Dionysia jamzadiae Lidén, M.Irvine, Alvén & Mehregan, 2021

Lidén, M., Irvine, M., Alvén, A. & Mehregan, I., 2021, DIONYSIA JAMZADIAE (PRIMULACEAE), A NEW SPECIES FROM THE FARS PROVINCE OF IRAN, Edinburgh Journal of Botany 78 (396), pp. 1-7 : 2-7

Dionysia jamzadiae Lidén, M.Irvine, Alvén & Mehregan , sp. nov.

Differs from Dionysia oreodoxa Bornm. , to which it is most similar, in its sparsely glandular hairy or almost glabrous corolla with emarginate lobes (versus densely non-glandular pubescent with entire lobes). – Type : Iran, Fars: Kuh-e-Aqa-Hosseyni (30°11′30′′N, 53°48′03′′E), 2850–2980 m, NE-facing limestone cliffs, 21 iv 2018, Z-MAIL (Zagros – Mehregan, Alvén, Irvine & Lidén) 10 (holotype GB!; isotypes E! ( E01014444 ), IAUH!, TARI!, UPS!). Figures 1 , 2 .

Moderately dense to rather lax cushions 5–20 cm across. Stems finely glandular hairy, epidermis soon becoming reddish brown, eventually exfoliating. Marcescent leaves persistent for three seasons; leaves in distinct yearly clusters separated by more sparsely leafy internodes, or rarely almost confluent. Leaves 4–5 × 0.6–0.8 mm, bluish green,

oblong, with strongly inrolled margin with 6–9 sometimes obscure crenations, beset all over with minute glandular hairs up to 0.05 mm long, or rarely almost glabrous. Farina white to yellowish, most dense on the underside of leaves and on calyx, rather particulate and giving a peculiar scabrid-sticky sensation to the touch, but clearly woolly in high magnification. Flowers sessile, single or often paired. Bracts 1 or usually 2, equalling calyx, similar to calyx lobes. Calyx 2.5–3.5 mm, divided to 4/5 into lanceolate acute lobes with a sparse pubescence of short glandular and eglandular hairs to 0.1 mm long. Corolla bright yellow with sparse glandular hairs to 0.2 mm long, or almost glabrous; tube 10–15 mm long; limb 8–13 mm broad with ovate emarginate lobes. Style in long-styled flowers not or slightly exserted; anthers of long-styled flowers and stigma of short-styled flowers situated about halfway up the tube or slightly lower. Ovary with 5–7 ovules. Capsules c. 2 mm, 3- to 6-seeded. Seeds rounded to broadly ovate, 1–1.2 × 0.8–1 mm, with a thin outer soft layer of pale fatty cells.

Altitudinal range. 2850–3050 m.

Ecology. In crevices of limestone cliffs facing north, east and west, mostly in apparently dry situations but sometimes where water was seen oozing from the cliff.

Etymology. The species is named in honour of Ziba Jamzad, monographer of Iranian Dionysia and head of the botany research division at the Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Tehran. She is also editor of the Iranian Journal of Botany.

Phenology. Flowering in April (and presumably in May).

Distribution. Known from two localities WSW of Kuh-e-Khataban, in a parallel (but lower and more disrupted) mountain chain. In the type locality it was fairly abundant, with several hundred individuals. In the second locality we found it in three spots, but with far fewer plants ( Figure 3 ).

Provisional IUCN category. The restricted known distribution (extent of occurrence,

<100 km 2; area of occupancy, <10 km 2), the few localities known, and the number of known individuals possibly <1000, suggest the category Vulnerable following IUCN (2012). We see no current threats, however, save for climate change and habitat destruction in the immediate vicinity of the quarry, and we acknowledge that there are several cliffs between the two known localities where our new species might be expected to occur. We therefore list Dionysia jamzadiae as LC (Least Concern).

Additional specimens and observations. IRAN. Fars: close to type locality (30°12′06′′N, 53°47′02′′E), 2900 m, N-facing limestone cliffs, 21 iv 2018, Z-MAIL 10 B ( IAUH!, UPS!) ; Kuh-e-Qal’eh-ye- Şefr ‘ Ali (30°21′45′′N, 53°33′20′′E), 3000 m, E-facing limestone cliffs near limestone quarry, 22 iv 2018, Z-MAIL 12 ( IAUH!, UPS!); (30°22′00′′N, 53°32′29′′E) , NE-facing, 3022 m (photograph); (30°21′54′′N, 53°33′33′′E), isolated small cliff, W-facing, 2930 m, growing together with a few individuals of Dionysia esfandiarii Wendelbo , 22 iv 2018, Z-MAIL 12 B ( UPS!) .

Dionysia jamzadiae is similar to D. oreodoxa , which differs in its densely non-glandular pubescent corolla with entire lobes. Dionysia archibaldii , although habitually similar, differs in, for example, its glabrous corolla with violet limb. Dionysia jamzadiae could possibly be confused with the widespread and variable D. revoluta , but that species has larger leaves with at least some long non-glandular hairs, many-seeded capsules (30–70 versus 3–6), small angular seeds, and usually less dense habit.

In January 2020, three seeds germinated in Göteborg Botanic Garden. The first few branches are decumbent and slender with broader leaves. Along these branches numerous condensed axillary shoots are produced throughout ( Figure 4 ), eventually transforming the habit into a cushion. This early growth behaviour is similar to that of other species of sect. Dionysiopsis , such as D. archibaldii , while being quite different from what we see in sect. Dionysia .

Acknowledgements

We want to thank Siavash Baroti for competent organisation of the Z-MAIL excursion.

ORCID iDs

M. Lidén https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6306-9353 I. Mehregan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5108-2558

References

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IUCN. 2012. IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, version 3.1, 2nd edition. IUCN Species Survival Commission. Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge: International Union for Conservation of Nature. https://www.iucnredlist.org/resources/summary-sheet [Accessed February 2021.]

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Trift I, Lidén M, Anderberg AA. 2004. Phylogeny and biogeography of Dionysia (Primulaceae). International Journal of Plant Sciences. 165 (5): 845–860.

Figures

Figure 1. Dionysia jamzadiae Lidén, M.Irvine, Alvén & Mehregan, sp. nov. A, Habit; B, leaves, adaxial view (left), abaxial view (right), and cross-section (above); C, calyx with bract; D, longistylous flower; E, brevistylous flower. Hairs are drawn adjacent to their position. Scale bars: A, D and E, 10 mm; B and C, 2.5 mm; hairs, 1 mm. Drawn from the type specimen by M. Lidén.

Figure 2. Dionysia jamzadiae Lidén, M.Irvine, Alvén & Mehregan, sp. nov. Brevistylous (A) and longistylous (B) plants in the type locality. Photograph: M. Lidén.

Figure 3. Map of Iran, showing the known distribution of Dionysia jamzadiae.

Figure 4. Dionysia jamzadiae, 1-year-old plant cultivated at Göteborg Botanic Garden from seeds of Z-MAIL 12. Note the presence of early long shoots. Photograph: M. Lidén.