Limonium liburnicum Lovrić ex 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

13. Limonium liburnicum Lovrić ex Bogdanović & Brullo , sp. nov.

Type: — CROATIA. Kvarner: Isola di Krk, Rt Škuljica, Kvarner , 30 July 2005, Bogdanović s.n. (holotype CAT!; isotypes CAT!, ZAGR!) ( Figs. 14 , 43 ) .

Diagnosis: — Planta pubescens , densis rosulis foliorum apice caudicularum, foliis rugosis, spathulatis ad obovatospathulatis, retusis, revolutis margine, 1-nervis, scapis numerosis, erectis ad adscendentibus, rugosis, ramis sterilibus numerosis, inflorescentia reticulata, ramosa, spicis rectis ad curvatis, bractea inferiore ovato-triangulare, obtusa, bractea superiore oblongo-ovata, obtusa, calice tubo dense piloso, lobis ovato-triangularibus, acutis.

Description: —Plant perennial, 15–30 cm tall, pubescent (hairs up to 0.1 mm long), with robust tap-root. Caudices branched, 1–1.5 cm long, with dense leaf rosettes at the apex. Leaves rigid, rugose, pubescent, green, 8–25 mm long, 2–5 mm wide, spathulate to obovate-spathulate, retuse, revolute at the margin, 1-nerved, gradually

20 • Phytotaxa 215 (1) © 2015 Magnolia Press

BOGDANOVIĆ & BRULLO tapering into a long petiole. Stems numerous, erect to ascending, rugose, with numerous sterile branches, flexuous, fragile at nodes, very branched, diverging at the angle of 70–180°, internodes 3–20 mm long, right to curved. Inflorescence reticulate, branched from the base; spikes 6–20 mm long, straight to curved. Spikelets 5–5.5 mm long, 2–3 flowered, 8–11 per cm; outer bract 1.2–1.5 mm long, 1.3–1.6 mm wide, ovate-triangular, obtuse, with margin narrowly membranous, glabrous, central part fleshy, hairy, acuminate; middle bract 1.3–1.7 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide, oblong, bifid at the apex, membranous, totally hairy; inner bract 3.2–3.8 mm long, 2.1–2.5 mm wide, oblong-ovate, obtuse, with margin membranous, glabrous, 0.3–0.4 mm wide, and central part fleshy, densely hairy, 1.6–2 mm wide, apiculate, forming a triangular tip, 0.4–0.6 mm long, no reaching the upper margin. Calyx 4–4.2 mm long, exserted 1.8–2.2 mm from the inner bract, densely hairy, with 5 totally hairy ribs, reaching almost the base of the lobes; calyx lobes 0.7 × 0.8 mm, triangular-ovate, acute. Corolla lilac.

Etymology: —From “Liburnia” old name of Kvarner region. The epithet “ liburnicum ” was given to this species by Lovrić (1975, 1988) as nomen nudum.

Distribution and ecology: —This species is known only from the islands of Krk and Sv. Grgur (probably also on the island of Cres) in the Kvarner archipelago (N Adriatic) ( Fig. 28D ). It grows in the high calcareous windswept cliffs, together with other halophilous species and chasmophytes.

Additional specimens examined (Paratypes): — CROATIA. Kvarner: Isola di Krk, Bunculuka, Kvarner , 15 July 2006, BogdanoviĆ s.n. ( CAT!, ZAGR!); Ins. Scoglio di St. Giorgio , 9 July 1888, Poscharsky s.n. ( ZA!) .

Figures

FIGURE 14. Limonium liburnicum. 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. J. Leaf indumentum (adaxial face). K. Leaf indumentum (abaxial face). (Illustration by Salvatore Brullo based on Bogdanović s.n.. type CAT).

FIGURE 28. Geographical distribution of Limonium cancellatum (A). L. istriacum (B). L. lovricii (C). L. liburnicum (D). L. croaticum (E) and L. liberianum (F).

FIGURE 43. Habit of Limonium liburnicum from holotype. Bogdanović s.n. (CAT).