Limonium corinthiacum (Boiss. & Heldr.) Kuntze (1891: 395)

Brullo, Salvatore & Erben, Matthias, 2016, The genus Limonium (Plumbaginaceae) in Greece, Phytotaxa 240 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

73. Limonium corinthiacum (Boiss. & Heldr.) Kuntze (1891: 395) ( Fig. 73 )

Basionym:― Statice corinthiaca Boissier & Heldreich in Boissier (1859: 69). Type (lectotype, designated here):— GREECE. Attica: In saxosis maritimis ad Sinum Corinthiacum , ad promontorium Makro Nicolaos (Docotiza), 17 August 1852, De Heldreich 2759 (G-BOISS!, isotypes BM!, W!, WU!) .

Description: —Plant perennial, glabrous, forming a sub-shrub 15–45 cm tall, with several ascending to erect stems and a robust tap-root. Caudices 1–5 cm long, branched; living leaves in rosettes at apices. Leaves fleshy, grey-glaucous, flat, smooth, 15–70 mm long and 4–15 mm broad, spathulate, apex obtuse to round, mucronulate, normally with one central nerve, gradually tapering into the petiole. Stems 12–42 cm long, slightly flexuous, smooth, branching mostly begins above the lower third of the stems. Sterile branches mostly absent. Fertile branches 2–15 cm long, slightly arched to straight, directed obliquely upwards, forming branching angles of 30°–50°, branched in the upper half. Inflorescence obtrullate in outline. Spikes 7–20 mm long, straight to slightly arched, directed obliquely upwards to spreading. Spikelets 4.5–5.3 mm long, composed of 1–4 flowers, densely arranged with 5–7 per cm, laterally slightly curved near the base. Outer bract 1.4–2.0 mm long and 1.7–1.9 mm broad, triangular-ovate, acute; bract margin broadly membranous; central part slightly fleshy, sometimes only at the base, acuminate. Middle bract membranous, 1.6–2.0 mm long and 1.2–1.3 mm broad, elliptic, rounded. Inner bract 3.7–4.0 mm long and 2.9–3.2 mm broad, obovate, rounded; bract margin broadly membranous; central part fleshy, 2.5–3.0 mm long and 1.7–2.0 mm broad, oblong, acuminate, forming a triangular tip, 0.6–0.8 mm long, not reaching the upper margin. Calyx 3.8–4.2 mm long, exceeding the inner bract by 1.0– 1.2 mm; calyx tube more or less sparsely long hairy, with 5 ribs ending at the base of lobes; calyx lobes c. 0.4 × 0.7 mm, semi-elliptic. Corolla lilac.

Distribution: —Endemic to southern Sterea Ellas, between Cap Melangavi and Megara ( Fig. 87A ).

Habitat: —Calcareous rocky coast.

Taxonomic remarks: —This species was described by Boissier & Heldreich (cfr. Boissier 1859) as Statice corinthiaca on material collected by Heldreich at Makro Nicolaos near Corinth, in 1852, L. corinthiacum is rather similar to L. aphroditae in having leaves arranged in dense rosettes, stems with (usually) no sterile branches, and densely arranged spikelets. However, it is well differentiated from L. aphroditae because its leaves are 1-nerved and flat, and the inner bracts are longer and obovate.

Specimens examined: ― GREECE. Attica: In rupestribus maritimis prope Macro-Nicolaos ad sinum Corinthiacum, Aug. 1852 , De Heldreich s.n. (W, Z); Isthmus Corinthiacus, in salsuginosis halipedi prope Kalamaki, 17 September 1886, De Heldreich s.n. (PR); Nomos Korinthos, Eparchia Korinthos, Lake Vouliagmeni Shore , 2 June 1986, Oxelman & Tollsten 1380 (C); Korinthos, Scavi di Hieraion , 1 September 2002, Brullo & Sciandrello s.n. (CAT); Korinthos, Akr. Ireo, 1 September 2002, Brullo & Sciandrello s.n. (CAT, Herb. Erben); Korinthos, Kineta, 1 September 2002, Brullo & Sciandrello s.n. (CAT, Herb. Erben); Korinthos, costa NW Loutraki, 1 September 2002, Brullo & Sciandrello s.n. (CAT, Herb. Erben) .

Figures

FIGURE 73. Limonium corinthiacum (Boissier & Heldreich) Kuntze. A) Habit; B) Spikelet; C) Outer bract; D) Middle bract; E) Inner bract; F) Calyx; G) Calyx lobes; H) Leaf. (Drawn from, “Korinthos, Akr. Ireo, Brullo & Sciandrello s.n., CAT, Herb. Erben)”).

FIGURE 87. (Map 2) Geographical distribution of Limonium corinthiacum (A); L. atticum (B); L. athinense (C); L. frederici (D); L. archaeothirae (E); L. saracinatum (F); L. pylium (G); L. xiliense (H); L. recticaule (I); L. graecum (J); L. pusillum (K).