Limonium leprosorum 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

11. Limonium leprosorum Bogdanović & Brullo , sp. nov.

Type: — CROATIA. Southern Dalmatia: Scoglio Gubavac, vicino a Lumbarda, Lorčula , Sud Dalmazia , 27 July 2006, Bogdanović s.n. (holotype CAT!; isotypes CAT!, ZAGR!) ( Figs. 12 , 41 ) .

Diagnosis: — Planta glabra , rosulis foliorum apice caudicularum, foliis rugosis, tuberculatis, interdum laeviter hispida, lineari-spathulatis, retusis, revolutis margine, 1-nerviis, scapis plurimis, prostratis ad adscendentibus, rugoso-scabris, laeviter hispidis inferne, ramis sterilibus numerosis, inflorescentia laxe reticulata, ramosa, spicis rectis ad curvatis, bractea inferiore ovato-triangulare, acuta, bractea superiore oblongo-ovata, subobtusa, calice tubo sparsim piloso, lobis ovato-triangularibus, acutis.

Description: —Plant perennial, 15–20 cm tall, glabrous, with robust tap-root. Caudices branched, 1–3.5 cm long, with leaf rosettes at the apex. Leaves rigid, rugose, tuberculate, glabrous, sometimes slightly hispid, green, 1.2–4 cm long, 1–5 mm wide, linear-spathulate, revolute at the margin, 1-nerved, tapering into a long petiole, retuse at the apex. Stems numerous, prostrate to ascending, striate-rough, minutely tuberculate, slightly hispid below, with numerous sterile branches, flexuous, fragile at nodes, very branched, diverging at the angle of 50–110(–180)°, internodes 5–20 mm long, right to curved. Inflorescence lax reticulate, branched; spikes 1–3 cm long, straight to curved. Spikelets 5–6 mm long, 1–3-flowered, 3–5 per cm; outer bract 1.2–1.5 mm long, 1.1–1.4 mm wide, triangular-ovate, acute, narrowly membranous, glabrous, with central part fleshy, acuminate; middle bract 1.4–2 mm long, 1–1.6 mm wide, hemielliptical, bifid to rounded at the apex, membranous, glabrous; inner bract 3–3.6 mm long, 2–2.7 mm wide, glabrous, oblong-ovate, subobtuse, with margin membranous, 0.3–0.5 mm wide, with central part fleshy, glabrous, 1.4–1.6 mm wide, acuminate, forming a triangular tip, 0.4–0.7 mm long, almost reaching the upper margin. Calyx 3.6–4.8 mm long, exserted 2–2.5 mm from the inner bract, tube sparsely hairy, ribs slightly exceeding the base of the lobes; calyx lobes ovate-triangular, acute, 0.6–0.7 × 0.5–0.7 mm. Corolla lilac.

Etymology: —The epithet is referred to “leprosus”, latin name of leprous, Gubavac in Croatian language.

Distribution and ecology: —This species occurs in some localities of central and southern Dalmatian coast and adjacent islands ( Fig. 30B ). In particular, it was found near Makarska, Pelješac peninsula and island of Korčula included some nearby islets. It grows along the calcareous rocky coast, mainly in very broad tracts, where it is a member of halophilous communities.

Additional specimens examined (Paratypes): — CROATIA. Central Dalmatia: Strandfelsen b. Makarska , June 1913 , Teyber s.n. (W!); Strandfelsen b. Makarska , July 1919 , Teyber s.n. (W!); Macarsca, Dalmatien , 20 August 1873 , s.l. (W!); Makarska, Dalmazia centrale, dopo il parcheggio, litorale roccioso, 5 November 2006 , Brullo, BogdanoviĆ & Giusso s.n. ( CAT!, ZAGR!); Drašnice , dopo Podgora , Dalmazia centrale, litorale roccioso, 5 November 2006 , Brullo, BogdanoviĆ & Giusso s.n. ( CAT!, ZAGR!); Dalmatien , Makarska , August 1957 ,

TAXONOMIC REVISION OF THE LIMONIUM CANCELLATUM GROUP

Phytotaxa 215 (1) © 2015 Magnolia Press • 19 Friedrich 13585 (M!); near Makarska , August–October 1934, Marija JosipoviĆ 74 (K!). Southern Dalmatia : Scoglio Dvije Sestrice , vicino a Orebić, Sud Dalmazia, 27 July 2006, BogdanoviĆ s.n. ( CAT!, ZAGR!); Rt Osičac, penisola Pelješac, sud Dalmazia, 27 July 2006, BogdanoviĆ s.n. ( CAT!, ZAGR!); Süddalmatien, östl. Scoglio Stuppa südl. von Orebić, 17 April 1930, Widder s.n. (M!) .

Figures

FIGURE 12. Limonium leprosorum. 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 adaxial face. K. Leaf abaxial face (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 41. Habit of Limonium leprosorum from holotype. Bogdanović s.n. (CAT).