Diplotaxis virgata subsp. tenuirostris (Maire) Martínez-Laborde 2018

Martínez-Laborde, Juan B., 2018, Taxa related to Diplotaxis virgata (Brassicaceae) in northwest Africa, Phytotaxa 371 (3), pp. 205-216 : 208-209

Diplotaxis virgata subsp. tenuirostris (Maire) Martínez-Laborde , stat. nov.

Basionym:— D. catholica ( Linnaeus 1767: 440) Candolle (1821b: 632) subsp. siifolia ( Kunze 1846: 685) Maire in Jahandiez & Maire (1932: 282) var. tenuirostris Maire (1938: 405) .

Lectotype (designated here):— MOROCCO. Region Béni Mellal-Khénifra : In arvis prope Dechera Braksa ad septentr. urbis Oued-Zem, c. 600 m, solo siliceo, 10 April 1937, Maire s.n. ( MPU!).

≡ D. virgata subsp. virgata var. cavanillesiana f. tenuirostris (Maire) Nègre (1960: 62) .

≡ D. catholica subsp. eu-catholica Maire in Jahandiez & Maire (1932: 282) var. rivulorum ( Braun-Blanquet & Maire 1925: 23) Maire (1938: 405) f. tenuirostris (Maire) Maire (1965: 284) .

= D. virgata subsp. rivulorum (Braun-Blanq. & Maire) Martínez-Laborde (1988: 314 , unpublished; Gómez-Campo 1990: 22), comb. inval.

= D. catholica var. rivulorum sensu Gómez-Campo (1978: 18) , non (Braun-Blanq. & Maire) Maire (1938: 405).

Annuals, 15–60 cm (up to 2.0 m) tall. Stems erect, foliose, ± hirsute at least basally, with rather stiff, patent to slightly retrorse hairs 0.5–1.2 mm long, apically glabrous or with few, somewhat retrorse hairs. Leaves hairy to glabrescent, hairs 0.2–1.2 mm, frequently ± reclining; basal leaves up to 30 cm long, petiolate, blade elliptic, ovate or obovate in outline, dentate or lobate to deeply pinnatisect, with (2–)4–6 pairs of elliptic to oblong, narrowed towards their base, entire to lobate lateral segments, the terminal segment larger; cauline leaves all similar, smaller, with fewer elliptic, ± acute lateral segments, the terminal segment ovate, sometimes lobate at base, attenuate; the uppermost leaves sessile, linear to elliptical. Racemes sometimes bracteate at base. Sepals 3.5–5.0 × 1–2 mm, usually with few to many patent to erect, stiff hairs 0.3–1.0 mm long, median sepals cucullate. Petals (6.5–)8–10 × (2.8–) 4–5 mm, yellow, with distinct claw 2.5–3.0 mm long, and obovate to oblong limb. Median stamens 5.5–6.5 mm, lateral stamens 3–4 mm, anthers 1.5–2.5 mm. Ovary with (20–)30–60(–77) ovules per locule. Fruiting pedicels 7–15(–26) mm, suberect to subpatent, ± hirsute. Siliques (21–)25–37(–47) × 1.5–2.3 mm, erect-patent to patent, rarely suberect, elliptic to oblong in outline, flattened; carpophore (0.1–)0.3–0.6(–1.1) mm; valves subtorulose; stylar segment (1.5–)2.5–4.0(–6.3) mm (equivalent to ± 1/10–1/5 of the total length of the silique), linear to attenuate, 1- to 3-veined, containing 1–2 seeds (or aborted ovules), stigma 1.0– 1.3 mm diam., usually wider than the stylar segment, depressed, V-shaped. Seeds in 2 rows per locule, 0.75–0.85 × 0.6–0.7·mm, ellipsoid to ovoid.

Distribution and habitat: — D. virgata subsp. tenuirostris is endemic to Morocco. It is mostly distributed across the western and central plateau, extending approximately from Fès and Taza (Region Fès-Mèknes) in the north to Béni Mellal and Benguerir (Region Marrakech-Safi) in the south.

