Stachys hakkariensis Akçiçek & Fırat, 2016

Akçiçek, Ekrem, Firat, Mehmet & Güner, Özal, 2016, Stachys hakkariensis (Lamiaceae), a new species from eastern Anatolia (Turkey) belonging to Stachys sect. Olisia, Phytotaxa 257 (2), pp. 167-173 : 168-171

Stachys hakkariensis Akçiçek & Fırat , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 – 3 )

Stachys hakkariensis is closely related to S. sparsipilosa , but it differs mainly by very branched stems, herbaceous bracts, verticillasters 3–5 with (1–)2(–3) flower, shorter pedicels, calyx ± regular with teeth 1.5–2 mm long with short mucrone, corolla white and nutlets obovoid.

Type:— TURKEY. C 9 Hakkâri: between Şine and Marinus (Çîyayêreş Mountain, Bemro region), rocky slopes, eroded slopes, 37 o 29’53” N, 43 o 27’47” E, 1200 m, 7 July 2015, M.Fırat 32600 (holotype GAZI, isotypes ISTE, VANF, Hb. Akçiçek, Hb. M. Fırat).

Suffrutescent perennial herbs, without basal rosette of leaves. Flowering stems c. 40–80 cm tall, ascending, slender, very much branched, glabrous with sparsely sessile glands. Cauline leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, 0.7–7 × 0.1– 0.3(–0.5) cm, margin entire, apex acute, glabrous with sparsely sessile glands. Floral leaves similiar to cauline leaves, but smaller, linear to linear lanceolate, gradually shorter than verticillasters above, 2–12(–15) mm, margin entire, apex acute.Verticillasters (2–)3–5, remote, (1.2–) 1.5–6 cm distant, (1–)2(–3) flowered. Bracteoles few, minute, setaceous, 1– 2 mm, margin antrorsely hairy. Pedicels 1.5–2 mm long. Calyx ± regular, subcampanulate, 5.5–7.5 mm long, glabrous, mouth scarsely hairy (between calyx teeth); teeth ± equal, triangular-lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm long, c. 1/3 of the tube, slightly recurved, shortly mucronate-tipped (mucrone c. 0.2 mm long). Corolla white, 10–12 mm long, lips streaked and spotted with pink inside, densely short adpressed hairy outside, tube subexserted, annulate, limb bilabiate, upper lip ± 5 mm long, the lower 3-lobed, middle lobe longer than 2 lateral lobes, 4–5 mm long, rounded. Style not exceeding the upper lip, glabrous, apex subequaly bifid into subulate stigmas. Stamens 4, slightly from corolla tube, anthers dithecous, thecae divaricate, filaments flattened and with short swollen hairs near point of attachment to corolla tube. Nutlets obovoid, faintly trigonous, slightly winged near base, blackish brown, 2.5–3 × 1.7–2 mm.

Habitat and ecology:— Stachys hakkariensis grows in rocky and eroded slopes at c. 1150–1200 m with some other interesting plants as Bufonia anatolica Chrtek & Křísa ((1999: 94) subsp. elatior (Chrtek & Křísa) Ekim (2012: 329) , Campanula persica Candolle (1839: 483) , Quercus brantii Lindley (1840: 41) , Ficus carica Linnaeus (1753: 1059) subsp. rupestris (Haussknecht) Browicz (1982: 8) Crataegus pentagyna Waldstein & Kitaibel ex Willdenow (1799: 1006) , Pelargonium quercetorum Agnew (1967: 227) and Vitis vinifera Linnaeus (1753: 202) .

Distribution and conservation status:— Stachys hakkariensis is endemic to Hakkâri province in eastern Anatolia. The new species grows at 1150–1200 m altitudes, where the number of mature individuals is approximately 100 and is known from 2 locations (criteria B2 ab[i.iii]). The habitat of the taxon is threatened by mineral extraction activities, soil erosion and deforestation in the areas. Therefore, it should be regarded as belonging to the IUCN Endangered (EN) threat category ( IUCN 2012).

Etymology and vernaculare name:—The specific epithet is derived from the name of the Hakkâri province where type material was collected. In Hakkâri province, indigenous people use name ‘Xew, Mozik’ for Stachys sp. ( Fırat 2013).

Phenology:—Flowering and fruiting from July to October.

Taxonomic relationships: — Stachys hakkariensis belongs to S. sect. Olisia subsect. Rectae . With the new species, the number of Turkish Stachys species amount to 92, and among these 16 belonging to S. sect. Olisia .

Stachys hakkariensis and the similar S. sparsipilosa , grow in analogue habitats (rocky slopes), but S. sparsipilosa also grows undergrowth of Pinus brutia forest. Stachys hakkariensis differs from S. sparsipilosa in its ascending, very branched and glabrous stem (not erect and simple stem with adpressed pubescence below, cauline leaves linear to linear-lanceolate with entire margin (not narrowly oblanceolate to lanceolate and margin serrate to subentire), floral leaves herbaceous (not with mucronate tip), pedicels 1.5–2 mm long (not 2–4 mm), calyx ± regular (not sub-bilabiate), teeth triangular to lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm long, c. 1/3 as long as the tube (not lanceolate, 2–4 (–6) mm long, ± as long as tube), mucrone c. 0.2 mm (not 1–2 mm) corolla white (not mauve to pale pink), nutlets obovoid, 2.5–3 mm long (not subglobose, 1.7–2 mm long) ( Table 1).

Additional specimens examined: Stachys hakkariensis (paratypes):— TURKEY. C9 Hakkâri: between Peyanis and Marinus (Hare region), slopes, eroded slopes, 37 o 29’ 53” N, 43 o 27’ 47” E, 1150 m, 4 October 2014, M. Fırat 31280 (VANF, Hb. Akçiçek, Hb. M. Fırat).

Stachys sparsipilosa : TURKEY. B5 Kayseri: Talas, 1300 m, Bal. 1856:1090 ( G!, K!) ; C5 Adana: Feke , 10 June 1976, Akman 6118 ( G!) ; Içel: Gülek Boghaz, Region montagneuse, 24 June 1855, Balansa 513 (holotype E! isotypes K!, BM!, W!) ; Içel: Gülek Tepe, 1100 m, Siehe 1896: 444 ( G!) ; Monte Tauro, Kotschy 1836: 443 ( BM!, K!) ; C6 Adana: Yeniköy to Haruniye, 630 m, 12 June 1953, Hub. - Mor. 12567 ( G!) ; Osmaniye: Osmaniye to Fevzipaşa, 23 km E. above Osmaniye, 400 m, 9 May 2015, Hub. - Mor . 14188 ( G!) ; ibid ; 17 July 2013, Akçiçek 5598, Dirmenci & Ö. Güner, ibid ; 22 June 2015, Akçiçek 5808 & Ö. Güner (Hb. Akçiçek) ; Hatay: Yayladağı, towards the Syrian border, hills, 31 May 1997, M. Keskin 1140 ( ISTE!) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Stachys hakkariensis in its natural habitat. A and B: Habit; C and D: Flowers.

FIGURE 2. Stachys hakkariensis (from holotype). A and B: Habit; C: Flowers.

FIGURE 3. Cauline leaves (A, B), calyces (C, D) and nutlets (E, F) of Stachys hakkariensis (A, C, E) and S. sparsipilosa (B, D, F).