Scrophularia vernalis Linnaeus (1753: 620)

Uzunhisarcikli, Mehmet Erkan, Güner, Ebru Doğan, Özbek, Funda & Ekici, Murat, 2019, Scrophularia vernalis: a new species record for Turkey, and its comparison with S. chrysantha (Scrophulariaceae), Phytotaxa 397 (1), pp. 91-98 : 92-95

Scrophularia vernalis Linnaeus (1753: 620) ≡ Ceramanthe vernalis (L.) Dumortier (1834: 7) ≡ Venilia vernalis

(L.) Fourreau (1869: 125). — Lectotype (designated by Ortega Olivencia & Devesa 1993: 120): Herb. Clifford 322,

Scrophularia 2c (BM!) ( Fig. 1)

= S. verna Miller (1768 : without pagination); = S. lutea Gray (1821: 320) ; = S. anomala Vest (1829: 62) ; = S. rotundifolia Host ex Schur (1866: 486)

Description: — Annual or biennial. Stems 20–60 cm long, quadrangular, simple, sometimes branched near the base, purple to brown, glandular hairy, pubescent in upper part. Leaves thin, simple, green, subglabrous above, densely glandular white hairy beneath and along nerves, the lower ones 2.2–6.5 × 2.5–7 cm, ovate-triangular, base cordate-truncate, margin double dentate, apex obtuse-acute, and petiole 4–8 cm long; cauline and floral leaves 1.5–7 × 1.5–7.5 cm, triangular-ovate to orbicular, base cordate-truncate, margin double dentate, especially floral leaves biserrate, apex acute-obtuse, and petiole 0.5–5 cm long. Inflorescence 8–15 × 3.5–6 cm, dicasium, pyramidal, 2–4 flowered in cymes, axillary; peduncles 1.5–3 cm long, glandular-villose, and pedicels thin, 1–4 mm, glandular-villose; alar pedicels 1.5–4 mm long, shorter than bracteoles. Lower bracts similar to cauline leaves, upper bracts 0.2–1 cm long, triangular, glandular hairy; bracteoles 2–6 mm, linear or linear-oblong, glandular hairy. Calyx 3–5 mm long, sparsely glandular villose, lobes 3–5 × 1–1.8 mm, lanceolate-elliptic to oblong-ovate, acute or obtuse, without scarious margin, glandular ciliate, often reflexed. Corolla 5–7 mm long, yellowish-green, white when dried, narrowed in upper part, glabrous, with almost equal lobes; stamens exserted; staminode absent. Capsule 5–7 × 4.5–6 mm, broadly ovoid, short glandularpubescent, acuminate; seeds 0.75–1.12 × 0.36–0.54 mm, oblong, ellipsoid or ovoid, dark brown.

