Limonium tabulare Bogdanović & Brullo, 2015

Bogdanović, Sandro & Brullo, Salvatore, 2015, Taxonomic revision of the Limonium cancellatum group (Plumbaginaceae) in Croatia, Phytotaxa 215 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

22. Limonium tabulare Bogdanović & Brullo , sp. nov.

Type: — CROATIA. Southern Dalmatia: Scoglio Pločica, a nord di Vela Luka, Korčula, Sud Dalmazia, 27 July 2006, Bogdanović s.n. (holotype CAT!; isotypes CAT!, ZAGR!) ( Figs. 23 , 52 ) .

Diagnosis: — Planta glabra , dense foliosum secus caudiculas, foliis rugosis, spathulatis, retusis, revolutis margine, 1–5-nervis, interdum 9-nervis, scapis paucis, robustis, scabris, erectis, glabris, ramis sterilibus numerosis, inflorescentia erecta, reticulata, ramosa, spicis rectis ad curvatis, bractea inferiore ovato-triangulare, acuta, glabra , bractea superiore glabra , ovata, subobtusa, calice tubo sparsim piloso base, lobis hemiellipticis, rotundatis.

Description: —Plant perennial, 40–50 cm tall, robust, glabrous, with robust tap-root. Caudices branched, 2–5 cm long, densely covered by leaves. Leaves rigid, rugose, glabrous, green, 2.5–8 cm long, 4–20 mm wide, spathulate, revolute at the margin, 1–5-nerved, sometimes with 4 secondary nerves, tapering into a long petiole, retuse at the apex. Stems few, erect, robust, rough, glabrous, with numerous sterile branches, flexuous, fragile at nodes, very branched, diverging at the angle of 50–140(–180)°, internodes 5–20 mm long, right to curved. Inflorescence erect, reticulate, branched; spikes 1–8 cm long, straight to curved. Spikelets 5–5.5 mm long, 1–2- flowered, 2–3(–4) per cm; outer bract 1.3–1.5 mm long, 1.2–1.7 mm wide, triangular-ovate, acute, narrowly membranous, glabrous, with central part fleshy, acuminate; middle bract 1.5–1.6 mm long, 1.1–1.2 mm wide, ovate-triangular, bifid at the apex, membranous, glabrous; inner bract 3.2–3.6 mm long, 2.2–2.4 mm wide, glabrous, ovate, subobtuse, with margin membranous, 0.3 mm wide, with central part fleshy, glabrous, 1.6–1.8 mm wide, acuminate, forming a triangular tip, 0.6–0.9 mm long, almost reaching the upper margin. Calyx 4–4.6 mm

26 • Phytotaxa 215 (1) © 2015 Magnolia Press

BOGDANOVIĆ & BRULLO long, exserted 1.8–2.3 mm from the inner bract, sparsely hairy at the base, ribs glabrous, slightly exceeding the base of the lobes; calyx lobes, hemielliptical, 0.8–0.9 × 0.8 mm, rounded. Corolla lilac.

Etymology: —The epithet is referred to “Tabula”, latin name of Pločica Croatian islet.

Distribution and ecology: —This species is exclusive of the Pločica islet near Korčula (southern Dalmatia) ( Fig. 30C ). It is frequent in the vertical slopes of the calcareous rocky coast, where it is a member of a halophilous community.

Figures

FIGURE 23. Limonium tabulare. A. Inflorescence branches. B. Spikelets. C. Outer bracts. D. Middle bracts. E. Inner bracts (dorsal view). F. Inner bract (lateral view). G. Calyces. H. Calyx lobes. I. Leaves (Illustration by Salvatore Brullo based on Bogdanović s.n.. type CAT).

FIGURE 30. Geographical distribution of Limonium trinajsticii (A). L. leprosorum (B). L. tabularae (C). L. subnudum (D). L. ginzbergeri (E) and L. dictyophorum (F).

FIGURE 52. Habit of Limonium tabulare from holotype. Bogdanović s.n. (CAT).