Hieracium prenanthoides subsp. penicense 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 : 51-52

6. Hieracium prenanthoides subsp. penicense Gottschl. & S. Orsenigo , subsp. nov. ( Fig. 7 , 8f )

Type:— ITALY. Lombardia, prov. Pavia, Monte Penice, Bardineio (Menconico), 44°47’20’’N, 09°18’54’’E, 1340 m, 17.08.2020, S. Orsenigo 00581 (holotype: FI!; isotypes: PAV!, Hb. Gottschlich-76300) .

Paratype:— ITALY. Lombardia, prov. Pavia, Monte Penice , versante nord, poco sotto la vetta (Menconico), 44°47’08’’N, 09°19’01’’E, 1420 m, 17.08.2020, S . Orsenigo 00582 ( PAV).

Diagnosis:—Ab aliis subspeciebus Hieracii prenanthoidis foliis caulinis brevibus, pilis glandulosis pedunculorum involucrique praecipue brevibus, pilis stellatis involucri modice densis differt.

Perennial, rhizome stout, vertical. Stem erect, vertical, cylindrical, stout, basin subligneous (Ø 2–3 mm), (55)60– 75(80) cm tall, reddish green, brownish-purple at the base, striated, aphyllopodous, in the lower part with sparse, in the upper part with moderate, 1.5–2 mm long, whitish, soft, simple hairs, in the upper part additionally with sparse stellate and occasional glandular hairs.

Cauline leaves (13)15–20(25), in the lower third mostly withered at anthesis, 2–8 × 1–2 cm, the lower ones long attenuate, cordate at base, elliptical, entire, acute, upper surface green or dark green, with sparse 1–2 mm long white, soft simple hairs, lower surface greyish green, margins and vein of the lower surface with moderate sparse simple white hairs 1–2 mm long, the other stem leaves gradually decreasing in size upwards, semiamplexicaul at base, indument similar to those of the lower leaves.

Synflorescence laxly paniculate, branches (5)7–9(11), spreading, 3–10 cm long, each with (1)2–5(7) capitula; capitula (10)15–30(40); acladium 1.5–3 cm long. Peduncles with 2–3 linear, dark, olive green bracts, 1–2 mm long, with numerous stellate and glandular hairs, the latter only 0.2–0.3 mm long, yellow, without simple hairs.

Involucre campanulate, 8–9 mm long. Involucral bracts in a few series, olive green, linear-lanceolate, 0.8–1 mm wide, acute, with numerous yellow, 0.2–0.3 long glandular hairs, stellate hairs moderate, numerous along margins. Corolla limb ligulate, yellow, indistinctly ciliate. Styles blackish. Margins of alveoli ciliate. Achenes 3–4 mm long, reddish brown.

Etymology:—The subspecies epithet refers to Mount Penice.

Phenology: —Flowering and fruiting in August.

Distribution and ecology:— Hieracium prenanthoides subsp. penicense is currently known only from Mount Penice. It grows on meadows, on margins of planted conifer woods and rocky slopes along the road to the summit of Mount Penice.

Conservation status:—There are no ongoing threats acting on Hieracium prenanthoides subsp. penicense . However, the roadside mowing has a negative impact on those plants that grow close to the road. Due to its restricted range and limited number of mature individuals (around 1,000), H. prenanthoides subsp. penicense could preliminary be listed as “Near Threatened” (NT) according to the IUCN criteria (2019).

Remarks:—The collective species Hieracium prenanthoides Villars (1779: 35) has a widespread but disjunct range throughout Europe (map see Bräutigam 1992) and Asia. More than 50 subspecies/microspecies were described. Except for some widespread taxa, i.e. H. prenanthoides subsp. perfoliatum (Froel.) Fries (1862: 120) , H. prenanthoides subsp. bupleurifolium (Tausch) Zahn (1921: 751) , H. prenanthoides subsp. lanceolatum (Vill.) Zahn (1901: 1864) , in the outer alpine Italy there are also some remarkable endemic taxa as H. prenanthoides subsp. lissocorium Furrer & Zahn in Furrer (1929: 232) and H. prenanthoides subsp. stupposifolium Gottschlich (2009: 133) in Abruzzo. Hieracium prenanthoides subsp. penicense is a further example of a local endemic in the Apennines.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Hieracium prenanthoides subsp. penicense (isotype: Hb. Gottschlich-76300).

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.