Limonium melitense Brullo (1988: 13)

Agius, Dolores Rita, Galea, Maria Elizabeth, Cambria, Salvatore, Galdo, Gianpietro Giusso Del & Brullo, Salvatore, 2023, Taxonomic survey on the genus Limonium in the Maltese islands, with description of a new species, Phytotaxa 622 (2), pp. 99-114 : 109-111

Limonium melitense Brullo (1988: 13) ( Fig. 4 )

Typus : MALTA: Malta, Golden Bay, 28 September 1985, S. Brullo s.n. (Holotype CAT 012554!, isotype CAT 012554! hoc loco, B 100294997! designated by Brullo (1988:13),, G-293596/1! hoc loco) .

= Statice cosyrensis Gussone (1832: 99) var. melitensis Sommier & Caruana Gatto (1915: 213) .

– Statice cosyrense auct. fl. melit., non Gussone (1932).

Plant perennial, glabrous, with caudices dense, branched, 0.5–4 cm long. Leaves green, rigid, laxly inserted on the caudices, oblanceolate, 1-nerved, 10–40 mm long, 3–8 mm wide, flat, rounded or retuse at the apex, usually withered at anthesis. Stem several, rigid, erect, 8–45 cm tall, densely branched from the base, paniculate, with numerous much branched sterile branches.Articles slightly arched, 3–20 (40) mm long, with deepned glands, forming branching angles of 15–45°. Inflorescence paniculate, with fertile branches localized at the top of the stem. Spikes 10–45 (70) mm long, straight to slightly divaricate, with spikelets remotely arranged. Spikelets 7–8 mm long, 3–4 per cm, 2–3 (4) flowered. Outer bract 1.5–2 mm long, ovate-triangular, acute, coriaceous in the central part, forming an apiculum 0.6–0.9 mm long, membranous at margin. Middle bract membranous, rounded, 1.5–2.2 mm long. Inner bract (4.5)4.8–5(5.5) mm long, 2.3–2.7 mm wide, elliptical, rounded, with outer hyaline margin and pale brown inner margin, central part herbaceous, with an apiculum 1–1.4 mm long, not reaching the apex. Calyx 5–6 mm long, sparsely hairy in the tube, 2.5–3 mm protruding from the inner bract, with tube 1.5–1.8 mm long and limb 3.5–4 mm long, with midribs ending in the middle of the lobes, which are semi-elliptical, 0.5–0.7 mm long.

Etymology: — The epithet refers to “Melita”, Latin name of Malta.

Phenology: — Limonium melitense flowers from June to October and produces seeds from August to November.

Distribution and ecology: — Similarly to Limonium zeraphae and L. lanfrancoi , also L. melitense is a species exclusive of the Maltese Archipelago, where it occurs in all the islands, mainly in the rocky coast ( Fig. 7 ). It is a chamaephyte, showing an erect and densely branched habit and can be considered an edaphic vicariant of L. zeraphae , localizing mainly on Globigerina limestones and marly limestones. Sometimes, it occurs also on compact limestones, but limitedly to shade stands, showing clearly more mesic requirements than the previous species. The plant community physiognomically characterized by this species was described by Brullo et al. (2020) as Limonietum melitensis , association always belonging to Crucianellion rupestris . In fact, the species of this alliance are here well represented, such as Crucianella rupestris , Cichorium spinosum and Daucus rupestris . As concerns the distribution of this association, it is widespread mainly in the northern and north-west coasts of Malta, as well as in Gozo and Comino.

Conservation status:— As already highlighted for Limonium zeraphae , L. melitensis has also undergone a drastic reduction of its range due to the anthropic impact on the coasts. Therefore, the progressive and constant regression of its populations with a much lower number of individuals than in the past, L. melitensis should be classified, according to IUCN protocol ( IUCN 2023), as “vulnerable” VU A2.

