Hieracium umbrophilum Gottschl. & S. Orsenigo, 2021

Gottschlich, Günter & Orsenigo, Simone, 2021, New taxa of Hieracium (Asteraceae) from Mount Lesima and adjacent regions (Northern Apennine, Italy), Phytotaxa 505 (1), pp. 39-55 : 50

4. Hieracium umbrophilum Gottschl. & S. Orsenigo , spec. nov. (sabaudum – ramosissimum) ( Fig. 5 , 8d )

Type:— ITALY. Emilia-Romagna, prov. Piacenza, Passo del Penice → Monte Penice , 44°47’43’’N, 09°19’32’’E, 1217 m, roadside under shady beech forest, 20.07.2020, G. Gottschlich 75881 (holotype: FI!; isotypes: PAV!, Hb. Gottschlich-75881) .

Paratypes:— ITALY. Emilia-Romagna, prov. Piacenza, Monte Penice, lungo la strada, secondo tornante da Passo Penice (Bobbio), 44°47’44’’N 09°19’30’’E, 1210 m, 17.08.2020, S. Orsenigo -00580a,b,c (Herbarium Orsenigo) ; Lombardia, prov. Pavia, Casa Ciocca, bordo strada (Menconico), 44°48’35”N 09°17’26”E, 960 m, 17.08.2020, S. Orsenigo-00583a,b (Herbarium Orsenigo) .

Diagnosis:—Ab Hieracio sabaudo foliis inferioribus semiamplexicaulibus, indumento involucri pilis stellatis modice densis et aveoli marigorum glanduloso-ciliatis differt, ab H. ramosissimo Hegetschweiler (1831: 365) foliis multo magis rigidis et pilis glanduliferis minus numerosis differt.

Perennial, rhizome stout, vertical. Stem erect, vertical, cylindrical, stout, subligneous (Ø 2–5 mm), (80)90–110(120) cm tall, light green, brownish-purple at the base, striated, aphyllopodous, in the lower part with moderate, 1–1.5 mm long, whitish, soft, simple hairs, without stellate and glandular hairs, above with few simple and few stellate hairs.

Cauline leaves (20)25–30(35), 2–15 × 1–4 cm, the lower ones long attenuate, base cordate, elliptical, denticulate, acute, upper surface green or dark green, nearly glabrous, lower surface greyish green, margins and vein of the lower surface with sparse simple white hairs 1–1.5 mm long, the other stem leaves gradually decreasing in size upwards, semiamplexicaul at base, indument similar to those of the lower leaves.

Synflorescence paniculate, branches (8)10–14(17), straight or curved, 1.5–8 cm long, each with (1)2–4(6) capitula (often partly abortive); capitula (12)15–30(45); acladium 0.5–1.5 cm long. Peduncles with 3–4 linear, green or dark green bracts, 1–2 mm long, with dense stellate hairs, occasional yellow, 0.1 mm long glandular hairs, without simple hairs.

Involucre campanulate, 8–9 mm long. Involucral bracts in a few series, olive green, linear-lanceolate, 0.6–1 mm wide, acute, with sparse, 1 mm long simple hairs, upper half of them white, base black, moderate 0.2–0.6 mm long black to black-yellowish glandular hairs with yellow tips, and sparse stellate hairs. Corolla limb ligulate, yellow, indistinctly ciliate. Styles blackish. Margins of alveoli glandular-ciliate. Achenes 3–4 mm long, (red?)brown.

Etymology:—The species epithet refers to the ecology of the type locality.

Phenology: —Flowering August. Fruiting in September.

Distribution and ecology:— Hieracium umbrophilum is currently known only from the area of Mount Penice, where it grows on margins of planted conifer woods or pubescent oak and beech forests.

Conservation status:—Due to its restricted range, limited number of mature individuals and threats represented mostly by roadside mowing, Hieracium umbrophilum could be preliminary assessed as “Vulnerable” (VU), under criterion D1, according to the IUCN criteria (2019).

Remarks:— Hieracium umbrophilum is quite intermediate between H. sabaudum Linnaeus (1753: 804) and H. ramosissimum . Caryological data, which may help to decide, whether it is from a recent hybrid origin or a genetically fixed species, are not yet available. Hieracium umbrophilum should be classified in H. sect. Sabauda Arvet-Touvet (1876: 29).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Hieracium umbrophilum (isotype: Hb. Gottschlich-75881).

FIGURE 8. Single capitula of a: H. lesimanum, b: H. scopolii, c: H. scopolioides, d: H. umbrophilum, e: H. lachenalii subsp. zerbanum, f: H. prenanthoides subsp. penicense.