Hypericum celikaensis Fırat & Eroğlu

Fırat, Mehmet & Eroğlu, Hüseyin, 2023, Hypericum celikaensis (Hypericaceae), a new species from southeastern Anatolia (Adıyaman-Turkey), Candollea 78 (1), pp. 79-87 : 81-86

Hypericum celikaensis Fırat & Eroğlu , sp. nov. ( Fig. 2–5 ).

Holotype: TURKEY. Adıyaman [C7]: Çelikhan (Cêlika) district, Gelera Region, Sewrike hill ( Gaza Sewrikê ), 37"58'11"N 38"29'37"E, 924 m, 29.VI.2021, FIrat & H. Eroğlu 35631 ( VANF!; iso: HUB!, VANF!, Hb. M. Fırat!).

Hypericum celikaensis FIrat & Eroğlu differs from H. rupestre Jaub. & Spach by having stem 2-lined (vs. 4-lined), bracteole margin rather entire with lax fringed black glands (vs. margin entire, black glands absent), sepals free at base (vs. 0.4–0.5 of its length fused), sepal margin distally with 2–7 sessile black glands (vs. with 14–22 sessile black glands), and stamens 13–20 (vs. 30–40). Hypericum celikaensis differs from H. cardiophyllum Boiss. in having stems up to 35 cm (vs. up to 90 cm), pairs of laterals veins (3–)6–10(– 15) (vs. 5–6), flower pedicels 2–7 mm (vs. 2–3 mm), bracteole margin rather entire with lax fringed black glands (vs. with black glandular cilia), sepal margin distally with 2–7 sessile black glands (vs. glands submarginal), petals asymmetrically retuse (vs. rounded), laminar glands linear striiform (vs. striiform to punctiform), ovary 3.5–5 × 2–2.5 mm (vs. 1.5–2 × 1–1.5 mm), and seeds 1.5–2.5 mm long, brown (vs. c. 1.2 mm long, yellowish brown).

Shrub up to 35 cm tall, erect, bushy, rounded, with branches erect to ascending. Stems 2-lined, green when young (orangebrown as time passes); cortex loosening and becoming whitish in second year, then bark pale grey. Leaves sessile; lamina 10‒40 × 10‒30 mm, lanceolate or elliptic to ovate, apex acute, emarginate, obtuse to rounded, base truncate to ± cordateamplexicaul, thinly coriaceous, deciduous before growth of new shoots, midrib scarcely prominent, (3‒)6‒10(‒15) pairs of lateral veins, scarcely distinct from tertiary reticulation, glaucous especially beneath. Inflorescence corymbiform to broadly hemispherical, c. 5‒30-flowered from 1‒4 nodes; pedicels 2‒7 mm long; bracteoles 1.5‒3 mm long, triangularsubulate, margin ± entire with fringed lax black glands. Flowers c. 13‒17 mm in diam.; buds elliptic, obtuse to rounded. Sepals 3‒5 × 1.2‒2.5 mm, unequal to subequal, free, ovate to oblonglanceolate, acute to subacute or sometimes rounded, entire, margin distally with 2‒7 sessile black glands; veins 3‒5, subprominent. Petals 8‒11 × 4‒6 mm (2.5‒3.5 × sepals), obovate to elliptic, asymmetrically retuse, bright yellow, not tinged red, with glands linear striiform. Stamens 13‒20, 9‒13 mm long, as long as petals. Ovary 3.5‒4.5 × 2‒2.5 mm, narrowly ovoid; styles 8‒10 mm long (2‒3 × ovary), widely curvedascending; stigmas narrowly capitate. Capsule 5‒7 × 3.5‒5 mm, exceeding sepals, very narrowly ovoid to cylindric, truncate, with persistent horn-like style bases, exceeding sepals. Seeds 1.95–2.64 × 0.29–0.57 mm, cylindrical, reticulate, brown.

Etymology. – The specific epithet celikaensis is derived from Cêlika (Çelikhan) district where the type material was collected.

Vernacular name. – Hypericum celikaensis is called “Giya telik” in Kurdish by the local people of Adıyaman Province.

Distribution. – Hypericum celikaensis is endemic to Çelikhan (Cêlika) district, Gelera Region, Sewrike hill (Gaza Sewrikê) Adıyaman Province, Turkey ( Fig. 1 ). It is an element of the Irano-Turanian floristic region.

Habitat, ecology and phenology. – Hypericum celikaensis grows on limestone cliffs, at c. 900–1000 m elevation, with other interesting plants such as Asperula sp. , Ballota nigra L., Chrysophthalmum montanum (DC.) Boiss. , Ficus carica L., Heliotropium myosotoides Banks & Sol. , Micromeria cristata (Hampe) Griseb. , and Prunus microcarpa C.A. Mey.

Flowering period from June to July, fruiting period from July to August.

Notes. – Hypericum celikaensis is most similar to H. rupestre and H. cardiophyllum . The new species differs from these two species by several fertile and sterile characters (see Fig. 3 , 4 ; Table 1 ). Moreover, the habitat and ecology of these three species differ.

