Helichrysum, Miller, 1754

Semiz, Gürkan, Şenol, Serdar Gökhan, Günal, Batikan, Çiçek, Mehmet & Eroğlu, Volkan, 2021, Helichrysum × kani-isikii (Asteraceae), a new nothospecies from Turkey, Phytotaxa 507 (4), pp. 283-292 : 285-286

Helichrysum × kani-isikii Semiz, Şenol & Günal , nothosp. nova ( Fig. 2 )

Type: — TURKEY. C2 Denizli: Above Kızılcabölük, Babadağ, near Evran Hill , on calcareous rocks, 1968 m, 37°41´53.94´´N, 28°59´27.85´´E, 29 July 2018 , G. Semiz , S. G. Şenol & B. Günal (holotype PAUB GSE 2055 !; isotype EGE!) .

Diagnosis: — Helichrysum × kani-isikii has originated from crosses between H. unicapitatum and H. compactum . It mainly differs from H. compactum and H. unicapitatum in the length of the stem, 2–12 cm (9–24 cm in H. compactum , 0.4–2 cm in H. unicapitatum ); the shape of the basal leaves, which are spathulate-orbicular (spathulate in H. compactum , elliptic-orbicular in H. unicapitatum ); the number of capitula per synflorescence, (3–)4–13(–15) [6–35 in H. compactum , 1(2–3) in H. unicapitatum ] ( Fig. 3 ).

Description:—Caespitose, suffruticose perennial plants, mat-forming, up to 60 cm in diameter, white-felted, eglandular. Flowering stems 2–12 cm, slender, erect, and arising from short thick branching caudices. Basal leaves forming dense rosettes which arise directly from woody rootstock, 3.5–10.5 × 2.5–5.16 mm, spathulate-orbicular, concolor, densely tomentose, margin flat. Cauline leaves 7–15, more or less adpressed to stem, alternate; uppermost ones 3.5–6.72 × 1.5–1.8 mm, linear, basal ones 5.26–9.58 × 2.5–3.25 mm, spathulate to linear rarely orbicular. Synflorescence with terminal (3)4–13(15) capitula. Capitula width 4.7–7.7 mm, broadly campanulate, heterogamous, disciform, with 16–31 yellow tubular florets; pistillate florets 4-6, marginal; hermaphroditic florets 10-25, central. Involucral bracts regularly imbricate, more or less adpressed, arranged in 4 rows, arachnoid tomentose in middle part, sparsely tomentose in proximal and distal parts, apex subglabrous; stereome glabrous, undivided; outermost bracts brownish, 2.65–3.85 mm length, ovate, obtuse; innermost bracts yellow, 3–4.3 mm length, spathulate, obtuse. Corolla glabrous, lobes 5, acute, outside of the lobes covered by short stipitate-glandular hairs; corolla 2.96–3.5 mm long, lobes 0.35–0.7 mm long. Style 2.35–3.18 mm long. Stigma 0.3–0.8 mm long, with apices slightly thickened. Anthers ecalcarate, 1–2.5 mm long, apical appendage acute, basal appendages long-tailed. Pollen grains tricolporate, 19–23 μm in diameter, subspheroidal, echinate. Achenes cylindrical, light brown, cypsela surface with duplex hairs. Pappus bristles 2.6–3.2 mm long, whitish, uniform, uniseriate, caduceus, with ca. 70–75 barbellate hairs; apex with acute apical cells.

Phenology: —Flowering from June to August; fruiting from August to September.

Distribution and conservational status: — Helichrysum × kani-isikii is endemic to the northeastern parts of the Babadağ district (Denizli) near Evran Hill. The conservation status of this hybrid should be “ Critically Endangered (CR)” according to the IUCN (2014) criteria, because it is known to a single location, and the estimated area of occupancy is less than 10 km 2, with less than 250 mature individuals counted [criteria B2 ab (i, iii) of IUCN, 2014]. Additionally, during our field observations, we observed heavy grazing pressure in the area.

Etymology: — Helichrysum × kani-isikii is named in honor of outstanding lecturer Prof. Dr. Kani Işık (Emeritus, Department of Biology, Akdeniz University) for his worthy contributions to botanical studies in Turkey.

Ecology: — Helichrysum × kani-isikii grows on crystalline calcareous rocks at altitudes of 1800–2000 m, together with H. compactum , H. unicapitatum , Galium aretioides Boissier (1843a: 42) , Linum aretioides Boissier (1843b: 55) , Minuartia pestalozzae Mattfeld (1921: 31) , and Pterocephalus pinardii Boissier (1844b: 88) . This new hybrid shares the same locality with its putative parental species and shows intermediate characteristics between these two species. Helichrysum × kani-isikii has a combination of morphological characters that makes it different from H. unicapitatum and H. compactum . Diagnostic characteristics obtained after measurements are shown in Table 1.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Morphological characters of Helichrysum × kani-isikii (A: Habitus, B: Capitula, C: Hermaphrodite Flower, D: Outer Bract, E: Inner Bract, F: Cauline leave, G: Basal leave, H: Achene).

FIGURE 3. Diagnostic characteristics of Helichrysum compactum, H. × kani-isikii and H. unicapitatum.