Limonium albuferae P.P.Ferrer, R.Roselló, M.Rosato, Rosselló & E.Laguna, 2016

Ferrer-Gallego, P. P., Roselló, R., Rosato, M., Rosselló, J. A. & Laguna, E., 2016, Limonium albuferae (Plumbaginaceae), a new polyploid species from the Eastern Iberian Peninsula, Phytotaxa 252 (2), pp. 114-122 : 115-117

Limonium albuferae P.P.Ferrer, R.Roselló, M.Rosato, Rosselló & E.Laguna , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 – 6 , Table 1)

Type:— SPAIN. Valencia: El Saler, Racó de l’Olla, 30SYJ3157, 2 m, 3 August 2012, Ferrer–Gallego & Laguna 013002 (holotype VAL-226811!, isotype BC-879433).

Diagnosis: — Planta perennis (20–) 45–55 cm alt., papillosa, paucicaulis, folia glauco-virentis, (6–)7–11(–13) × (1.8–)2.0–2.8(–3.0), ovato-spatulatis acutis et mucronatis, inflorescentia (4–)10–20(–25) cm longa, spiculis compactis (5–)8–18(–20) mm longis, bractea inferiore 1.8–2 × 1.2–1.7(–1.8) mm longa, bractea media 1.8–2(–2.1) × 0.9–1.1 mm longa, bractea superiore (3.5–)4.0–5.0 × (2.5–)3.0– 3.5 mm longa, calyce 4.3–4.6 mm, ex bractea superiore 1.0– 1.6 mm exserto, petalo violaceo 7.2–7.8 × 2.4–2.7 mm, semina 1.5 × 0.5 mm. Combinatione pollen/stigma: stigma non papillate et pollinis grana reticulo latioribus “A/ non papillate”. Chromosomatum numerum 2n=26.

Description: —Perennial plant (20–) 45–55 cm tall, with 1(–2) stems, glabrous, caudex thick and woody. Basal leaves (6–)7–11(–13) × (1.8–)2.0–2.8(–3.0) cm, the upper ones green-glaucous at anthesis, the lower ones usually withered and persistent (3–)4–7(–9) × (0.5–)0.7–1.7(–2.5) cm. Leaf blade from ovate to spathulate, epidermis rough verrucose with numerous papillae; marked midrib reaching the upper third of the leaf blade, with 2–4 lateral nerves also visible but slender and less marked; apex acute or subacute; apiculum exerted, up to 2.5 mm long; margin membranous about 0.1 mm wide; petiole up to 7 mm wide, reaching between ½ to ¾ of the blade length. Stem (15–)25–45(–50) cm long, erect, straight, glabrous, papillate, 3–4 mm thick. Branching starting from the ½ or ⅔ of the total length of the stem. Inflorescence (4–)10–20(–25) cm long, open or with spikelets densely arranged; shape rombic or lanceolate, with 0–2(–3) short sterile branches. Spikes (5–)8–18(–20) mm, dense, straight or slightly arched downwards, erect– patent. Flowers 3–4 mm wide. Calyx 4.3–4.6 mm, surpassing 1.0– 1.6 mm the inner bract; tube covered with hairs in a single side, glabrous to glabrescent in the other; teeth 0.6–0.8 × 0.7 mm, widely triangular–ovate, obtuse; tube ribs not reaching the base of the teeth. Petals 7.2–7.8 × 2.4–2.7 mm, emarginated, cuneiform, violet. Stigma smooth (cob type). Pollen showing a wide reticulum (A type). Fruit 1.5 × 0.5 mm. Seeds smooth, reddish, 1.5–2.0 mm long, narrowly ovate.

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to the locus classicus, Albufera Natural Park (Valencia province, Spain).

Phenology: —Flowering time, July‒August; fruiting time, July‒October.

Chromosome number: —2 n = 26.

Taxonomic remarks: — Limonium albuferae is a polyploid (triploid) species showing 2 n = 26 chromosomes. The karyotype is composed by three chromosome sets, two showing paired chromosomes from x = 9 and a single set of unpaired x = 8 genome. These features also characterize L. girardianum ( Castro & Rosselló 2007) , suggesting their hybrid origin from reduced and unreduced gametes from 2 n = 16 and 2 n = 18 ancestors. Both species show divergent ideograms, as L. albuferae shows more metacentric chromosomes in both the x = 8 (3 m + 4 sm + 1 st) and x = 9 (7 m + 1 sm + 1 st) genomes than L. girardianum x = 8 (5 m + 2 sm + 1 st) and x = 9 (6 m + 3 sm).