Specimens examined: — MALTA. Malta: Paradise Bay, 22 September 1985, S. Brullo s.n. (CAT 012577!); Ghar Lapsi, 24 September 1985, S. Brullo s.n. (CAT 012578!); Roum Tal Vi Gasu, 14 April 1984, S. Brullo & P. Pavone s.n. (CAT 012573!); Ghar Hasan, 24 September 1985, S. Brullo s.n. (CAT 012580!); Wadi Babu, 27 Juni 1973, S. Brullo & G. Ronsisvalle s.n. (CAT 012559!); Wadi Babu, 24 September 1985, S. Brullo s.n. (CAT 012581!); Ghajn Tuffieha, 27 October 1984, E. Lanfranco 2717 (CAT 012586!); Il-Karraba, peninsula between Ghain Tuffieha Bay and Gnejna Bay (W-NW of Mgarr). Growing in soil among limestone boulders, 26 October 1974, L. Y. T. Westra & J. v. Rooden 243 (U1495365!); Mtahleb, 12 April 1984, S. Brullo & G. Ronsisvalle s.n. (CAT 012566!); Mtahleb, 24 September 1985, S. Brullo s.n. (CAT 012575!); Imtaleb, su terreno argilloso, 21 December 1985, E. Lanfranco 7218 (CAT 012570!); Ta Xilep, 13 April 1984, S. Brullo & G. Ronsisvalle s.n. (CAT 012565!); Wied Migra Fecna (Mtahleb), 12 April 1984, S. Brullo & G. Ronsisvalle s.n. (CAT 012567!); Salina Bay, 26 November 1985, S. Brullo s.n. (CAT 012569!); Ras el Qarraba, terreno argilloso roccioso, 27 October 1984, E. Lanfranco 7215 (CAT 012571!); Wied Znuber, rupi maritime, 27 October 1984, E. Lanfranco 2578.2 (CAT 012560!); Ghar Hassan, rupi maritime, 27 August 1982, E. Lanfranco 7068 (CAT 012581!); Gneja Bay, 12 April 1984, S. Brullo & G. Ronsisvalle s.n. (CAT 012574!); Anchor Bay, 28 September 1985, S. Brullo s.n. (CAT 012564!); Bahrija Valley, 12 June 1973, S. Brullo & G. Ronsisvalle s.n. (CAT 012557!); Gozo: Cala Dweira, 25 September 1985, S. Brullo s.n. (CAT 012582!); Quara, June 1973, S. Brullo s.n. (CAT 012583!); Xlendi, June1973, S. Brullo s.n. (CAT 012584!); Xlendi, 29 June 1973, S. Brullo & G. Ronsisvalle s.n. (CAT 012562!); Ta Cenc, 28 June 1973, S. Brullo & G. Ronsisvalle s.n. (CAT 012556!); Ta Cenc, 29 June 1973, S. Brullo & G.Ronsisvalle s.n. (CAT 012558!); Ta Cenc, 25 September 1985, S. Brullo s.n. (CAT 012585!); Dimitri Point, 25 September 1985, S. Brullo s.n. (CAT 012586!); Comino: Comino, 25 September 1985, S. Brullo s.n. (CAT 012572!); Comino, near Santa Marjia Bay, 19 April 2023, D. Agius & S. Cambria s.n. (CAT!). Cominotto: Cominotto eastern coast, 19 April 2023, D. Agius & S. Cambria s.n. (CAT!);

Figures

FIGURE 4. Diagnostic features of Limomium melitense. A. Habit. B. Stem article. C. Inflorescence. D. Spikelet. E. Inner bracts in lateral view. F. Inner bracts in dorsal view. G. Middle bracts. H. Outer bracts. I. Calyces. J. Calyx lobes. Illustration by S. Brullo based on living material coming from the type locality (CAT).

FIGURE 7. Distribution of Limonium species in the MalteseArchipelago.Green dots:Limonium melitense; blue dots:Limonium virgatum; purple dots: Limonium zeraphae; red dot: Limonium lanfrancoi. It is based only on examined specimens listed in the paper.