Galium cariense Daşkın & Bağçıvan, 2017

Daşkin, Ruziye & Bağçivan, Gülşah, 2017, A new species of Galium (Rubiaceae) from Southwest Anatolia, Turkey, Phytotaxa 308 (2), pp. 267-274 : 270-271

Galium cariense Daşkın & Bağçıvan , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1−3 ).

Type: Turkey. C2 Muğla: Çameli Fethiye road, between Karabayır and Üzümlü, 36º53’37” N, 29º10’02” E, serpentine screes under Pinus brutia forests, 1207 m, 19 May 2011 (fl), R. Daşkın 1085 (holotype: BULU; isotypes: ANK, GAZI) .

Diagnosis: —The new species is similar to G. bracteatum , G. penduliflorum and G. peplidifolium , and differs from them in having stems 2−7 cm long (vs. 5−15 cm or 10−25 cm long, respectively); leaves 2−3 × 0.5−1 mm, ovate-oblong (vs. 8−25 × 0.6−1.8 mm or 4−25 × 1−7 mm, respectively, linear-lanceolate, linear or narrowly obovate); flowers sessile or with pedicels to 0.5 mm long (vs. 1.5−2 mm or 2−13 mm long, respectively), corollas 2−3 mm in diam. (vs. 1.25−1.75 mm in diam.), with lobes ovate, acute to obtuse (vs. acute to acuminate or shortly apiculate or long-aristate, respectively); and narrowly oblong, conspicuously papillate (vs. subglobose, densely verrucose or broadly reniform, subpapillate, respectively) mericarps.

Description: —Annual herb, 2−7 cm tall, reddish. Stems quadrangular to sub-terete, erect, simple, divaricately branched distal portion, glabrous. Basal cauline leaves 2 per node, opposite, shortly petiolate; blades obovate-spathulate, 2−3 × 1−1.25 mm. Medio-diastal cauline leaves in whorls of 4−6, equal, sessile; blades ovate-oblong, 2−3 × 0.5−1 mm, acute, obtuse, without hyaline apex, glabrous above, antrorsely scabrid along margins.All leaves usually nodding. Inflorescence thyrsoid, expanded, 0.7−1 × 1.5−2 cm, sometimes nodding, with secondary branches corymbiform, consisting of condensed monochasial cymes; peduncles 3−8 mm long, divaricate, glabrous. Bracts paired, 1.5−2 × 1−1.5 mm, not exceeding cymes at anthesis, oblong, acute, margins antrorsely scabrid. Flowers sessile or with pedicels to 0.5 mm long, glabrous. Calyx absent. Corolla 4-merous, white to pale pink, cup-shaped, 2−3 mm in diam., lobes ovate, 1−1.25 × 1−1.5 mm, acute to obtuse, glabrous. Mericarps narrowly oblong, 1−1.5 × 0.7−1.2 mm, conspicuously papillate, glabrous. Seeds narrowly oblong, 1.5−1.7 × 0.5−0.7 mm, black, densely tuberculate, longitudinally sulcate on ventral side, glabrous.

Etymology: —The specific epithet is derived from Caria, which is the ancient name of the distribution area of this species.

Phenology: —Flowering and fruiting specimens were collected in May and June.

Distribution and ecology: — Galium cariense is confined to both Denizli and Muğla provinces, southwestern Anatolia ( Figs. 2 and 4 ) and grows on serpentine slopes, under Pinus brutia Tenore (1815: 22) var. brutia forest, at 1200−1400 m elevation, together with Alyssum sibiricum Willdenow (1800: 465) , Polygala supina Schreber (1766: 19) , Cytisopsis dorycniifolia Jaubert & Spach (1842: 154) , Vicia pubescens Link (1831: 190) , Convolvulus compactus Boissier (1844: 40) , Pelargonium endlicherianum Fenzl (1842: 6) , Euphorbia hierosolymitana Boissier (1853: 110) var. hierosolymitana , Cruciata taurica (Pallas ex Willdenow 1806: 951) Ehrendorfer (1958: 393) and other serpentinous endemics such as Hypericum albiflorum ( Huber-Morath 1943: 222) N. Robson (2010: 45) , Teucrium alyssifolium Stapf (1885: 104) and Eryngium thorifolium Boissier (1844: 122) .

Conservation status: — Galium cariense is only known from three nearby localities between North of Fethiye and Çameli, Southwestern Anatolia ( Fig. 4 ). The extent of occurence and area of occupancy of the species are less than 100 km 2 and 10 km 2, respectively (criteria B1, B2 a). Although distribution area of the new species is restricted, approximately 900 individuals were observed in 2010 and 2014. In addition, undiscovered populations are expected in nearby serpentine habitats. Major threat on its populations and habitats is opening of the new forest roads and highways. Therefore, the threat category of the new species is suggested as Vulnerable, VU (criteria D1, D2; IUCN 2016).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Galium cariense. A. Habit. B. Cauline leaf. C. Corolla, top view. D. Ovary and corolla, lateral view. E. Seed, ventral view. F. Seed, lateral view. A–D from holotype R. Daşkın 1085 (BULU); E–F from paratype R. Daşkın 980 (BULU). Drawn by G. Bağçıvan.

FIGURE 2. Galium cariense. A. Holotype. B. Isotype (R. Daşkın 1085, BULU). Scale bar 5 cm. C. Habit on serpentine scree, 2 km after Tuzla Beli Pass, Denizli, 1253 m. Photos by R. Daşkın.

FIGURE 3. SEM micrographs of mericarps of species of Galium. A−B. G. peplidifolium. C−D. G. cariense. E−F.G. bracteatum. A, C, E General aspect; B, D, F Surface ornamentation. Scale bars: A, C, D 200 μm; B, D 20 μm; F 100 μm.

FIGURE 4. Distribution map of Galium cariense (Δ), G. bracteatum (Ɨ), G. peplidifolium („) and G. penduliflorum (z) in Turkey.