Limonium quinnii M.B. Crespo & Pena-Martín, 2013

Limonium quinnii M.B. Crespo & Pena-Martín View in CoL , sp. nov.

Type   GoogleMaps :— GREECE. Dodecanese Islands, Rhodes, Kallithea, Faliraki, Anthony Quinn Bay , 36º19’13”N, 28º12’28”E (UTM: 35SPA084201), in crevices of calcareous maritime cliffs, 3 m a.s.l., 10 September 2011, Crespo & Pena-Martín s.n. (holotype ABH!) GoogleMaps

( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2 A–F View FIGURE 2 ).

Diagnosis: — Species insignis ad Limonium ammophilonem, “ L. spreitzenhoferi ” et “ L. grabusae ” [see discussion below for these latter two names] affinis sed eis pluribus characteribus bene distincta et facile distinguitur. A priore insuper differt caulibus parce aspero-tuberculatis; foliis angustioribus stricte hialino-marginatis; ramis magis delicatis; spicae multo longiores (ad 15 cm longis), spiculis glaberrimis, vulgo 1–3-floribus, majoribus, remotissimis (plerumque ad 1 pro centimetro); calycibus majoribus (7–8 mm longis), glaberrimis, post anthesin profunde laceratis. A posterioribus duabus insuper multo discrepat foliis lineari-oblanceolatis, manifeste angustioribus et parce tuberculatis; ramis sterilibus magis numerosis, et bracteis interioribus spicularum longioribus. Ad Limonium subg. Limonium pertinent.

Description: —Perennial plant, 15–40 cm tall, glabrous, with many or few stems, slightly rough, sparsely covered by whitish crateriform tubercles which are depressed in the central part. Caudicles 3–15 cm long, with many long branches, and densely leafy in the upper part. Uppermost leaves of the rosette green at the anthesis phase, lowermost ones brown-reddish and persistent after withering, weakly tuberculate, (8–)10–30 × 1–2.5 mm, mostly narrowly linear-oblanceolate, 1-nerved, acute at the apex and shortly awned (awn up to 0.3 mm long), with margins usually entire (sometimes slightly crenate), and a narrow hyaline edge, shortly petiolated (petiole 1–2 mm wide, 1/2–3/4 as long as the blade). Lower cauline leaves scale-like, dark brown, 1–2.5 mm long, broadly triangular-acuminate. Stems (5–) 10–35 cm long, erect, branched almost from the base; branches distichously arranged, erect-patent to subarched, rigid, with short secondary branchlets, those of the lower third sterile and shorter, up to 5 cm long. Inflorescence paniculate, not articulate, obtrullate to rhombic in shape, rarely subsecund. Spikes (3–) 6–15 cm long, commonly secund. Spikelets 9–10 mm long, 1–3(–4)- flowered, remotely disposed less than 1 per cm (up to 2 per cm towards the apex). Outer bract 2–2.5 × 1–2 mm, broadly triangular-ovate, dark brown, acute, shortly acuminate in the middle part, with a broad membranous margin including the acumen. Middle bract 2–3 × 1–2 mm, oblong, hyaline-membranous. Inner bract 7–8 × 3–4 mm, elliptic-obovate, shortly acuminate in the middle part (acumen up to 0.2 mm long), with a broad margin (0.9–1.4 mm) including the acumen. Calyx 7–8 mm long, glabrous, exceeding inner bract about 2–3 mm; limb as long as the tube or slightly shorter, clearly lacerate soon after anthesis into curved lobes up to 3 mm long; teeth about 0.5 mm long, triangular, acute; tube ribs ending above the teeth base. Corolla infundibuliform, 3.5–4.5 mm in diameter. Petals 8.5–10.5 × 1.5–2 mm, cuneate, entire to shallowly emarginate at the apex, pale violet. Stigmata filiform, covered with wide and rounded papillae [type “cob” according to Baker (1948, 1953)]. Pollen grains very coarsely reticulate [type “A” according to Baker (1948, 1953)].

Etymology:—The epithet quinnii refers to the Anthony Quinn Bay, the type locality in Rhodes Island (eastern Aegean Sea).

