Limonium zacynthium Artelari (1984c: 20)

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

36. Limonium zacynthium Artelari (1984c: 20) ( Fig. 36 )

Type:― GREECE. Ionian Islands: Ins. Zakynthos: ad sinum Keri ; in saxosis calcareis, maritimis, 8 September 1978, Artelari 216 (holotype UPA, isotype Herb. Erben!) .

Description: —Plant perennial, glabrous, forming a sub-shrub 18–40 cm tall, with numerous erect stems and a robust tap-root. Caudices 2–10 cm long, branched, living leaves in rosettes at apices. Leaves fleshy, rigid, 15–42 mm long and 4–11 mm broad, spathulate, apex rounded to obtuse, margin revolute with one central nerve, gradually tapering into the petiole. Stems very slender, 15–35 cm long, slightly flexuous, tuberculate with many crateriform glands or verrucate, branching frequently begins near the base. Inflorescence trullate in outline. Sterile branches numerous, 2–5 cm long, branched. Fertile branches 3–7 cm long, slightly arched, directed obliquely upwards, forming branching angles of 50°–65°, branched in the upper half. Spikes 15–55 mm long, straight, erect to inserted obliquely upwards, axis of spike tuberculate with many crateriform glands. Spikelets 6.0– 7.3 mm long, composed of 1 (–3) flowers, remotely arranged with 1–3 per cm, laterally slightly curved near the base. Outer bract 1.7–2.2 mm long and 1.9–2.5 mm broad, triangular to triangular-ovate, acute; bract margin narrowly membranous; central part more or less fleshy, acuminate. Middle bract membranous, 1.9–2.5 mm long and 1.4–1.9 mm broad, obovate-elliptic, rounded. Inner bract 4.4–4.8 mm long and 2.6–2.9 mm broad, more or less narrowly elliptic, acute to obtuse; bract margin narrowly membranous; central part fleshy, 3.5–3.9 mm long and 1.4–1.7 mm broad, oblong to oblong-obovate, acuminate, forming a narrowly triangular tip, 0.8–1.2 mm long, reaching nearly the upper margin. Calyx 4.5–5.0 mm long, exceeding the inner bract by 1.0– 1.5 mm; calyx tube more or less sparsely shortly hairy, with 5 ribs ending above the base of lobes; calyx lobes ca. 0.6 × 0.7 mm, semi-elliptic. Corolla lilac.

Chromosome number: —2n = 18 (Artelari 1984c; Erben Li–1440, Li–1441, unpubl.).

90 • Phytotaxa 240 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press

BRULLO & ERBEN LIMONIUM (PLUMBAGINACEAE)

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Distribution: —Confined to the southern part of the island of Zakynthos, where it is quite rare ( Fig. 86E ).

Habitat: —Calcareous and marly rocky coast.

Taxonomic remarks: — L. zacynthium has a similar habit to L. coronense , but it differs from the latter mainly by having very slendes, tuberculate stems and longer bracts.

Specimens examined: — GREECE. Ionian Islands: Ins. Zakynthos: ad sinum Keri ; in saxosis calcareis maritimis, 8 September 1978, R. Artelari 216 (Herb. Erben = Li–1440, Li–1441); Zakynthos, ad Ormos Keriou, rupi calcaree conglomeratiche sul mare, 25 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Zakynthos, a Marathia, rupi calcareo-marnose sul mare, 25 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Zakynthos, a Marathia, costa rocciosa marnosa, 19 July 2011, Brullo & Giacalone s.n. (CAT) .

Figures

FIGURE 36. Limonium zacynthium Artelari. A) Habit; B) Spikelet; C) Outer bract; D) Middle bract; E) Inner bract; F) Calyx; G) Calyx lobes; H) Leaves; I) Stem. (Habit, leaves and stem drawn from “Zakynthos, a Marathia, Brullo & Giacalone s.n., CAT”, spikelet details from “R. Artelari 216, Herb. Erben”).

FIGURE 86. (Map 1) Geographical distribution of Limonium aegaeum (A); L. samium (B); L. heraionense (C); L. crateriforme (D); L. zacynthium (E); L. aphroditae (F); L. albomarginatum (G).