Limonium pylium Artelari, 1984

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

39. Limonium pylium Artelari (1984a: 37 et 1984b: 23) ( Fig. 39 )

Type:― GREECE. Peloponnese: Prov. Messina: in ditione oppidi Pylos ; in saxosis calcareis maritimis, 1 August 1980, Artelari 373 (holotype UPA) .

Description: —Plant perennial, more or less glabrous, forming a sub-shrub 15–60 cm tall, with many ascending to erect stems and a robust tap-root. Caudices 2–7 cm long, branched, densely spirally leafy in the upper half, living leaves in rosettes at apices. Leave s fleshy, dark green, flat, 15–70 mm long and 2–8 mm broad, narrowly oblanceolate to narrowly spathulate, apex obtuse, sometimes mucronate, margin slightly revolute, retuse, with one central nerve, gradually tapering into the petiole; often withered at anthesis. Stems near the base densely, very shortly hairy, 10–55 cm long, rugose, flexuous, slightly constricted at the nodes, branching begins near the base of the stems. Inflorescence corymbose or obtriangular in outline. Sterile branches numerous, 10–30 mm long, straight, longer branches divided in the upper half. Fertile branches 2–15 cm long, flexuous, fragile and slightly constricted at nodes, straight to slightly curved, directed obliquely upwards to spreading, more or less retrorse, forming branching angles of 70°– 120°, branched in the upper half. Spikes 6–35 mm long, straight, erect or directed obliquely upwards; axis of spike dotted. Spikelets 5.5–6.5 mm long, composed of 1–3 flowers, remotely to densely arranged with 4–6 per cm. Outer bract 1.1–1.4 mm long and 1.4–1.7 mm broad, triangular-ovate, acute; bract margin broadly membranous; central part fleshy, acuminate. Middle bract membranous, 1.5–1.8 mm long and 1.2–1.5 mm broad, elliptic, rounded to obtuse. Inner bract 3.6–4.1 mm long and 2.5–3.0 mm broad, elliptic, rounded; bract margin broadly membranous; central part fleshy, 2.6–3.1 mm long and 1.8–2.1 mm broad, oblong-elliptic, acuminate, forming a triangular tip, 0.7–0.9 mm long, nearly reaching the upper margin. Calyx 4.7–5.3 mm long, exceeding the inner bract by 1.8–2.2 mm; calyx tube nearly glabrous or sparsely shortly hairy near the base, with 5 ribs ending at the base of lobes; calyx lobes ca. 0.4 × 0.9 mm, broadly semi-elliptic. Corolla violet.

Chromosome number:— 2n = 18 (Artelari 1984a, b).

Distribution: —Ionian coast of the western Peloponnese, very frequent ( Fig. 87G ).

Habitat: —Calcareous and arenaceous rocky coast.

Taxonomic remarks: — L. pylium is similar to L. arcuatum , but it differs from the latter by having narrower leaves, less sterile branches, and more densely arranged spikelets.

LIMONIUM (PLUMBAGINACEAE)

Phytotaxa 240 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press • 95 96 • Phytotaxa 240 (1) © 2016 Magnolia Press

BRULLO & ERBEN

Specimens examined: — GREECE. Peloponnese: Messinia, eparch. Pilia: ad sinum Voidhokoilia (inter Petrohori et Paleokastro Navarinou), alt 2–5 m. In rupestribus calcareis praeruptis pone litus, 4 October 1979, Greuter 17277 (Herb. Greuter); Peloponneso, Loutra presso Killinis, rupi calcareo-arenacee sul mare, 26 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Peloponneso, Loutra presso Killinis, costa rocciosa calcareo-arenacea, 20 July 2011, Brullo & Giacalone s.n. (CAT); Peloponneso, Glifa a S di Loutra, rupi calcareo-arenacee sul mare, 26 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Peloponneso, Katakolon presso Pirgos , rupi calcareo-arenacee sul mare, 26 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Peloponneso, Kiparissia , rupi calcareo-arenacee sul mare, 26 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Peloponneso, costa rocciosa calcareo-arenacea presso Kiparissia , 20 July 2011, Brullo & Giacalone s.n. (CAT); Peloponneso, Terpisithea a S di Kiparissia, rupi calcareo-arenacee sul mare, 26 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Peloponneso, Agios Kiriakis presso Filiatra, rupi calcareo-arenacee sul mare, 26 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Peloponneso, Marathopolis presso Gargaliani, rupi calcareo-arenacee sul mare, 26 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Peloponneso, Pilos, rupi calcaree mesozoiche, sul mare, 26 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Peloponneso, Pylos, costa rocciosa calcarea, 20 July 2011, Brullo & Giacalone s.n. (CAT); Peloponneso, Methoni, rupi calcaree mesozoiche sul mare, 26 August 1999, Bartolo, Brullo, Guarino & Signorello s.n. (CAT); Peloponnes, Westküste, W von Pirgos, SSW von Amaliada, zwischen dem Kap Katakolo und Karakochori, unmittelbare Umgebung der Ortschaft Matzakoura, Felsküste mit angrenzender Macchie, 0–15 m, 23 August 2002, Wittmann s.n. (M) .

Figures

FIGURE 39. Limonium pylium Artelari. A) Habit; B) Spikelet; C) Outer bract; D) Middle bract; E) Inner bract; F) Calyx; G) Calyx lobes; H) Leaves. (Habit and leaves drawn from “Peloponneso, Pylos, Brullo & Giacalone s.n., CAT”, spikelet details from “Peloponnes, Matzakoura, Wittmann s.n., M”).

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).