Verbascum gimgimense Fırat, 2017

Firat, Mehmet, 2017, Verbascum gimgimense (Scrophulariaceae), a new species from Muş province (Turkey), Phytotaxa 291 (3), pp. 209-216 : 210-214

Verbascum gimgimense Fırat sp. nov. ( Figs. 2–3 )

Diagnosis: — Verbascum gimgimense resembles V. leiocarpum , but it clearly differs by its stem 20–50 cm tall, ± glabrescent, with sparse stellate hairs, and ± glandular hairy; clusters of (1–)2–4(–5) flowers; filament wool dark purple, sometimes near apex white; corolla yellow, with purplish-brown spots at base within, 9–25 mm diameter, glabrous outside; capsule ovate-oblong, 3–5 mm long × 2–3 mm wide, stellate hairy.

Type: — TURKEY. B8 Muş: Gimgim (Varto) province, 6–7 km from Gimgim to Gûlîk, Suya Gonêne region, steppe, 2043 m a.s.l., 39°12′08″ N, 41°30′19″ E, coll. 4 June 2014, M. Fırat 31026 (holotype VANF!, isotypes ANK!, Herb. M. Fırat!).

Description: —Biennial, 20‒50 cm tall, ± glabrescent, with sparse stellate hairs, and ± glandular hairy. Stem slender, terete, erect, simple, and rarely branched in the upper part, 2‒5 mm broad at base, purplish brown. Basal leaves 2‒6 cm long × 1‒3 cm wide, elliptic to oblanceolate, crenate, cuneate at base, apex obtuse; petiole 1‒4 cm. Lower leaves 3‒12 long × 1.5‒4 cm wide, elliptic to obovate, crenate-dentate, apex acute; petiole 1‒3 cm. Medial and upper leaves elliptic to lanceolate, decreasing in size upwards, crenate, sessile. Inflorescence a narrowly pyramidal panicle, erect, up to 25 cm long, panicle branches up to 12 cm long, with clusters of (1‒)2‒4(‒5) flowers (dichasium 2‒4-flowered, accessory flowers 1‒2). Bracts 6‒8 mm long × 0.8‒1.0 mm wide, linear-lanceolate, acute, glandular punctate. Stalk of dichasium 5‒9 mm long; pedicels 1‒4 mm long, stellate hairy, glandular punctate; bracteoles 2‒3 mm long × 0.5‒1.0 mm wide, minute. Calyx 1.5‒4.0 mm long × 0.8‒1.0 mm wide, glandular-punctate, divided almost to base, lobes oblong to oblong-lanceolate, acute or mucronate. Corolla 9‒25 mm in diameter, yellow, purplish-brown spotted at base inside, with pellucid glands, glabrous outside. Stamens 5, anthers reniform, filament wool dark purple, sometimes white near apex; 2 anterior filaments glabrous near apex. Ovary ovate, densely stellate hairy. Style 5‒8 mm long, filiform, purplish. Stigma spatulate. Capsule ovate-oblong, 3‒5 mm long × 2‒3 mm wide, stellate hairy.

Phenology:—Flowering from June to July, fruiting from July to August.

Etymology: —The specific epithet is derived from the name of the Gimgim (Muş /Varto) province, where the type material was collected.

Distribution:— Verbascum gimgimense is endemic to Gimgim Province (Muş /Varto), Turkey. It is an element of the Irano-Turanian floristic region ( Fig. 1 ).

Vernacular name: — Verbascum gimgimense is called “Dimê ga” in Kurdish by the local people of Gimgim Province.

Habitat and ecology:— Verbascum gimgimense grows in a humid steppe, at c. 2000–2200 m elevation, with other interesting plants such as Silene capitellata Boissier (1843: 25) , Silene spergulifolia ( Willdenow 1799: 690) Marschall von Bieberstein (1819: 350) , Verbascum speciosum Schrader (1811: 22) , Astragalus kurdicus Boissier (1849: 84) , Poa bulbosa Linnaeus (1753: 70) , Ferıula haussknechtii H.Wolff ex Rechinger (1952: 176) , and Daphne oleoides Schreber (1766: 13) .

Red list assessment: —The distribution area of Verbascum gimgimense is smaller than 10.000 km 2. The species is known from one locality, in which ca. 2000 individuals were counted. Some anthropogenic or grazing effects were observed on the population. Based on the above data, the IUCN (2014) red list category for V. gimgimense is suggested as “Vulnerable” (VU) B1ab(i,ii,iii).

Taxonomic relationships:— Verbascum gimgimense is morphologically different from all other Turkish Verbascum species. Its closest relative appears to be V. leiocarpum , from which the new species differs by many remarkable morphological differences ( Table 1) and also by a different distribution and ecological behaviour. Verbascum gimgimense is a narrow endemic from Muş, district of Gimgim/ Muş, where it occurs in humid steppes at 2000‒2200 m elevation. Conversely, V. leiocarpum is endemic to Erzincan, where it seems to be also very local, in limestone rocks and rocky slopes, at 900‒1000 m elevation.

Although Verbascum gimgimense shares a distribution area with the morphologically related V. hadschinense Freyn (1896: 45) , the latter is taller, 60‒100 cm high, with a yellowish stellate-tomentose indumentum of short and laxly arranged hairs; basal leaves 6‒8 cm long × 3‒4 cm wide, elliptic, shallowly or distinctly crenate, obtuse to mucronate, with petiole 3‒4 cm long; corolla stellate-tomentose outside; filaments with whitish-yellow wool; and capsule 4‒6 mm long × 3‒4 mm wide, elliptic to broadly elliptic, stellate-tomentose. Similarly, V. gimgimense is related to V. vanense Huber-Morath (1955: 56) , but the latter shows a quite different indumentum, white floccosetomentose; basal leaves 3‒12 cm long × 1.5‒4 cm wide, lanceolate to elliptic, acute, cuneate at base, finely crenulate denticulate; inflorescence with clusters of (1‒)2‒7 flowers; corolla tomentose outside; capsule 6‒7 mm long × 4‒5 mm wide, tomentose, glabrescent.

Verbascum gimgimense belongs to the group “G” according to the Flora of Turkey ( Huber-Morath 1978, Davis et al. 1988). This group now comprises 14 species after the addition of Verbascum gimgimense (cf. Karavelioğulları 2012).

Diagnostic key to Verbascum gimgimense and V. leiocarpum : —A dichotomous key including Verbascum gimgimense and its morphologically close relative is reported below. It should be added to the key of Verbascum group “G” in Flora of Turkey ( Huber-Morath 1978: 470), for which the same numbering is conserved here:

1. Corolla glabrous outside

2. Capsule glabrous ........................................................................................................................................................... V. leiocarpum 2. Capsule stellate hairy.................................................................................................................................................... V. gimgimense 1. Corolla hairy outside

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of Verbascum gimgimense (triangle) and the closely related V. leiocarpum (star) in Turkey.

FIGURE 2. Verbascum gimgimense (M. Fırat 31026): A‒B. habit; C. lower and medial leaves; D. basal leaves and root; E. habitat.

FIGURE 3. Verbascum gimgimense (M. Fırat 31026): A. upper (abaxial) view of corolla and stamens; B. lateral view of corolla and stamens; C. lower (adaxial) view of corolla; D. cluster of flowers, calyx lobes, style with stigma, and nearly mature capsule; E. cluster ripe capsules (last year).