb. Kalheber); Creta, costa marnosa a Est di Sitia , 5 August 1989, Brullo & Pavone s.n. (CAT); Ost-Kreta, Istro, Felsküste, 27 May 1997, Franke s.n. (Herb. Jahn); Kreta, Ep. Sitias, Inselchen Mochlos, bei Mochlos, Felsen am Strand , 4 April 1990, Kalheber 99–321,99–325 (Herb. Kalheber); Ost-Creta, Halbinsel Sideros, am Fuss der Felsen abund., 150 m, Exp. S, 18 June 1990, Ulrich s.n. (M, Herb. Ulrich); Kreta, Gebiet von Vai, Berg Mourus ca. 5 km westlich von Erimoupoli, ca. 150 m, Felsspalten und Felsfluren, 14 August 1992, Vitek s.n. (Herb. Vitek); Creta, Vai, 24 August 1996, Brullo & Guarino (CAT, Herb. Erben); Creta, Tholos, 25 August 1996, Brullo & Guarino s.n. (CAT, Herb. Erben); Creta, a Sud di Agios Nikolaos , costa rocciosa, 8 June 2000, Brullo & Giusso s.n. (CAT, Herb. Erben); Creta, Pachia Ammos, 8 June 2000, Brullo & Giusso s.n. (CAT, Herb. Erben); Creta: Distr. Sitia, Insulae Dionysades: In saxosis calc. litoreis insulae Dragonara, 13 May 1942, K. H. Rechinger 12905a (BM, G, K, M, P, W); Kreta, Ep. Sitia: NO-Seite des Kap Màvro nordwestl. Erimùpolis, 100 m, harte Kalkbrekzie. Am Schatten am Fuss , auf Absätzen und in Ritzen der N-exp. Felswände, häufig, 12 May 1962, Greuter 4451 (PC, Herb. Greuter); Creta, Ep. Sitia: In insulae Dragonara praeruptis maritimis occidentalibus Kolónes dictis, 10–50 m. In rupestribus calcareis frequens, 31 October 1966, Greuter 7827 (Herb. Greuter); Ins. Dionysades (Kreta), Ins. Dragonada, 26 September 1987, Iatrou, Christodooulakis & Georgiadis 3197 (B); Creta, Ep. Sitia, Nordteil der Insel Elassa, 10–40 m, Dolomites, 16 May 1962, Greuter 4473 (W); Creta: Distr. Sitia: Insulae Dionysades, in saxosis calc. litoreis insula Janisada, 13 May 1942, K. H. Rechinger 12945 (BM, W); Creta, Ep. Sitia, In insulae Janisáda praeruptis maritimis septentrionalibus Pórtes dictis, 20–40 m, in rupium calcarearum praeruptarum fissuris frequens, 31 October 1966, Greuter 7842 (W, Herb. Greuter, Herb. Erben = Li–264); Ostkreta, Kavousi, 31 March 2007, Kattari s.n. (Herb. Erben = Li–1728); Kreta, Prov. Sitia, 4 km S Agios Nikolaos, Küstenfelsen , 4 April 2007, Tillich 5411 (MSB 135639); Creta, Ep. Sitia: In insulae Psíra parte austrooccidentali, 5–10 m, ad litus prope ruinas, solo schistaceo, copiose, 27 September 1966, Greuter 7603 (W, Herb. Greuter).— Dodecanese: Insel Plati vor der Westspitze von Kasos, Felsküste und Halophytengebüsch, 6 June 1983, Raus 8570 (C) .

Figures

FIGURE 21. Limonium sitiacum Rechinger fil.. A) Habit; B) Spikelet; C) Outer bract; D) Middle bract; E) Inner bract; F) Calyx; G) Calyx lobes; H) Leaves. (Habit and leaves drawn from “ Creta, Est di Sitia, Brullo & Pavone s.n., CAT”, spikelet details from “K.H. Rechinger 12905a, M”).

FIGURE 94. (Map 9) Geographical distribution of Limonium pigadiense (A); L. sartorianum (B); L. schinousae (C); L. sieberi (D); L. sirinicum (E); L. sitiacum (F); L. narbonense (G).