subsp. herpyllomorpha

Puppo, Pamela & Meimberg, Harald, 2015, New species and new combinations in Micromeria (Lamiaceae) from the Canary Islands and Madeira, Phytotaxa 230 (1), pp. 1-21 : 13

a. subsp. herpyllomorpha

Subshrub up to 70 cm high; basal parts of branches strigose or velutinous. Leaves inconspicuously petiolated; basal blades flat, sparsely pilose or strigose on both sides, abaxially densely villous on the midrib, upper blades linear, revolute, villous adaxially, lanuginose abaxially. Calyx green tinged with purple. Corolla white to light purple, 3–6 mm long, slightly curved downwards.

Specimens Examined: — SPAIN. La Palma: Casa Camineros, Tiguerorte, Mazo, 18 June 2010, P. L. Pérez 32 ( TFC) ; Entre Montaña del Viento y Montaña Lagi, Fuentecaliente, 18 June 2010, P. L. Pérez 33 ( TFC) ; Barranco de Las Palmas , Jedey, El Paso, 18 June 2010, P. L. Pérez 34 ( TFC) ; Camino de Las Angustias , Los Llanos de Aridane, 18 June 2010, P. L. Pérez 35 ( TFC) ; Barranco de La Galga , Los Sauces, 19 June 2010, P. L. Pérez 36 ( TFC) ; Barranco Seco, Puntallana, 19 June 2010, P. L. Pérez 37 ( TFC) .

Geographical Distribution: —This species is abundantly distributed throughout the island of La Palma, especially between 50–1500 m.

b. subsp. palmensis (Bolle) Puppo , comb. nov.

≡ Micromeria lasiophylla Webb & Berthelot (1844: 74) subsp. palmensis (Bolle) P. Pérez (1978: 265) ; Micromeria palmensis (Bolle) Lid (1968: 152) ; Micromeria julianoides Webb & Berthelot (1844: 78) var. palmensis Bolle (1860: 283) . Lectotype (designated by P. Pérez 1978: 266):— SPAIN. Canary Islands, “Cumbre von Inseln Palma, über von Caldera. 1852, August”, Bolle (Z!, labeled “ Micromeria lasiophylla Webb ”).

Small subshrub up to 20 cm high; branches short, older parts of branches puberulous, younger parts densely villous. Leaves sessile; blades herbaceous up to 5 × 2 mm, densely villous to lanuginose throughout, basal blades ovate-lanceolate, slightly revolute, upper blades linear, revolute. Cymes sessile. Calyx purple, 3–3.5 mm long, calyx apices lanceolate. Corolla light pink to purple, 4–7 mm long, slightly exerted, straight.

Specimens Examined: — SPAIN. La Palma: Entre Morro Negro y Pico de La Cruz , 15 June 2010, P. L. Pérez 28 ( TFC) ; Mirador Degollada, Bco. de Franceses , 15 June 2010, P. L. Pérez 29 ( TFC) ; Inmediaciones Pico de La Nieve , 16 June 2010, P. L. Pérez 30 ( TFC) ; Espigón de El Roque , 17 June 2010, P. L. Pérez 31 ( TFC) .

Geographical Distribution: —This subspecies is abundant in the higher parts of the island between 2000–2400 m.

Notes: —This subspecies constitutes the highest elevation extreme form of M. herpyllomorpha being shorter in size and more pubescent than the typical form. Pérez de Paz (1978) described this taxon as a subspecies of M. lasiophylla alluding to the similarities between plants from high elevation habitats from Tenerife and La Palma. Molecular studies ( Meimberg et al. 2006, Puppo et al. 2015) suggest that there is only one lineage present in La Palma and thus we place subsp. palmensis under M. herpyllomorpha .