Odontarrhena sibirica, (Willdenow 1800: 465) Spaniel, Al-Shehbaz, D.

Cecchi, Lorenzo, Bettarini, Isabella, Colzi, Ilaria, Coppi, Andrea, Echevarria, Guillaume, Pazzagli, Luigia, Bani, Aida, Gonnelli, Cristina & Selvi, Federico, 2018, The genus Odontarrhena (Brassicaceae) in Albania: Taxonomy and Nickel accumulation in a critical group of metallophytes from a major serpentine hot-spot, Phytotaxa 351 (1), pp. 1-28 : 19

6. O. sibirica ( Willdenow 1800: 465) Španiel, Al-Shehbaz, D. A.German & Marhold in Španiel et al. (2015: 2486).

(≡) Alyssum sibiricum Willd.

Lectotype (designated here):—“Sibiria”, sine die, sine coll., B-W 11902-02-03, B-W!

The folder of A. sibiricum in Willdenow’s herbarium contains three sheets, all annotated as “ Alyssum lepidulum Nyár. ssp. genuinum Nyár. ” by Nyárády in 1932. The one selected here as lectotype is the only one showing the typical characters of O. sibirica as currently known, especially in the fruit. The two other specimens (B-W 11902-02-01, B-W!; B-W 11902-02-02, B-W!) are poorer and without well-developed fruits. A collection from Willdenow’s herbarium currently kept in Halle (HAL0086103, HAL!) is also likely original material. The indication “Habitat in Sibiria” is written on the folder with the lectotype specimen and two additional collections; Nyárády, however, annotated that this plant does not grow in Siberia ( Russia) but was most probably collected in Turkey.

(=) A. suffrutescens var. [β] epirotum Halácsy (1900: 93) . ≡ A. epirotum (Halácsy) Nyárády (1929b: 13) .

Lectotype (designated here):— ALBANIA. “In alveo fl. Sarandaporos ad Vomonero, distr. Ljaskovik”, 03/07/1896, A. Baldacci , Iter Albanicum (Epiroticum) Quartum no. 101, WU0033153 , WU!

Isolectotypes:— A00018590 , A !; BM000750156 , BM !; G00389273 , G !; K000484621 , K !; WU0067969 , WU !; Z000004364 , Z !].

The lectotype selected here was already indicated by Hartvig (2002: 222), though not formally typified. Among the several duplicates of the type collection, this specimen is the only one from Halácsy’s herbarium bearing the label “ Alyssum suffrutescens (Boiss.) β epirotum ” in his own handwriting.

Flowering stems numerous, ascending, up to 12 cm, arising from a dense base of woody and tortuose vegetative shoots up to 3–10 cm long, bearing dense leaf rosettes. Lower leaves 4–8 × 1.5–6 mm, orbicular-spathulate to broadly obovate, subacute, densely covered on both surfaces with whitish pubescence of overlapping, 16–22 rayed hairs, 0.5– 0.8 mm across. Inflorescence broadly corymbose, with secondary branches only; partial racemes up to 5 cm, bearing ca. 10–15 fruits crowded in their upper third. Sepals 1.5–2 mm. Petals 2–2.5 mm. Style ca. 0.8 mm. Siliculae ca. 3.5 × 3 mm, broadly obovate to obcordate (wider near apex), truncate to slightly retuse; valves asymmetrically inflated and S-shaped in cross-section, with 10–16-rayed dense stellate hairs, 0.35 mm across. Seeds 1.2–1.8 mm, without or with very narrow wing. [Flower and trichome characters based on Greek material]. Fig. 12 .

Phenology. Flowering from April to early June, ripening of fruits in June ( Fig. 4 ).

Chromosome number. The Albanian plants remain unknown (no material available for karyological observations).

Distribution and ecology. The only confirmed collection of this species from the Albanian territory is the type locality of A. epirotum , i.e. the right bank of river Vjosë (Aoos) at the border with Greece ( Fig. 1 ; Appendix 1). The collection was from the gravelly river bed, on non-serpentine soil.

Nickel accumulation. Unknown. O. sibirica is a facultative serpentinophyte and is possibly the only one that does not accumulate Ni when growing on serpentine soil ( Reeves & Adigüzel 2008, Cecchi et al. 2010).

Comments. Odontarrhena sibirica is commonly reported from Albania ( Greuter et al. 1986, Ball & Dudley 1993, Hartvig 2002, Marhold 2011) and sometimes even as widely distributed especially in the central and southern parts of the country (e.g. Jalas et al. 1996). However, we could not observe this plant during our field surveys, neither in the type locality of var. epirotum , and no herbarium material was found in the major European Herbaria. Hence, Baldacci’s historical collection at the border with Greece is at present the only one that can be confirmed from Albania, while most other records are likely due to confusion with different taxa.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of Odontarrhena in Albania; the range of O. chalcidica is given as light grey area, the other taxa as symbols (in legend); major serpentine outcrops are represented as dark grey spots and numbered from the north to the south. 1: Tropoja, 2: Krrabi, 3: Gomsiqe, 4: Puke, 5: Kukesi, 6: Lure, 7: Skenderbeu, 8: Bulqize, 9: Shebenik, 10: Shpati, 11: Vallamara, 12: Devolli, 13: Voskopoja, 14: Morava (after Bani et. al. 2017, modified).

FIGURE 4. Phenological differences between taxa of Odontarrhena in Albania. Bars in light grey indicate the time interval between the decade in which at least 50% of the population is in flower and the decade when full flowering (100%) of the population occurs; bars in dark grey indicate the same interval for the fruiting process (50%-100% of the population with ripe fruits).

FIGURE 12. O. sibirica. A) habit (fruiting specimens); B) leaves of sterile shoot from above (left) and below (right); C) lateral fruiting raceme; D) silicle in lateral, inner and outer view. Original drawing by L. Cecchi (based on the isotype of Alyssum suffrutescens var. epirotum BM000750156).