Verbascum birjandense Sotoodeh, 2022

Sotoodeh, Arash, Attar, Farideh, Laitung, Beryl & Civeyrel, Laure, 2022, Verbascum birjandense and V. urumiense (Scrophulariaceae), two new endemic species for Flora of Iran, Phytotaxa 538 (1), pp. 35-44 : 36-38

Verbascum birjandense Sotoodeh , sp. nov., Figure 1 .

Type: — IRAN. Southern Khorasan: Birjand, Band darreh, Bagheran Mt. , 1700 m, 10 May 2010, F. Attar & A. Zamani 42993 (holotype TUH!, isotype G!) .

Diagnosis: — Verbascum birjandense is similar to V. songaricum by having stellate and whitish indumentum, fasciculate flowers, reniform anthers, bi-bracteolate pedicels, and filament hairs extended up to the anthers. However, it differs from it by having rounded stem (vs. angular), obovate basal leaves (vs. oblong), petiole not winged (vs. winged), pedicel 5–7 mm long (vs. 5–12 mm), calyx size 3–4 mm long (vs. 6–10 mm), corolla 10–15 mm diam. (vs. 25–35 mm diam.), and capsule ovoid (vs. ovoid to ovoid-ellipsoid) ( Figure 1a–c ; Table 1 ).

Plant perennial, basal leaves and stem glabrescent, upper inflorescence portion covered by sparse whitish stellate hairs. Stem 1–1.2 m tall, erect, round. Basal leaves obovate or spatulate, 14–17 × 5–8 cm, apex obtuse to mucronate, base cuneate, margin entire to indistinctly crenate; petiole 3–9 cm long. Cauline leaves, ovate, sessile, apex broadly acuminate, base rounded to cordate, margin indistinctly serrate, covered by sparse whitish stellate hairs. Inflorescence a lax panicle, clusters of 2–7 flowers at the axil of each bract; bracts 3–6 mm long, ovate, acuminate; bracteoles 2, up to 4 mm long; pedicel 5–7 mm long, longer than calyx; calyx 3–4 mm long, divided up to ¾ into five lobes, acute. Corolla yellow, 10–15 mm diam., stellate hairy outside, glabrous inside. Stamens 5, filament hairs yellow, up to the anther; anthers all reniform. Style 5–6 mm, stigma spathulate. Capsule acuminate, 5–7 × 3–4 mm, tomentose.

Distribution and habitat: —This new species is only known from the type locality, endemic to Iran, an Irano-Turanian element, and distributed in southern Khorasan ( Figure 2 ).

This region is mountainous with an elevation varying between 1400 to 2500 m, has a cold, desertic, and semidesertic climate with hot summers and cold winters with a significant difference between day and night temperatures ( Mood 2008, Mohammadi et al. 2020). The temperature on average is between minus 2 in winter and 35 degrees Celsius in summer. The average precipitation is 168 mm per year, falling mostly in winter and spring ( Zohary 1973, Mohammadi et al. 2020). The soil is relatively saline composed of light calcareous silt ( Zohary 1973, Mood 2008). The vegetation of this region includes Acantholimon erinaceum (Jaub. & Spach) Lincz. , Acanthophyllum spp. C .A.Mey., Achillea tenuifolia Lam. , Berberis vulgaris L., Bromus tectorum L., Cousinia afghanica C.Winkl. , Dorema ammoniacum Don , Ferula assa-foetida L., Hymenocrater calycinus (Boiss.) Benth. , Pistacia atlantica subsp. cabulica (Stocks) Rech. f., Solanum nigrum L., Tamarix indica Willd. , Teucrium polium L., Verbascum speciosum Schrad. , Veronica hispidula Boiss. & Huet , Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. and Ziziphus jujuba Mill.

Phenology: —Flowering and fruiting of Verbascum birjandense extend from May to July.

Etymology: —The specific epithet of the new species refers to its type locality, Birjand city, Iran.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holotype specimen of a) V. birjandense Sotoodeh, b) portion of an inflorescence, c) a flower showing 5 stamens with yellowish filament hairs.

FIGURE 2. Distribution map of V. urumiense, V. birjandense, V. erianthum, V. songaricum subsp. songaricum and V. songaricum subsp. subdecurrens in Iran, eastern Turkey, and Afghanistan.