Specimens examined: — Scrophularia vernalis : — TURKEY. Artvin: Borçka, Karagöl, on clearings of Pinus sylvestris forest, ca. 1400 m, 4 June 2015, M.E. Uzunhisarcıklı 2678 (GAZI!); Borçka, Karadağ location, Fagus orientalis forest, ca. 1450 m, 13 July 1978, A. Düzenli (ANK!); Murgul, SW slopes of Tiryal mountain, Kaklavan location, Picea forest, ca. 1630 m, 14 June 1977, A. Düzenli 821 (ANK!); Murgul, S of Tiryal Mountain, Hatila region, Fındıklı river, ca. 1525 m, 27 May 1976, A. Düzenli 640 (ANK!); Murgul, Tiryal mountain, ca. 1800 m., 23 June 1957, Davis & Hedge 29923 (ANK!); Çoruh, Artvin mountain, 1900 m, 19 June 1957, Davis & Hedge 29811 (ANK!); Rize: Çamlıhemşin, Ayder, Keler-Kavrun, Picea orientalis forest, wet meadows, granite land, 1600‒1750 m, 25 June 1980, A. Güner 2550 (ANK!). Scrophularia chrysantha : — TURKEY. Artvin: Murgul, above Kabaca (Kabarcet) village, 900‒1100 m., mixed forest, 22 April 1983, A. Güner 4683 (ANK!, HUB 24159!); Hopa, Sarp village, military area, 5 m., 11 April 1982, Ş. Yıldırımlı (HUB 24152!); Murgul, above Damar village, NW of Tiryal mountain, damaged forest, 1400 m, 15 April 1976, A. Düzenli (HUB 24153!, ANK!); Murgul, Damar, NW slopes of Tiryal Mountain, Kızılkayalar location, under the fairly open canopy of forest, damp areas, ca. 1350 m, 17 April 1976, A. Düzenli (ANK!); S of Sarıbudak (Nelo) plateau, Pinus sylvestris forest, 1850‒2000 m, 28 July 1982, Demirkuş (HUB!); Sarp, edge of tea garden, 28 April 1986 (ISTE 56889!); Şavşat, Kocabey Kışlası, alpine meadows, 2000‒2200 m, 14 May 2004, H. Altınözü 3956 (HUB!); Yalnızçam Mountain, 2‒3 km to Çam pass, alpine meadows, 2300 m, 18 June 2014, M.E. Uzunhisarcıklı 2566 (GAZI!); Bitlis: between Bitlis-Van, ca. 2900 m, 08 July 1954, Davis 22569 et al. (ANK!); Erzurum: Şenkaya, Allahuekber Mountain, Köroğlu village, alpine meadows, ca. 2650 m, 16 June 1980, A. Tatlı 6450 (ANK!); Palandöken Mountains, Ejder Tepe road, 26 July 1989 (ISTE 60743!); Palandöken Mountains, 23 June 2005, A.A. Dönmez 12328 (HUB!); Kars: SW of Kars, ca. 2200 m., 16 June 1957, Davis & Hedge 29624 (ANK!); Susuz-Ardahan, 50 km to Ardahan, high mountain steppe, 2125 m, 3 June 2015, M.E. Uzunhisarcıklı 2672 (GAZI!); Ziyaret Mountain, Yalnızçam, ca. 2500 m, 29 June 1957, Davis & Hedge 30331 (ANK!); Rize: between Ardanuç-Çamlıhemşin, around Beyazkaya, 110 m., meadows, 20 March 1984, A. Güner (HUB 24151!); between Ardeşen-Çamlıhemşin, 100‒250 m, 26 February 1981, A. Güner 3188 (HUB!); Ardeşen, Eski Armutluk village, ca. 500 m, 25 March 1981, A. Güner 3217 (HUB!); around Aşağı Vice, 250‒800 m, 24 February 1981, A. Güner 3162 (HUB!); Çamlıhemşin, Ortayayla village, İşmer plateau, fertile places, 2200 m, 21 August 1982, A. Güner (HUB 24154!); Çayeli to Pazar, 5 km., 10 m, wetland slope, 17 March 1984, A. Güner (HUB 24150!); between Ardeşen-Çamlıhemşin, 100‒250 m, 26 February 1981 (ISTE 50135!); Trabzon: Meryemana (Sümela), under forest, 29 April 1986 (ISTE 56894!); Meryemana road, 800 m., 15 April 1982 (ISTE 48521!); Meryemana, 1060 m., 15 April 1982 (ISTE 48514!); Van: Erciş, Hasanabdal village, rocky slopes, 1997 m, 3 June 2015, M.E. Uzunhisarcıklı 2670 (GAZI!); between Muradiye-Çaldıran, 4 km to Çaldıran, sheltered crevices, 2030 m., 06 August 2014, M.E. Uzunhisarcıklı 2637 (GAZI!).

Distribution, habitat and ecology: — Scrophularia vernalis occurs mostly in woodlands and clearings, usually on calcareous substrates in clearings of Pinus sylvestris forests, at elevations of 1400–1900 m. It is distributed in United Kingdom, Europe, Russia, Iran and Northeast of Turkey ( Fig. 3 ). No threat factors were observed against the habitat of the species, the populations of which are represented by many healthy individuals. The flowering time is between May and June, the fruiting time is between July-Semptember.

Pollen morphology: — The pollen grains of S. vernalis and its closely related species S. chrysantha are radially symmetrical, isopolar and trizonocolporate. The pollen shape of both species is oblate-spheroidal. The colpus is long and its boundaries distinct, and also the shape of porus is lalongate or lolongate in both species. Aperture membrane is more or less granulate in all cases. Detailed pollen characteristics of the two species is given in Table 2. Exine sculpturing is microreticulate in the equatorial and polar regions in S. vernalis , but it is reticulate at equatorial area and microreticulate at polar area in S. chrysantha ( Fig. 4 ).

Seed morphology: — The seeds vary from oblong, ellipsoid or obovoid in shape for the investigated two taxa. The size of seeds is 0.75–1.12 × 0.36–0.54 mm in S. vernalis and 0.96–1.55 × 0.51–0.64 mm in S. chrysantha . They are dark brown or black in colour. The seed coat is alveolate and the alveoli are regularly arranged in longitudinal 3–4 rows. The shape of alveoli is orbicular and oblong. These alveoli are bigger in S. chrysantha than they are in S. vernalis . Seed surface shows bireticulate-alveolate ornamentation. The seed coat is formed by rectangular or polygonal shaped of epidermis cells with regular or irregular radial walls giving it a net-like appearance. The outer tangential walls are membranous and show a reticulate pattern. The radial walls are characterised by distinct and densely disposed vesicles. These vesicles are only found on the angles where two outer tangential walls reach each other. Also, the inner tangential walls have distinctly rugose formation ( Fig. 5 ).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Distribution map of Scrophularia vernalis (▼) and S. chrysantha (♦) in Turkey.

FIGURE 4. SEM micrographs of pollen grains of Scrophularia vernalis (A−D) and S. chrysantha (E−H). A, E) Equatorial view; C, G) Polar view; B, D, F, H) Exine sculpturing.

FIGURE 5. SEM micrographs of seeds of S. vernalis (A−C) and S. chrysantha (D−F). A, D) General aspect; B−C, E−F) Surface ornamentation.