Ziziphora clinopodioides subsp. brevistamina A.Haloob, 2023

Dirmenci, Tuncay, Haloob, Ali, Celep, Ferhat & Ghazanfar, Shahina A., 2023, Contributions to Ziziphora clinopodioides (Lamiaceae) in Turkey and Iraq, Phytotaxa 592 (3), pp. 279-293 : 282-284

Ziziphora clinopodioides subsp. brevistamina A.Haloob , subsp. nov. ( Figs. 2 & 3 ).

Type :— IRAQ. S. Pir Omar Gudrun, mountainside, 2000 m, 6 June 1948, A.Rawi 12031 (holotype BAG!). ( Fig. 3 ) .

Diagnosis: —Affinis subsp. kurdica (Rech.f.) Rech. f. sed foliis ovato-orbiculatis, calyce minus quam 4.5 mm longo, staminibus a corollae fauces non exsertis, stylo staminibus longiore differt ( Figs. 2A–E )

Description: —Stem ascending or decumbent, 15‒20 cm tall, branched from base and upper half, densely pubescent-villous with white eglandular hairs. Leaves ovate-suborbicular or lanceolate, 4‒10 × 4‒7 mm, base rounded, apex acute or obtuse, pubescent with white eglandular hairs and sessile yellow glands; petiole c. 1 mm long. Inflorescences in a dense terminal head, verticillasters many-flowered; bracts petiolate, ovate-lanceolate, 3‒7 × 1‒4 mm; bracteoles minute, subulate-linear, 1‒2 mm long; pedicel c. 1 mm long. Calyx slightly bilabiate, tubular, 4‒4.5 mm long, 13-veined, green-whitish, throat hairy, upper lip 3-toothed, 1 mm long, subequaling 2-toothed lower lip, slightly dense white pubescent-hirsute outside with eglandular hairs and sessile yellow glands. Corolla c. 7 mm long, creamy-white with purple dots on lower lip (in dry specimens), with sessile yellow glands on outside of lips. Stamens not exserted from corolla throat, the anterior pair fertile, not coherent laterally, the posterior stamens absent. Style longer than stamens.

Ziziphora clinopodioides subsp. brevistamina is easily distinguished from other Z. clinopodioides subspecies in its short stamens not exserted from the corolla throat. Morphologically the new subspecies resembles subsp. kurdica ( Rechinger 1951: 167) Rechinger (1982: 487) , including the ascending or decumbent stem and slightly dense white pubescent-hirsute eglandular hairs outside the calyx; but it differs in its ovate to suborbicular or lanceolate leaves, calyx 4‒4.5 mm long, and stamens not exserted from corolla throat ( subsp. kurdica has ovate or elliptic-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate leaves, calyx 5‒6 mm long, and the stamens exserted from corolla throat). It differs in the indumentum of calyx and longer stems from subsp. elbursensis ( Rechinger 1951: 169) Rechinger (1982: 487) . The new subspecies is different from subsp. rigida (Boissier 1879: 586) Rechinger (198: 483), subsp. szowitsii ( Rechinger 1951: 166) Rechinger (1982: 484) and subsp. ronnigeri ( Nábĕlek (1926: 46)) Rechinger (1982: 485) in its ascending or decumbent stems. From subsp. pseudodasyantha ( Rechinger 1951: 167) Rechinger (1982: 485) and subsp. filicaulis ( Rechinger 1951: 167) Rechinger (1982: 486) by its short and slightly dense calyx hairs, and from subsp. afghanica ( Rechinger 1951: 169) Rechinger (1982: 488) and subsp. bungeana (Juzepczuk 1954: 664) Rechinger (1982: 487) by its ovate-suborbicular leaves, short pedicel (c. 1 mm long) and, calyx 4‒4.5 mm long.

Habitat: —Mountain sides; elev. 1800‒2000 m; fl. & fr. June to July.

Disitribution: —It is an endemic plant to northern Iraq ( Fig. 4 ). Very rare, found twice in one location in the southern sector of the thorn-cushion zone of Iraq.

Examined specimens: — IRAQ. MSU: S. Pir Omar Gudrun , mountainside, 2000 m, 6 June 1948 , A. Rawi 12031 ( BAG!); Pir Omar Gudrun, 1800 m, 7 June 1948 , A.Rawi 12087 (Paratype, BAG!) .

Rawi noted the Kurdish name GIAPAPULA or NA’NA’ on the sepecimen labels (Kurd., Pir Omar Gudrun, A.Rawi 12031 & 12087).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Z. clinopodioides subsp. brevistamina A. & B. Leaves, C. Flower, D. Calyx, E. Opened corolla.

FIGURE 3. Holotype of Ziziphora clinopodioides subsp. brevistamina (A.Rawi 12031, BAG!)

FIGURE 4. Distribution map of Ziziphora clinopodioides subsp. brevistamina in Iraq.