Additional specimens examined:— MOROCCO. Region Fès-Mèknes: Jbel Jalaph, above Fez, 300–400 m, 12 April 1971, Davis 51194 ( BM, E) ; Camping de Fes , 350 m, 3 June 1971, Boquet & al. 10337 ( BM) ; Au N de Taza, 19 April 1924, Humbert s.n. ( MPU). Region Rabat-Salé-Kénitra: Ez-Zhiliga , 27 April 1987, Martínez-Laborde 344 ( MA 01-00916854 ) ; Hadra, Maïat , 19 February 1951, Nègre 966 ( RAB 18006 ) ; Souk Tleta du Rharb, in wheat field, 1 March 1982, Smith 28 ( RNG). Region Béni Mellal-Khénifra: Beni Amir, 1 April 1949, Nègre s.n. ( MPU) ; ibidem, 1 April 1949, Sauvage 7141 ( RAB 17993 ) ; ibidem, Domaine de la Sacima, 9 March 1952, Nègre 1947 ( RAB 18009 ) ; Bled el Harcha, 2 km NNE de l’Azib , 23 March 1953, Nègre 3245 ( MPU) ; Kasba Tadla , 17 March 1927, leg.? ( RAB 17995 ) ; 9 km al N de Kasba Tadla , 3 May 1986, Martínez-Laborde 324 ( MA 01-00916853 ) ; ± 10 km de Oued Zem hacia Fquih Ben Salah, 27 April 1987, Martínez-Laborde 343 ( MA 01-00916883 ). Region Marrakech-Safi: Koudiat es Sloughi, â 5 km au S du signal 547 et 15 km à l’est de Benguerir , 27 November 1951, Nègre 767 ( G, K, RAB 18005 ) ; ibidem, 27 February 1951, Nègre 1091 ( RAB 18014 ) ; E de Benguerir hacia El Kelaa des Sraghna , 25 April 1987, Martínez-Laborde 341 ( MA 01- 00916884 ) ; 54 km N de Marrakech , 25 April 1987, Martínez-Laborde 342 ( MA 01-00916880 ) ; Piste de Sidi Bou-Heddaj à Sidi Abd er Rahmane , 23 March 1953, Nègre 3231 ( RAB 18004 ). Specimens obtained from cultivated material . SPAIN. Madrid: Ciudad Universitaria, spring 1985, Martínez-Laborde 356, culta ex semina BGV-UPM 3644 ( MA 01- 00916881 ) ; ibidem, spring 1985, Martínez-Laborde 357, culta ex semina BGV-UPM 3644 ( MA 01-00916882 ) .

Cultivated material: —BGV-UPM 3644, BGV-UPM 7479, BGV-UPM 7480, BGV-UPM 7509, BGV-UPM 7525, BGV-UPM 7526, BGV-UPM 7530, BGV-UPM 7531, BGV-UPM 7532, BGV-UPM 7533, BGV-UPM 7535.

Observations: —This taxon includes populations growing principally in central Morocco and resembling Iberian D. virgata mainly in being ± hirsute, with hairs mostly patent on stems, that tend to be somewhat retrorse in Moroccan plants, while those on leaves are also patent in Iberian plants, but to some extent reclining towards the leaf apex in Moroccan material. Besides, they have generally longer siliques and V-shaped (instead of capitate) stigmata.

Note 1: —This plant was at first erroneously named D. catholica var. rivulorum or D. virgata subsp. rivulorum ( Gómez-Campo 1978, 1990, Martínez-Laborde 1988), but examination of the type material of D. rivulorum Braun-Blanquet & Maire (1925: 23) [ MOROCCO. Region Béni Mellal-Khénifra: Plaine de Mrirt, 15 February 1915, Dr. Nain s.n. (MPU!); Region Fès-Mèknes: Azrou, Plaine du Tigrira, 27 March 1923, Maire s.n. (MPU!); Plaine Azrou, April 1923, G. et J. Braun-Blanquet s.n. (MPU!)] has shown that it is a different plant, much closer to D. catholica (if not a synonym).

Note 2: — Nègre (1960) appropriately transferred Maire’s var. tenuirostris to D. virgata as f. tenuirostris , but the material he cited also included specimens belonging to other taxa (see below) and even to the genus Erucastrum [ MOROCCO. Region Fès-Mèknes: Aïne Cheggag, February 1913, Mouret 1803 and Mouret 1974 (P!); Sidi-Abdallah, entre Taza et Fès, 24 March 1921, Maire s.n. (MPU!)]. On the other hand, some specimens cited by him under D. virgata f. platystylos belong, however, to D. virgata subsp. tenuirostris .