Heracleum crenatifolium Boissier (1872: 1045)

Guzel, Yelda & Kayikçi, Samim, 2017, Rediscovery and reinstatement of Heracleum amanum (Apiaceae) based on morphological and carpological data, Phytotaxa 299 (1), pp. 55-65 : 56-58

Heracleum crenatifolium Boissier (1872: 1045) ( Fig. 1 , 3X , 4A , 5A , 6A , 7A )

Synonym: H. davisii Mandenova (1962: 175)

Type: — TURKEY. A7 Trabzon: “in Ponto ad margines sylvae ad Macka supra Trapezuntem [Trabzon] ( Bourg [eau]. exs. sub H. Persico !)” [most probably at GBOIS; not seen due to curatorial work] .

Description: Biennial, 0.7–1.6 m tall, aromatic herb. Stem solitary, 2–3.5 cm diameter below, finely striate-sulcate, glabrous lengthwise. Basal leaves 1–2-pinnate, lamina triangular oblong, at least 40–100 cm long, subglabrous to sparsely pubescent throughout the veins above, more densely pubescent below; primary pinnae 2–4-paired. Terminal leaf 3-lobed to 3-sect. Ultimate lobes of leaves oblong-lanceolate, crenate-dentate to dentate. All leaves with an oblong-lanceolate sheath. Rays 20–50, ± unequal, 4–15 cm in fruiting stage, glabrous. Central umbels sessile or with short peduncle up to 4 cm. Bracts 0. Bracteoles 0–2, lanceolate to filiform. Sepals and petals minute. Petals greenish white. Ovaries adpressed setulose. Stylopodium conical, 0.5–0.7 mm in flower, 0.6–1 mm in fruit. Style 1.5–2 mm in flower, the same length or deciduous in fruit. Mature mericarps obovate-oblong, 8–15 × 6–12 mm, sparsely adpressedsetulose, deeply emarginate, notch depth 1.5–2 mm. Endosperm 3–4.75 × 0.4–1 mm in cross-section, extending up to between dorsal and commissural vittae and separating them from each other, c. 1/3–2/4 of the width of the marginal (outer) dorsal vittae are in contact with commissural surface. Commissural pericarp thick (42 μm) here, dorsal vittae never visible in commissural surface. Dorsal vittae 4, broadly linear-clavate, 0.6–1 mm broad, c. ½ to ¾ as long as mericarp. Commissural vittae 2, broadly linear-clavate 0.5–0.7 mm, ¼ as long as mericarp ( Figs. 1 , 3X , 4A , 5A , 6A , 7A , Table 1)

Flowering time: From May to July.

Examined samples: TURKEY. B9 Bitlis: Reşadiye to Pelli, 2000 m elevation, 6 July 1954, P.H.Davis & O.Poluni n 22382 (holotype of H. davisii : E00002766 & E00002767; isotypes: BM000885448; K000685819). [The holotype of H. davisii is mounted on two clearly connected vouches marked “sheet I” and “sheet II”, being part of a single specimen (Art. 8.3 Ex. 4 of the ICN, McNeill et al. 2012). Heracleum davisii is here treated in synonymy of H. crenatifolium ].

amanum .

Heracleum crenatifolium Heracleum amanum

Leaves Subglabrous to sparsely pubescent throughout the veins Sparsely short-adpressed pubescent above, more densely above, more densely pubescent below short-adpressed pubescent below

Indumentum Glabrous lengthwise Glabrous in the lower part, subglabrous to sparsely pubescent jn the upper part

Central umbel Sessile or with short peduncle up to 4 cm long Pedunculated, with peduncle 5–15 cm long

Dorsal vittae 0.6–1 mm broad, broadly linear-clavate 1–2 mm broad, broadly clavate

Commissural 2 4

vittae ¼ as long as mericarp. Broadly linear-clavate, 0.5–0.7 The two central vittae are ¼ as long as the mericarp; the

mm broad outer two ½ as long as mericarp, broadly clavate, 0.8–1 mm broad

Mericarp shape Obovate-oblong, deeply emarginate; notch depth 1.5–2 Obovate-orbiculate, emarginate, notch depth 1–1.5 mm,

mm, stylopodium 0.6–1 mm stylopodium 1–1.5 mm

Carpological Endosperm 3–4.75 × 0.4–1 mm, extending up to between Endosperm 2.5–3.5 × 0.2–0.6 mm, not extending up differences dorsal and commissural vittae and separate them from to between dorsal and commissural vittae and not each other; c. 1/3–2/4 of the width of the marginal separating them from each other; c. 2/3–6/7 of the width