Ecology and distribution:— Limonium quinnii grows in crevices of high calcareous maritime cliffs, in which it usually occupies a first-line topographical position under very stressful conditions, because of the effect of both the abrasive wind and the spray of sea water. Flowering from July to September; fruiting from August to October. The species is only known from the sorroundings of Anthony Quinn Bay, near Faliraki in the northeastern coast of Rhodes Island, Greece, and it can be considered endemic ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ).

Breeding system:—The analysis of pollen-stigma combinations demonstrated that L. quinnii is monomorphic. The only one found was ‘ type A’, a self-incompatible combination (e.g. Baker 1948, 1953; Erben 1978, 1979) with ‘A’ pollen grains and ‘cob’ stigmata. This breeding system together with an abundant seed-set in wild populations suggests that L. quinnii is most likely an apomictic species.

Taxonomical notes:— On the basis of the morphological features, Limonium quinnii can be included in subgenus Limonium (sensu Lledó et al. 2005) and in particular in the L. palmare aggregate (sensu Greuter et al. 1989: 335–336). L. ammophilon ( Papatsou & Phitos 1975: 203) Domina (2011b: 131) can be considered a close relative (it was described from Giali island, which is also located in the Dodekanisos area ). Nonetheless , important differences exist allowing easy segregation ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 ). L. quinnii is more delicate in all its parts, with thinner branches; stems weakly rough, loosely covered with small tubercles; leaves narrower, linearoblanceolate, acute, up to 2.5 mm wide; spikes longer, up to 15 cm long, bearing spikelets glabrous, bigger, remotely disposed, mostly up to 1 per cm, usually with 1–3 flowers; inner bract with a broad hyaline margin; calyx larger, 7–8 mm long, glabrous, with the limb deeply lacerate soon after anthesis ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ). Limonium quinnii is also akin to two unpublished Aegean Limonium of which we found two specimens at B, both labelled by M. Erben in 2007, the first one as “ L. spreitzenhoferi Erben & Brullo ” based on a collection by G.C. Spreitzenhofer (Iter Jonicum IV num. 18: Kiklades, Kithira, Kapsali, 15 June 1880, B! num. 10 0294995) [first identified as Statice sieberi Boissier (1841) : 530], the second one as “ L. grabusae Brullo & Erben ” based on a collection by K.H. Rechinger (num. 45792 Iter Graecum XVIII: Crete, Kissamos, Insula Gabrusa, 25 July 1973, B! num. 10 0295002) [first identified as L. pigadiense ( Rechinger 1938: 147) Rechinger (1943b: 427) ].

Although all three entities share the very long and delicate spikes with remotely arranged glabrous spikelets, L. quinni shows diagnostic features that are not found in either of these two plants ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 ), namely the stems with many sterile basal branches, the leaves weakly tuberculate, linear-lanceolate, narrower and acute, and the inner bract longer ( Fig. 1–2 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 ). Relationships to other eastern Mediterranean taxa with laxly disposed spikelets, such as L. cedrorum Domina & Raimondo (2012: 1 -EV), L. galilaeum Domina, Danin & Raimondo (2006: 133–134) , or L. mouterdei Domina, Erben & Raimondo (2006: 335) , are weaker. According to data presented by Domina & Raimondo (2012: 3 -EV), L. quinnii shows sound characters that are absent as a whole in all those taxa and therefore allow easy recognition, such as leaves acute and narrower (up to 2.5 mm); spikes longer (up to 15 cm) with spikelets more remotely arranged (mostly up to 1 per cm); bracts with wider hyaline margins (the inner one being longer, up to 8 mm); calyx entirely glabrous and longer (up to 8 mm), etc.

Additional specimen examined:— GREECE. Dodecanese Islands, Rhodes, Kallithea, Faliraki, Anthony Quinn Bay , 36º19’13”N, 28º12’28”E (UTM: 35SPA084201), in crevices of calcareous maritime cliffs, 3 m a.s.l., 10 September 2011, Crespo & Pena-Martín s.n. (isotypes: ABH! num. 68189; MA!) GoogleMaps .