Paronychia aksoyii Budak, 2017

Budak, Ümit, Hamzaoğlu, Ergin, Coşkunçelebi, Kamik & Türker, Zeynep, 2017, Three new species of Paronychia (Caryophyllaceae) from Turkey, Phytotaxa 291 (3), pp. 224-230 : 225-226

Paronychia aksoyii Budak sp. nov. ( Figures 1 , 4 ).

Type:— TURKEY. Erzurum: Tortum, near Tortumkale village, 1580‒1620 m, sandy steppes, 40 o 20’46”N, 041 o 29’36”E, 05 July 2014, Budak & Hamzaoğlu 3060 (holotype GAZI!, isotypes KTUB!, ANK!, Bozok Univ. Biology Dept. Herbarium!).

Diagnosis: — Paronychia aksoyii is morphologically similar to P. saxatilis , from which differs by the stipules which are shorter than the leaves (not longer as in P. saxatilis ), the sepals lanceolate, 2.00‒ 2.25 mm long and acute at apex (not oblong, 2.25‒2.75 mm long and obtuse at apex), the styles 0.9‒1.0 mm long (not 0.7‒0.8 mm long).

Description: —Caespitose perennial herb. Stems prostrate to ascending, much branched at the base, 3‒7 cm long; nodes 6‒9, internodes 2‒5 mm long, glabrescent to sparsely retrorsely pubescent. Stipules lanceolate, 2.5‒4.0 mm long, shorter than the leaves. Leaves elliptic-oblanceolate, 3‒6 × 1‒2 mm, glabrescent to sparsely pubescent (hairs adpressed), margins ciliate, acute. Flowers arranged in terminal and subterminal glomerules, each one oblong-ovoid, 6‒10 × 8‒12 mm, 14‒20‒flowered; bracts ± broadly ovate, 4‒4.5 × 3.5‒4 mm, ± acuminate, concealing the flowers. Sepals equal, lanceolate, 2‒2.25 × 1‒1.25 mm, pubescent (hairs adpressed), acute, margins narrow scarious with 0.3‒0.4 mm. Petals 0.7‒0.8 mm long. Filaments 0.3‒0.4 mm long, anthers 0.3‒0.4 × 0.2‒0.3 mm. Styles 0.9‒1 mm long. Fruit pyriform, 1.2‒1.5 × 1‒1.2 mm, glabrous.

Etymology:—The species is named in honor of the eminent Turkish botanist Prof. Ahmet Aksoy (Akdeniz University, Antalya).

Distribution and habitat: — Paronychia aksoyii can be considered as a endemic Turkish species which is known only from the locus classicus in east Anatolia (Tortum/ Erzurum). Where it grows at altitude of about 1600 m on stony sandy slopes in steppes.

Phenology: —Flowering time June–July; fruiting time July–August.

Conservation status:—The EOO of Paronychia aksoyii is about 30 km 2. On the basis of the criterion B1a, the species is sessed as Critically Endangered (CR) ( IUCN 2014).

Other specimens examined:— Paronychia saxatilis . TURKEY. Van: Başkale, İspiriz mountain, calcareous rocky places, 3230‒3260 m, 38 o 03’58”N, 043 o 57’21”E, 03 July 2014, Budak & Hamzaoğlu 3010 (Bozok Univ. Biology Dept. Herbarium).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Paronychia aksoyii: A) habit, B) glomerule, C) fruit, D) bract, E) sepals, F) petals.

FIGURE 4. Distribution map of Paronychia aksoyii (■), Paronychia saxatilis (□), Paronychia kocii (●), Paronychia turcica (○), Paronychia davrazensis (▲) and Paronychia pontica (∆) in Turkey.