Morphological features also discriminate the new species from L. girardianum , mainly concerning the major robustness, and overall dimensions of leaves, scapes, inflorescences, spikes and spikelets, and the inner bract, and comparative smaller size of the outer and middle bracts of the former. In addition, the plastid haplotype from the trnTtrnL spacer of L. albuferae differs from the three other haplotypes detected in L. girardianum through its distribution area (Rosato et al., unpublished data).

In the past, the new species was mistaken with L. girardianum and related forms. Previous floristic records from the Devesa de la Albufera ( Mansanet 1979) refer to the populations of the new species as L. girardianum subsp. wildenowii ( Poiret 1817: 236) Fournier (1937: 721) . The latter taxon is currently to be applied to L. auriculae-ursifolium ( Pourret 1788: 330) Druce (1928: 77) (Domina 2011), a species occurring to the Western and South-Western coasts of the Iberian Peninsula. L. auriculae-ursifolium differs from L. albuferae by its chromosome number (2 n = 25), and by their longer calyx, and outer, middle and inner bracts ( Table 1). In addition, L. albuferae was earlier interpreted as the hybrid between L. angustebracteatum and L. girardianum ( Erben 1993) , although the morphological features are not intermediate between these species ( Table 1).

Limonium albuferae shows some morphological similarities with L. scopulorum Crespo & Lledó (in Crespo 2009: 178). The latter species grows on rocky coasts, and shows smaller leaves and narrower petioles 1.5–3.0(–4.0) mm width, longer scapes, and smaller spikelet length (with less densely arranged flowers), outer and inner bracts, calyx length and calyx teeth, and petals (Tabla 1).

Distribution, habitat and ecology: —The new species is known so far from two small sites at the Devesa de la Albufera (Racó de l’Olla, and Estany del Pujol; Fig. 6 ). The populations inhabit the saline and sandy soils in Juncetea maritimi Br. -Bl. in Br.-Bl., Roussine & Nègre 1952 communities ( Junco maritimi -Caricetum extensae Géhu 1976), being associated to e.g. Limonium girardianum , L. narbonense , L. virgatum , Juncus maritimus Lamarck (1789: 264) , Scirpus maritimus Linnaeus (1753: 51) , S. holoschoenus subsp. romanus ( Linnaeus 1753: 49) Mateo & Figuerola (1987: 369) .

Conservation status: —The number of know individuals is about 1000. At the Racó de l’Olla site 265 individuals were counted, covering an area of about 160 m 2. The population from Estany del Pujol is larger, including 652 individuals in 855 m 2. On the basis of the criterion D2, L. albuferae can be evaluated as “Vulnerable” ( IUCN 2014). In order to ensure its surviving, the Centre for Forestry Research and Experimentation (CIEF) started in 2012 a recovery programme through propagation by seeds in order to obtain new seeds/plants for its conservation in the CIEF’s Germplasm Bank.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habitus of Limonium albuferae. Voucher: Ferrer–Gallego & Laguna 013002 (Valencia: El Saler, Racó de l’Olla, Valencia, Spain, VAL 226811). Drawing by R. Roselló.

FIGURE 2. Limonium albuferae. (a) spikes and spikelets; (b) outer bract; (c) middle bract; (d) inner bract; (e) calyx at anthesis (left) and at fruit stages (right). Voucher: Ferrer–Gallego & Laguna 013002 (Valencia: El Saler, Racó de l’Olla, Valencia, Spain, VAL 226811). Drawing by R. Roselló.

FIGURE 3. Field habit of Limonium albuferae (a), and details of the inflorescence (b) and spikelets (c). Photo by E. Laguna.

FIGURE 4. Stigma (smooth) and pollen (cob) morphologies of Limonium albuferae. Voucher: Ferrer–Gallego & Laguna 013002 (Valencia: El Saler, Racó de l’Olla, Valencia, Spain, VAL 226811).

FIGURE 5. Somatic metaphase plate of Limonium albuferae showing 2n = 26 chromosomes. Scale bar: 10 μm.

FIGURE 6. Distribution map of Limonium albuferae populations in Devesa del Saler (Racó de l’Olla population, left; and Estany del Pujol population, right). Scale 1/150000 and 1/2000.