(outer) dorsal vittae in contact with commissural surface; of the marginal (outer) dorsal vittae in contact with commissural pericarp thick (42 μm);. dorsal vittae never commissural surface.; commissural pericarp thin enough become visible in commissural surface to be translucent (c. 14 μm); dorsal vittae become visible in the commissural surface

Recent collection: TURKEY. A7 Trabzon: Güzelyayla Maçka, 40°40’42.79”N 39°31’56.07”E, 1038 m elevation, 11 July 2015, Y.Güzel & S.Kayikci-25 ( ANK; Herbarium of Mustafa Kemal University). A8 Bayburt: Bayburt-Aşkale Road , banks of the Kop Stream , 40°3’31.03”N 40°26’37.14”E, 1894 m elevation, 11 July 2015, Y.Güzel-804 ( ANK; Herbarium of Mustafa Kemal University ) .

Taxonomic remarks: Although Davis (1972) stated that he saw type collections of H. crenatifolium at K (specimens) and G (photos), we were not able to locate any of those vouchers. The type specimens of H. crenatifolium are most probably housed at GBOIS, where Boissier’s personal herbarium is conserved. However, we had not access to material from Geneva, because of the internal curatorial task (material movements) in the herbarium during the process of writing this paper. Alternatively, we also investigated other herbaria and found at P and K various syntype specimens from Bourgeau’s expedition to Trabzon, but no vouchers of Heracleum were found. Related to this subject, we only reached specimens of H. davisii at E, BM and K, a name which Davis (1972) regarded as a synonym of H. crenatifolium . Indeed, H. davisii can be considered a somewhat smaller variant of H. crenatifolium (may be it seems so because of the immature mericarps in the type collection). Mericarps of H. davisii are elliptic-obovate with linear-clavate dorsal vittae and 2 commissural vittae, as in H. crenatifolium . Also, gross morphology is similar in both species, including glabrous rays and 1–2-pinnate leaves with oblong-lanceolate lobes. All those facts support including H. davisii in synonymy of H. crenatifolium .

Distribution and proposed conservation status: This species is endemic to NE Turkey. According to previous collecting, its known from 4 localities of N.E. and E. Anatolia: A7 Trabzon, Maçka (Type locality); A8 Bayburt, Aşkale to Bayburt, Kop Da. pass, 2400 m, Lamond 2599; B9 Ağri, 15 km from Eleşkirt to Horasan, E. of Tahir pass, 2200 m, D. 47127!; Bitlis: Reşadiye to Pelli, 2000 m, D. 22382 (type of H. davisii )!. We saw only Trabzon and Bayburt populations. We could not find any population in Bitlis province. Since, IUCN Red List criteria B1a ( IUCN, 2016) suggests Vulnerable status for populations that are ‘severely fragmented or known to exist at no more than 10 locations’ we propose labelling H. crenatifolium as Vulnerable (VU).

Habitat observation from recent collection: Mountain meadows or close to streams, 1000-2000 m. Heracleum crenatifolium grows with Picea orientalis (L.) Petermann (1845: 235), Pinus sylvestris Linnaeus (1753: 1000) , Aquilegia olympica Boissier (1841: 360) , Lathyrus aureus (Steven) Bornmüller (1940: 217) , Heracleum platytaenium Boissier (1844: 331) , and Ferula orientalis Linnaeus (1753: 247) , among others.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Heracleum crenatifolium: A) habit; B) sessile central umbel; CU) central umbel.

FIGURE 3. Mericarps of Heracleum crenatifolium (X) and H. amanum (Y). A) dorsal surface; B) commissural surface.

FIGURE 4. Photomicrographs of the mericarps cross-sections: A) Heracleum crenatifolium; B) H. amanum. DV) dorsal vittae; CV) commissural vittae; EN) endosperm; P) pericarp.

FIGURE 5. Micrographs of the mericarpscross-sections.A) Heracleum crenatifolium; B) H.amanum;DV) dorsalvittae;CV) commissural vittae; EN) endosperm; P) pericarp.

FIGURE 6. Cross-sections of the mericarps under the light microscope of Heracleum crenatifolium (A) and H. amanum (B). EN) endosperm; DV) dorsal vittae; CV) commissural vittae; P) commissural pericarp.

FIGURE 7. SEM micrographs of cross-sections of mericarps of Heracleum crenatifolium (A) and H. amanum (B). DV) dorsal vittae; CV) commissural vittae; EN) endosperm; P) pericarp.