Senecio scopolii subsp. floccosus (Bertoloni) Greuter (2003: 248)

Calvo, Joel, Álvarez, Inés & Aedo, Carlos, 2015, Systematics of Senecio section Crociseris (Compositae, Senecioneae), Phytotaxa 211 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

6b. Senecio scopolii subsp. floccosus (Bertoloni) Greuter (2003: 248) . Arnica floccosa Bertoloni (1822: 36) , replaced name. Senecio lanatus subsp. floccosus (Bertoloni) Arcangeli (1882: 346) . Senecio tenorei Pignatti (1977: 56) , replacement name, non Senecio floccosus Britton (1892: 264) . TYPE: Italy, Lazio, Rieti, Pizzo di Sivo, [42º40'N 13º20'E], 1818, A. Orsini 90 (lectotype, designated here, BOLO image!, right hand specimen).

Senecio doronicum var. pseudoarachnoideus Fiori (1903: 218) [“pseudo-arachnoideus”]. TYPE: Italy, Abruzzo, montis Cornu (Gran Sasso Corno Grande, supra Campo Pericoli), [42º27'N 13º33'E], 21 Aug 1875, E . Levier s.n. (lectotype, designated here, FI!) .

Plants usually subscapose, scarcely leaved on the stem. Leaves obovate, rarely lanceolate, rounded to attenuate, usually subcoriaceous, green, with scabrid-arachnoid trichomes. Apex of the involucral bracts sometimes with a black spot. Chromosome number: unknown.

Distribution and habitat: — Italy; subalpine and alpine meadows, rocky slopes, edge of woods of Fagus sylvatica , on calcareous soils; elevations of 1100–2400 m ( Figure 10 ).

32 • Phytotaxa 211 (1) © 2015 Magnolia Press

CALVO ET AL.

Phenology: —Flowering from June to August.

Discussion: —Since Bertoloni described Arnica floccosa in 1822, the concept of this taxon has changed over time depending on the authors. Moreover, the vague geographic delimitation and its intraspecific variability make the circumscription more complicated. According to Fiori (1903), who recognized this taxon under the name S. doronicum var. pseudoarachnoideus , it sometimes grows mixed with S. scopolii subsp. scopolii . Nonetheless, the diagnostic characters mentioned above are usually useful to distinguish these species from each other.

As we commented under S. doronicum , S. scopolii subsp. floccosus also has its area of distribution overlapping with that of S. doronicum subsp. orientalis . Taking into account that some specimens display a combination of characters characteristic of S. scopolii (e.g., a single capitulum per plant) and S. doronicum (e.g., supplementary bracts with less indumentum and keeled involucral bracts with an apical black spot), S. scopolii subsp. floccosus might be of hybrid origin. See Calvo et al. (2013) for more details and phylogenetic approach.

We have already commented that this taxon could be confused with S. eriopus from southern Spain and northwestern Rif ( Morocco) because of their arachnoid-lanate involucre. The taxon under consideration could also share the ovate to obovate leaves, but in this case the indumentum of the leaves is another important diagnostic character (arachnoid-floccose in S. eriopus vs. scabrid-arachnoid in S. scopolii subsp. floccosus ).

Selected specimens examined. ITALY. Abruzzo: L'Aquila, Campo Imperatore , 42º26’N, 13º33’E, 30 June 2002, C . Aedo et al. 8287 ( MA); Pizzo di Sivo , 42º40’N, 13º20’E, T . Caruel s.n. ( G); Montes Cavallo, Magilla in Aprutio , 42º8’N, 14º5’E, Aug 1875, H . Groves s.n. ( FI); Val di Canella, Monte Amaro , 42º5’N, 14º5’E, 10 Aug 1874, H . Groves s.n. ( FI); Gran Sasso, M . Corno , 42º28’N, 13º33’E, July 1905, M . Guadagno s.n. ( MA); montis Corno, suprà Pietra Camele , 42º29’N, 13º33’E, 27 Aug 1856, A . Huet de Pavillon & E . Huet de Pavillon 360 ( G); regionis alpina editioris montis Majella (lat. oriental in Vall. Canella ), 42º5’N, 14º7’E, 10 Aug 1874, E . Levier s.n. ( FI); mont. elatior sub-alpin Mt. Cornu , 42º26’N, 13º42’E, Oct 1851, A . Orsini s.n. ( FI); in Aprutii montibus, Pizzo di Sivo , 42º40’N, 13º20’E, 1859, F . Parlatore s.n. ( MO) . Marche: Mt. Sibyllae, 42º53’N, 13º12’E, June 1845, D. Marzialetti s.n. ( FI); Apennin central, refuge du Mte. Vettore , 42º50’N, 13º16’E, 30 July 1975, P . Ozenda s.n. ( G); M . Vettore (Umbria), 42º49’N, 13º16’E, 3 July 1877, R . Ricci s.n. ( FI); limite lungo prope Caldarola , 43º5’N, 13º11’E, 15 June 1879, R . Ricci s.n. ( FI) .

Figures

FIGURE 10. Distribution map for Senecio scopolii Hoppe & Hornschuch subsp. scopolii (▲) and S. scopolii subsp. floccosus (Bertoloni) Greuter (○).