The pollen grains of Hypericum celikaensis are in monads, isopolar, 3-colporate, prolate-spheroidal [long axis length: 22.59 (± 1.4) µm, short axis length: 20.87 (± 0.8) µm, long axis length/short axis length: 1.08, exine thickness: 0.97 (± 0.09) µm, intine thickness: 0.63 (± 0.06) µm, colpus width: 4.57 (± 1.14) µm]. Ornamentation is perforate-microreticulate, and the colpus membrane ornamentation is rather granulate.

The seeds of Hypericum celikaensis are cylindrical, 1.95–2.64 × 0.29–0.57 mm, and brown. Epidermal cells are polygonal shaped. Seed surface ornamentation is reticulate. Anticlinal cell walls are raised, periclinal cell walls are convex or concave. The surfaces of the cells are rather striate.

Studies of pollen and seed surface revealed that the pollen shape of Hypericum celikaensis is different from that of H. rupestre (prolate-spheroidal vs. subprolate, respectively). The seeds of H. celikaensis and H. rupestre are similar in shape, color, ornamentation, and size. The only difference is found in the cells of the seed surface (striate in H. celikaensis vs. granulate-striate in H. rupestre ) ( Fig. 5 ).

Additional specimens examined. – Hypericum celikaensis : TURKEY. Adıyaman [C7]: Çelikhan (Cêlika) distr., Gelera reg., Sewrike hill ( Gaza Sewrikê ), 37"58'11"N 38"29'37"E, 924 m, 29.VII.2021, fr., H. Eroğlu & A. Eroğlu 1975 (VANF, Hb. M. Fırat) ; ibid. loco, 4.VI.2022, fl., FIrat & Şişman 37011 (VANF, Hb. M. Fırat) ; ibid. loco, 28.VIII.2022, fr., FIrat & Şişman 37071 (VANF, Hb. M. Fırat) .

Hypericum rupestre : TURKEY. Mersin [C5]: Tarsus distr., from Çavdarlı village to Ulaş village , 37"03'24"N 34"77'85"E, 253 m, 10.VII.2021, fr., FIrat & Topal 35654 (Hb. M. Fırat); ibid. loco, 24.IV.2022, fl., FIrat & Topal 36820 (VANF) .

Figures

Fig. 2. – Hypericum celikaensis Fırat & Eroğlu. A, C, D. Habit; B. Inflorescence and flowers; E. Leaves and venation; F. Habitat. [Photos: M. Fırat]

Fig.3.– Dissected flowers and capsules of Hypericum celikaensis Fırat & Eroğlu (A–G) and H. rupestre Jaub.& Spach (H–L). A,H. Bracts; B–D, I. Sepals; E, J. Petals; F,K. Stamens and ovaries; G, L. Capsules. [A–G: FIrat & H. Eroğlu 35631; H–L: FIrat & Topal 35654] [Photos: M. Fırat]

Fig.4.– Hypericum celikaensis Fırat & Eroğlu (A–D), H. rupestre Jaub.& Spach (E–H), and H. cardiophyllum Boiss. (I–L). A, E, I. Habit; B, F, J. Inflorescences; C, G, K. Flowers. D, H, L. Habitat. [Photos: A–H: M. Fırat; I–L: A. Duran]

Fig. 5. – SEM micrographs of pollen grains and seeds of H. celikaensis Fırat & Eroğlu (A, C, E) and H. rupestre Jaub.& Spach (B, D, F). A, B. Short axis views of pollen grains; C, D. Seeds; C,F. Close views of seed surfaces. [Photos: M. Fırat]

Fig.1.– Distribution map of species belonging to Hypericum sect. Arthrophyllum Jaub.& Spach: H. cardiophyllum Boiss. (yellow), H. celikaensis Fırat & Eroğlu (red), H. nanum Poir. (brown), H. pamphylicum N. Robson & P.H. Davis (black), H. rupestre Jaub.& Spach (white), and H. vacciniifolium Hayek & Siehe (purple).

Tables

Table 1. Comparison of morphological characters of Hypericum celikaensis Fırat & Eroğlu and allied species.

	H. celikaensis	H. rupestre	H. cardiophyllum
Stem [cm]	up to 35 tall, 2-lined	up to 30 tall, 4-lined	up to 90 tall, 2-lined
Leaves [mm]	lamina 10–40 × 10–30 with (3–)6–10(–15) pairs of veins	lamina 17–45 × 9–15 with c. 8–12 pairs of veins	lamina (15–)20–45 × 10–30 with 5–6 pairs of veins
Inflorescences	5–30-flowered from 1–4 nodes, corymbiform to broadly hemispherical; pedicels 2–7 mm	9–16-flowered from (1–)2(–3) nodes, 10–40-flowered from 3(–5) nodes, subcorymbiform; pedicels corymbiform to broadly 2.5–6 mm hemispherical; pedicels 2–3 mm
Bracteole margins	± entire with lax fringed black glands	entire	± entire with black glandular cilia
Sepal margins	distally with 2–7 sessile black glands	distally with 14–22 sessile black glands	with submarginal glands
Petals	asymmetrically retuse with glands linear striiform	asymmetrically retuse with glands linear	rounded with glands striiform to punctiform
Stamens	13–20	30–40	20–30
Ovary [mm]	3.5–5 × 2–2.5, ovoid	3 × 1.5, ellipsoid	1.5–2 × 1–1.5, ovoid
Seeds	1.95–2.64 mm long, brown	1.56–2.15 long, brown	c. 1.2 mm long, yellowish brown