Silene microsperma subsp. maritima (Boiss.) Eggens, F.Jafari & Oxelman, comb. et, 2020

Eggens, Frida, Jafari, Farzaneh, Thollesson, Mikael, Crameri, Simon, Zarre, Shahin & Oxelman, Bengt, 2020, Phylogeny and species delimitation in Silene sect. Arenosae (Caryophyllaceae): a new section, PhytoKeys 159, pp. 1-34 : 1

8c. Silene microsperma subsp. maritima (Boiss.) Eggens, F.Jafari & Oxelman, comb. et stat. nov.

≡ Silene kotschyi Boiss. var. maritima Boiss., Flora Orientalis, 1: 1867. Type: [Turkey], in arenosis maritimis Ciliciae ad Mersina, 2 June 1855, B. Balansa 801 (lectotypes, designated here: G-BOIS! [G00544628]; isolectotypes: G! [G00378630, G00378631], K! [K000728449], JE! [JE00016142, JE00016143], L [L.1713650], WAG! [WAG0004032])

Description.

5.0-20.0 cm tall, spreading. Stem pubescent in lower part, scabrous, pubescent with sessile glands in upper part; with 5-8 distinct internodes, the uppermost internode (0.5-)1.0-3.0 cm long and obviously longer than the next upper internode. Basal leaves oblanceolate 10.0-30.0 × 1.0-3.0 mm, pubescent. Cauline leaves oblanceolate 10.0-30.0 × 1.0-3.0 mm, pubescent. Calyx 13.0-15.0 mm long, campanulate at anthesis and clavate in fruit, pubescent; teeth unequal; shorter ones 2.0-3.0 mm, lanceolate, acuminate; longer ones 2.0-4.0 mm, lanceolate, acuminate marginal hairs long (longer than 0.5 mm), dense. Inflorescence non-divaricate, branch axile (much) less than 90°. Petal claws 6.0-7.5 mm long, ciliate; limbs 5.0-6.5 mm long, bifid, upper-surface white, lobes oblong, petal limbs cleft to middle or more, lower-surface white; coronal scales 0.9-1.5 mm long, ovate, apex laciniate or dentate. Anthophore 5.0-6.0 mm long, tomentose or puberulent. Anthers exserted; filaments 6.0-9.0 mm long, sparsely pubescent. Styles slightly exserted. First pedicel 1.0-2.0 cm early flower, 1.0-2.0 cm in fruit, erect, glabrous, apex antrorse. Capsule 6.0-8.0 mm long, oblong, fragile, opaque. Seeds 0.7-0.9 mm wide, 0.4-0.7 mm high, testa smooth.

Distribution and habitat.

Mediterranean coasts of the Içel, Adana, and Hatay provinces (Turkey) and N Syria (Fig. 7 ). Growing on seashores.

Notes.

This taxon is readily recognized by its small size, oblanceolate leaves, and relatively long calyx. It is also characteristically tomentose. The exposed habitat (seashores) results in the calyx primary veins often to be reddish. Even though it resembles S. exsudans in size, habitat, leaf shape and indumentum, it is readily distinguished from this taxon by its longer (13-15 mm) calyx with longer lanceolate teeth (see also notes about S. exsudans ). The two taxa are allopatric.

The ITS and rps16 sequences of this subspecies are included in phylogenetic analyses, where this taxon is unresolved among others subspecies in the species and ITS trees except for the rps16 phylogeny.

Figures

Figure 7. Distribution map of S. sect. Arenosae. Each color code corresponds to one taxon: A S. arenosa B S. austroiranica C S. chaetodonta D S. exsudans E S. georgievskyi F S. leyseroides G S. linearis H S. microsperma subsp. cypria I S. microsperma subsp. maritima J S. microsperma subsp. microsperma K S. microsperma subsp. modesta L S. striata.