Stachys semsurensis Fırat, 2021

Firat, Mehmet, 2021, Stachys semsurensis (Lamiaceae), a new species from AdIyaman province (Turkey) belonging to section Infrarosularis, Phytotaxa 511 (3), pp. 275-282 : 276-279

Stachys semsurensis Fırat , sp. nov. ( Figs. 2 – 3 )

Diagnosis: — Stachys semsurensis very differs from S. cataonica mainly by densely covered with short stalked to subsessile glandular hairs in flowering stems, verticillasters congested into ± globose head, calyx teeth lanceolate-subulate, corolla white, tube excending the calyx and nutlets obovoid, greyish-brown, reticulate.

Type: — TURKEY. C7 Adıyaman (Semsur): Kâhta (Kolik), arround of Nemrut Mountain opposite of Karadut ( Qeredut ), crevices of limestone rocks, 37 o 54’44” N, 38 o 48’55” E, 1142 m, 14 May 2015 , M.Fırat 32525 (holotype VANF, isotypes VANF, HUB and Hb. M. Fırat) .

Description:—Suffrutescent perennial herbs with sterile basal rosettes. Flowering stems 10–20 cm long, slender, usually unbranched, rarely branched above, densely covered with short stalked to subsessile glandular hairs. Basal leaves ovate-oblong, 1.2–3.5 × 1–2.3 cm, margin crenulate-denticulate, apex obtuse, at base subcordate to truncate, hairy as the flowering stem, petiole 0.8–5 cm long. Cauline leaves 1–2 paired, similar to basal leaves but smaller,

8–13 × 7–12 mm, base subcordate to truncate at base, petiole 5–15 mm long. Floral leaves ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 7–20 × 3–10 mm, subsessile to sessile, margin denticulate to subentire, lower exceeding the verticillasters, upper ones equalling or slightly shorter than verticillasters. Verticillasters 3–6, congested into ± globose head, 6–10 flowered. Bracteoles linear-lanceolate to linear-subulate, herbaceous, (1-) 2.5–9 mm, equalling or shorter than calyx tube. Pedicels about 1 mm. Calyx subbilabiate, subcampanulate, 7–10 mm long, hairy like the flowering stem; teeth subequal, lanceolate-subulate, 2–2.5 (-3) mm, 1/2–1/3 × tube, ± erect, softly spinescent tipped, mucro 0.2–0.7 mm long. Corolla white, 12–17 mm long; tube exserted, annulate; limb bilabiate, upper lip 3–4 mm long, oblong, the lower 3-lobed, middle lobe longer than 2 lateral lobes, 5–7 mm long. Stamens 4, slightly exserted from corolla tube. Nutlets obovoid, faintly trigonous, slightly winged near base, 2–2.5 × 1.2–1.7 mm, reticulate, dull, greyish-brown.

Phenology: —Flowering time from May to June, fruiting time from July to August.

Etymology: —The specific epithet is derived from kurdish name of the Semsur (Adıyaman) province where type material was collected.

Distribution:— Stachys semsurensis is endemic to Adıyaman Province (Semsur), Turkey. It is an element of the Irano-Turanian floristic region ( Fig. 1 ).

Vernacular name: — Stachys semsurensis is called “Devken” in Kurdish by the local people of Adıyaman (Semsur) Province. In Adıyaman province, indigenous people use name ‘Xew, Mozik’ for Stachys sp. ( Fırat 2013) .

Habitat and ecology:— Stachys semsurensis grows on crevices of limestone rocks and blocky cliffs, at c. 1100– 1200 m elevation, with other interesting plants such as Ficus carica Linnaeus , Centaurea urvillei Candolle , Onosma sericea Boissier , Poa bulbosa Linnaeus , Crupina crupinastrum (Moris) Visiana and Cerasus tortuosa Boissier & Haussknecht.

Red list assesment: — Stachys semsurensis only occurs on the arround of Nemrut mountain opposite of Karadut (Qeredut) (Kahta/ Adıyaman) and can be considered endemic to south-eastern Anatolia. It represents an Irano-Turanian mountain element. The distribution area of S. semsurensis covers less than 20,000 km 2. The species was collected from one locality where about 5000 individuals occur. Some anthropogenic effects were observed on the population. According to the IUCN (2017) criteria and categories, author here assess S. semsurensis as Vulnerable (VU).

