Sesleria nitida Tenore (1815b: 20)

Pietro, Romeo Di, Kuzmanović, Nevena, Iamonico, Duilio & Lakušić, Dmitar, 2017, Nomenclatural and taxonomic notes on Sesleria sect. Argenteae (Poaceae), Phytotaxa 309 (2), pp. 101-117 : 106-108

9. Sesleria nitida Tenore (1815b: 20) (alt. ref. Giorn. Encicl. Nap.: 256. 1815c) nom. nov pro. Koeleria coerulea

Tenore (1811: 10) non Sesleria caerulea (Linnaeus 1753: 72) Arduino (1764: 18) ( Fig. 2 ).

Neotype (designated here):— ITALY. Campania: Picentini massif, Mount Cervialto , in montane dry grasslands on limestone substrate, 03 May 2017, Di Pietro, R. & Fortini, P. (HFLA-4165!, isoneotypes BEOU!, FI!, HFLA-4168!, HFLA-4169!).

Protologue information:—None provided.

Nomenclature:— Tenore (1811: 10) described Koeleria coerulea with a short diagnosis, without providing any indication about the habitat, provenance or collection date. We reviewed Tenore’s collections and found five specimens of Sesleria nitida at the herbaria FI, K, MPU, NAP and P. Original labels are: “ Sesleria nitida Ten | In montibus Aprutii, Samnii | M. Tenore ” (FI-007053, image available at http://parlatore.msn.unifi.it/img72/FI007053.jpg), “ Sesleria nitida Ten. | In aprutii montibus ” (K-379680 exsiccatum on the center of the sheet, image at http://www.kew. org/herbcatimg/379680.jpg), “ Sesleria nitida Ten | In pratis montosis Aprutii Majella–Velino– Mte de’ Fiori | Tenore ” (MPU-027462, image at http://www.herbier-mpu.org/zoomify/zoomify.php?fichier=MPU027462). The sheet at NAP bears three specimens with three different labels reporting the following: “ Sesleria nitida | Velino | Valletta di S. Spirito ” (Tenore’s handwriting), “ Sesleria nitida Ten. | M. dei Fiori ” (Orsini’s handwriting), and “ Sesleria nitida Nob. | Matese = Basilicata ” (Gussone’s handwriting). The latter label, corresponding to the plant on the right side of the sheet, can be interpreted as hand-written by G. Gussone, and probably written in different periods based on different writing styles. Gussone first wrote “ Koeleria caerulea Nob. [= Nobis]” in a calligraphic style typical of the young Gussone. Subsequently, he crossed out this name and added “ Sesleria nitida Nob. ” (top of the label) in a calligraphic style more similar to that used in a later stage of his life. The script “ Matese = Basilicata ” (bottom of the label, where “=” is not the mathematical symbol but two hyphens indicating different localities (A. Santangelo and E. Del Guacchio pers. comm.) exhibits a different style and was probably the last one to be added). In fact, the two localities listed on this label [“Matese” and “ Basilicata ”] were quoted by Tenore as “… Matese, di Basilicata ” for the name Sesleria nitida in the 3 rd volume of Flora Napolitana ( Tenore 1824 –1829: 58), published about ten years after the name S. nitida was proposed. At the time of publication of the 3rd volume of Flora Napolitana, only three localities were known for S. nitida : “ Montis Cerealti ” ( Tenore 1815b: 20, 1815c: 256), “… Matese …” and “ Basilicata ” ( Tenore 1824 –1829: 58). It was some years later, in Sylloge Plantarum vascularium florae Neapolitanae, that Tenore (1831: 36) added further localities for S. nitida : “In monitbus Stabiarum: Faito [Mt. Faito, Campania region]; Principato ulterioris: Cerealto [Mt. Cervialto, Campania region]; Samnii: Matese [Matese Mts., Campania region]; Aprutii: Velino; Monte de’ Fiori [Mt. Velino and Montagna dei Fiori, Abruzzo region]”, enlarging northwards the distribution area of the species to include what is now the Abruzzo region.

