Micromeria gomerensis (P. Pérez) Puppo 2015

Puppo, Pamela & Meimberg, Harald, 2015, New species and new combinations in Micromeria (Lamiaceae) from the Canary Islands and Madeira, Phytotaxa 230 (1), pp. 1-21 : 7-9

Micromeria gomerensis (P. Pérez) Puppo , comb. et stat. nov. Fig. 1–D , Fig. 5–A, B

Basionym:— Micromeria varia Bentham (1834: 374) subsp. gomerensis P. Pérez (1978: 179) . Satureja ericifolia (Roth) R.H. Willemse (1991: 83) subsp. gomerensis (P. Pérez) R.H. Willemse (1991: 83) ; Satureja varia Webb & Berthelot ex Briquet in Engler & Prantl (1896: 299) subsp. gomerensis (P. Pérez) A. Hansen & Sunding (1993: 7) . Holotype:— SPAIN. Canary Islands: “Ex Insula Junonia Minor (Insula Gomera dicta) in loco vulgo dicto “Ladera de Pilas” in anfractu “Bco. de la Villa”, juxta S. Sebastián”; May 1976, P. Pérez 8 (TFC!; isotypes: TFC!, MA!).

= Micromeria teneriffae Bentham (1834: 378) var. brevidens Bornmüller in Fedde (1909: 2). Type:— SPAIN. Canary Islands: sine loco, Bornmüller, Pl. exicc. Canar. 2719 (B†).

Erect subshrub 15–40 cm height, highly branched, branches ascending, glabrate to slightly strigose. Leaves shortly pedicelated; blades herbaceous less than 6 × 1 mm, bright green sometimes tinged with purple or yellow, lanceolate or linear, margins revolute, sparsely strigose throughout. Cymes shortly pedunculated arranged in the upper parts of the branches. Calyx green tinged with purple, strigose, ca. 2.5 mm long, calyx apices lanceolate, acute, ciliate. Corolla lilac to purple, 3–4 mm long, exerted, lower lip slightly projected upwards. Anthers purple, barely exerted, almost included. Style included.

Representative Specimens Examined: — SPAIN. La Gomera: Sobre Ayamosna , camino entre Ayamosna y Tagamiche, 16 June 2012, P. L. Pérez 705- G5 ( TFC) ; Mirador de La Laja , 16 June 2012, P. L. Pérez 705- G6 ( TFC) ; P. Puppo 572.7 ( TFC) ; Carretera Las Hayas-Cercado, 16 June 2012, P. L. Pérez 705- G10 ( TFC) ; Puppo et al. 579.2, 579.3, 579.6, 579.7 ( TFC) ; Pueblo de Arure , 16 June 2012, P. L. Pérez 705- G11 ( TFC) ; Mirador de El Rejo , PN Garajonay, 17 June 2012, P. L. Pérez 705- G12 ( TFC) .

Geographical Distribution: —Restricted to the island of La Gomera where it grows abundantly throughout the island. It is especially frequent between 200– 800 m.

Notes: — Pérez de Paz (1978) distinguished two subspecies of M. varia in La Gomera: subsp. varia and subsp. gomerensis . Molecular studies showed that these two taxa are not only morphologically and molecularly distinct but they have a different origin: subsp. varia probably colonized from Tenerife while subsp. gomerensis colonized from Gran Canaria ( Puppo et al. 2015). Here, we propose a new combination and status placing subsp. gomerensis as a different species endemic to the island of La Gomera.

Hybrids between this species and M. lepida subsp. bolleana have been found in the field. This hybrid is formally described below.

Micromeria × tolomensis Puppo & P. Pérez , nothosp. nov. ( Micromeria lepida subsp. bolleana × M. gomerensis ) Fig 5–C, D

Holotype:— SPAIN. La Gomera: Mirador de La Laja , 28º05’58,5’’N, 17º11’05,6’’W, Alt. 955 m, 16 July 2012, P. Puppo, P. Pérez & F. Faure 573.2 ( TFC).

Similar to Micromeria lepida subsp. bolleana in the leaves densely arranged in younger branches and calyx apices slightly oriented outwards, and similar to M. gomerensis in ascendant habit, erect branches and lilac corolla.

Subshrub, 20–40 cm high; branches ascendant and erect, puberulous or glabrous, basal part of branches shedding bark. Leaves subsessile, ericoids, arranged in the upper parts of young branches; blades 5–8 × 0.8–1 mm, sublinear, revolute, puberulous adaxially, abaxially densely strigose. Cymes pedunculated, densely arranged on younger branches; peduncles 3–5 mm long; bracts 1–2 mm long, subulate, puberulous or velutinous; flowers shortly pedicelated, pedicels less than 1 mm long; bracteoles less than 1 mm long, subulate, puberulous or velutinous. Calyx tubular, green tinged with violet, puberulous with glandular trichomes, 3–4 mm long, calyx apices slightly oriented outwards. Corolla lilac to violet, slightly exerted, lower lip projected downwards. Anthers white, included. Style included.

Etymology: —The epithet of this new hybrid refers to Tolomeo, Claudius Ptolemy (100–178 AD), one of the first authors to mention La Gomera in his Geographical Guide.

Paratypes: — SPAIN. La Gomera: Mirador de La Laja , 28º05’58,5’’N, 17º11’05,6’’W, 955 m, 16 July 2012, P. Puppo, P. Pérez & F. Faure 573.3 ( TFC) ; P. Puppo et al. 573.4 (TFC).

Geographical Distribution: —This hybrid has been observed only in the type locality, Mirador de La Laja, where both parents occur. It grows on rocky slopes with little soil and in shrub vegetation near 950 m elevation.

Notes: — M. × tolomensis presents an intermediate habit between both parents. The younger branches resemble those in M. lepida subsp bolleana (see Fig. 10–C, D ) with larger, densely arranged leaves, though the general size of the hybrid plants is larger, in keeping with M. gomerensis . The cymes are conspicuously pedunculated and the calyx apices are subulate as in M. lepida subsp bolleana though the flowers are of an intermediate size between the parents. Likewise, the corolla of M. × tolomensis is lilac or violet while in M. lepida subsp. bolleana it is white and in M. gomerensis it is purple. All the hybrid specimens examined had stamens and styles that showed normal development. Micromeria × tolomensis was found growing in a large population composed of both parents in Mirador de La Laja. In this locality, flies (probably Syrphidae ) were found visiting the flowers of the different individuals. These bee-like flies are known to feed on flower nectar and are probably contributing to the occurrence of these hybrids.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A. Micromeria varia (Tenerife). B. Micromeria canariensis subsp. canariensis (Gran Canaria). C. Micromeria canariensis subsp. meridialis (Gran Canaria). D. Micromeria gomerensis (La Gomera). E. Micromeria pedro-luisii (La Gomera). F. Micromeria hierrensis subsp. incana (El Hierro). Photos A, C, D, F from P. Puppo; B and E from P.L. Pérez de Paz.

FIGURE 5. Micromeria gomerensis flowering branch (A) and inflorescence (B). Drawn by P. Puppo from Puppo et al. 572.7 (TFC). Micromeria × tolomensis flowering branch (C) and inflorescence (D). Drawn by P. Puppo from Puppo et al. 573.2 (TFC).

FIGURE 10. Micromeria × ayamosnae flowering branch (A) and inflorescence (B). Drawn by P. Puppo from the holotype. Micromeria lepida subsp. bolleana flowering branch (C) and inflorescence (D). Drawn by P. Puppo from Puppo et al. 571.3 (TFC).