Taxonomic relationships: — Stachys semsurensis belongs to section Infrarosularis . With this new species, the number of Turkish Stachys species increases to 90, of which 11 belong to section Infrarosularis . The section is endemic of Turkey, and is distributed in south and adjacent inner Anatolia (except for S. choruhensis ).

Stachys semsurensis resembles S. cataonica , but differs from it in some diagnostic characters. It is distinguished from S. cataonica by densely covered with short stalked to subsessile glandular hairs indumentum, ovate-oblong, subcordate to truncate and longer petioled basal leaves (0.8–5 cm vs. 1.5–3 cm), congested into ± globose head and less flowered verticillasters (6–10 flowered vs. 8–12 flowered), linear-lanceolate to linear-subulate and longer bracteoles (2.5–9 mm vs. 3–6.5 mm), lanceolate-subulate calyx teeth (not triangular-lanceolate), white corollas (not yellowish), obovoid, dull, greyish-brown and larger nutlets (2–2.5 × 1.2–1.7 mm vs. 2 × 1.2 mm). Stachys semsurensis resembles also Stachys citrina Boissier & Heldreich (1848: 490) in having its congested into ± globose head verticillasters, but clearly distinguished from S. citrina by ovate-oblong and base subcordate to truncate basal leaves. Stachys semsurensis is similar to other species of section Infrarosularis [( Stachys amanica Davis (1951: 108) , Stachys cataonica , Stachys gaziantepensis M. Dinç & S. Doğu (2015: 632) , Stachys ketenoglui Kaynak, Daşkın & Yılmaz (2009: 238) , Stachys marashica Ilçim, Çenet & Dadandı (2008: 151) , Stachys petrokosmos Rechinger (1949: 40) , Stachys pumila Banka & Sol (1794: 255) and Stachys rupestris Montbret & Aucher (1836: 49) ] in having its ovate-oblong and base subcordate to truncate basal leaves, but differs from them by its congested into ± globose head verticillasters. Also, Stachys semsurensis strikingly differs from all species of the section by the following features: flowering stems densely covered with short stalked to subsessile glandular hairs; Corolla white. The diagnostic characters of the two species are summarized in Table 1.

Additional specimens examined:— Stachys semsurensis (paratype): TURKEY. C7 Adıyaman (Semsur): Kahta (Kolik), around of Nemrut mountain opposite of Karadut (Qeredut), crevices of limestone rocks, 37 o 54’44” N, 38 o 48’55” E, 1142 m, 26 July 2016, M.Fırat 32774 (VANF and Hb. M. Fırat) (in fruit). C7 Adıyaman (Semsur): Kahta (Kolik), around of Nemrut Mountain opposite of Karadut (Qeredut), crevices of limestone rocks, 37 o 54’44” N, 38 o 48’55” E, 1130 m, 11 May 2017, M.Fırat 33756 (paratypes VANF and Hb. M. Fırat). Stachys cataonica : TURKEY B6 Malatya, Akçadağ, Akçadağ-Darende, Kalkfelsen 9 km to Akçadağ, 1350 m, 19 June 1949, Huber-Morath 8960 (holo. Hb. Hub.Mor!). B6 Malatya, Darende, Ağılbaşı town, 1650 m, 15 August 2005, H. Yıldırım 338 (EGE!), B6 Malatya, Darende-Akçadağ, 1525 m, 19 June 1954, Davis 21902 (ANK!), C7 Adıyaman, Gölbaşı district, around of Balkar town, 950 m, 22 July 2004, A. Ilçim 1572 (KSUH!) (in fruit).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Geographical distribution map of Stachys section Infrarosularis in Turkey.

FIGURE 2. Stachys semsurensis: A. habitat, B–C. habit, D. basal leaves, E. inflorescence (calyx, corollas and bracteoles), F. calyx and corolla, G. nutlet.