The specimens at FI, K, MPU and P, which bear plants collected in localities first cited in 1831 in Sylloge Plantarum vascularium florae Neapolitanae, are probably post-1811 additions to the collection, and cannot be considered as part of the original material: they are therefore excluded from consideration for lectotypification. Among the exsiccatae on the NAP sheet, the one associated with Gussone’s label deserves further discussion. According to Pasquale (1871: 33), Gussone collected plants in 1881 in Provinces of Naples (from Castellammare on May 9 and 10 with V. Casale, and from Capri on May 13‒16), and Avellino (from Avellino on June 19 with V. Casale, Montevergine on June 30 and July 1, and Bagnoli Irpinia on July 1 and 12), as well as from “Matese nel Sannio” (on July 1 and 12), which refers to an area currently included in multiple Italian regions, i.e. Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Apulia and Basilicata. Casale & Gussone (1811: 137) clearly indicated they found a Koeleria species in Mt. Cervialto (“…eravamo alla vetta del Monte [Mt. Cerivalto, Province of Avellino], ove fra la neve trovammo una Koeleria nov. sp. ” = “…we were on the top of the mountain, where in the snow we found a Koeleria nov. sp. ”). So, Mt. Cervialto is the first locality cited for Tenore’s Koeleria species (i.e. K. caerulea ), in the same year the taxon was published (1811). Mt. Cervialto can be considered the locus classicus of S. nitida , although it was not cited in the protologue ( Tenore 1815b: 20, 1815c: 256). Unfortunately, Gussone’s label on the sheet at NAP does not include any other locality in addition to “Matese” and “ Basilicata ”, so we cannot unambiguously infer the plant was collected on Mt. Cervialto. Furthermore, given the occurrence on the NAP sheet of the localities “ Matese … Basilicata ”, which were visited by Gussone after 1811 (see e.g., Pasquale 1871: 33, “id. [“1811”] id. [“maggio 1, 12”, which means May, 1 and 12]―Matese nel Sannio”), it is doubtful that these specimens are part of the original material. Since we have not been able to trace any specimens of S. nitida that can be considered part of the original material and designated as lectotype, neotypification is required (Art. 9.7 of ICN). The proposed neotypification by Brullo & Giusso Del Galdo (2006: 44) using Tenore’s illustration published in the 3 rd volume of Flora Napolitana ( Tenore 1824 –1829: Tav. CIII, f. 1; image available at http://www. ortobotaniconapoli.it/paginadimenu.htm) is not effective since the phrase “designated here” (or equivalent) was not indicated (Art. 7.10). Brullo & Giusso Del Galdo (2006: 44) also designated an epitype of Sesleria nitida from CAT (Monti Picentini, sulla vetta calcarea di Mt. Cervialto, 14 May 2002, Brullo, S. & Giusso Del Galdo, G. s.n.). This epitype is not valid because their neotypification is not valid. We intended to designate this same specimen as the neotype, but we were not able to observe this specimen to verify its consistency with the protologue, as the specimen was unavailable at CAT. As a consequence we designate here a specimen in HFLA as the neotype for this name. The neotype was recently collected by one of us in the locus classicus (summit of Mount Cervialto).

Taxonomy:— Brullo & Giusso (2006) proposed to divide S. nitida into three subspecies, two of which ( subsp. sicula and subsp. aprutia ) were new. The subsp. nitida was considered widespread throughout the distributional range of the species (central and southern Apennines) at low altitudes and characterized by wide leaf blades and very long basal sheets. The subsp. sicula was restricted to Sicily and characterized by unequal glumes. The subsp. aprutia was reported as occurring only at high altitudes in the central Apennines and characterized by narrower leaves and glumes, lemmas and paleas shorter than those of the other two subspecies. The neotypus collected on Mount Cervialto is characterized by very wide leaf blades and very long basal sheets so it perfectly matches the main characters of the subsp. nitida . On the basis of the morphological characters used as diagnostic by Brullo & Giusso (l.c.) to distinguish the three subspecies of S. nitida , and our personal observations (Di Pietro & Iamonico) we have noticed a more or less continuous trend of morphological variation between the individuals identified as subsp. nitida and those identified as subsp. aprutia . Especially in the northernmost part of the distribution area of Sesleria nitida (upper Marche Region) where this species comes in contact with the populations of S. italica (this latter being characterized by significantly narrower leaves), the occurrence of individuals with narrow leaves occurring at low altitude is frequently observed. The same happens at relatively low altitude on the Laga mountains, in the Tyrrhenian side of central Italy and in some other places even in southern Italy. It is possible, therefore, that the morphological differential traits associated to the subsp. aprutia could be reported inside the continuous variability of S. nitida . A little more complex is how to interpret the taxonomical value of subsp. sicula being this latter geographically isolated from the other S. nitida populations of the Apennines. It could effectively be treated as a different subspecies in the case the constancy of the diagnostic characters is confirmed enlarging the number of the specimens analysed.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Neotype of the name Sesleria nitida (HFLA-4165).