Limonium ginzbergeri Bogdanović & Brullo, 2015

Bogdanović, Sandro & Brullo, Salvatore, 2015, Taxonomic revision of the Limonium cancellatum group (Plumbaginaceae) in Croatia, Phytotaxa 215 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

7. Limonium ginzbergeri Bogdanović & Brullo , sp. nov.

Type: — CROATIA. Southern Dalmatia: Isola di Glavat , Vrhovnjaci, arcipelago di Lastovo, 28 July 2006, Bogdanović s.n. (holotype CAT!; isotypes CAT!, ZAGR!) ( Figs. 8 , 37 ) .

Diagnosis: — Planta glabra , dense foliosa apice caudicularum, foliis rigidis, valde rugosis, spathulatis, retusis vel

16 • Phytotaxa 215 (1) © 2015 Magnolia Press

BOGDANOVIĆ & BRULLO rotundatis apice, revolutis margine, 1-nerviis (nervo medio pinnato), scapis plurimis, erectis vel adscendentibus, rugosis, laeviter hispidis inferne, ramis sterilibus numerosis, inflorescentia reticulata, ramosa, spicis rectis ad laeviter curvatis, bractea inferiore ovato-triangulari, acuta, glabra , bractea superiore elliptico-ovata, obtusa vel rotundata, calice tubo sparsim piloso, lobis hemiellipticis, rotundatis.

Description: —Plant perennial, 20–40 cm tall, glabrous, with robust tap-root. Caudices branched, 1–5 cm long, densely covered by leaves. Leaves rigid, strongly rugose, glabrous, green, 1–4 cm long, 3–6 mm wide, spathulate, revolute at the margin, 1-nerved (with midrib pinnate), tapering into a long petiole, retuse to rounded at the apex. Stems numerous, ascending to erect, rugose, slightly hispid below, with numerous sterile branches, flexuous, fragile at nodes, very branched, diverging at the angle of 30–180°, internodes 5–20 mm long, right to curved. Inflorescence reticulate, branched; spikes 7–40(–60) mm long, straight to slightly curved. Spikelets 5–6.2 mm long, 1–2–flowered, 3–5 per cm; outer bract 1.2–2 mm long, 1.2–1.8 mm wide, triangular-ovate, acute, narrowly membranous, glabrous, with central part fleshy, acuminate; middle bract 1.4–2.2 mm long, 1.2–1.5 mm wide, oblong-elliptic, rounded at the apex, membranous, glabrous; inner bract 3.1–4 mm long, 2.2–2.6 mm wide, glabrous, elliptical-ovate, obtuse to rounded, with margin membranous, 0.3–0.5 mm wide, with central part fleshy, glabrous, 1.3–2 mm wide, acuminate, forming a triangular tip, 0.6–0.9 mm long, no reaching the upper margin. Calyx 4–4.8 mm long, exerted 1.5–2.2 mm from the inner bract, sparsely hairy in the tube, ribs reaching the middle part of the lobes; calyx lobes elliptical, rounded, 0.7–0.9 × 0.7–0.8 mm. Corolla lilac.

Etymology: —This species is dedicated to A. Ginzberger, an Austrian botanist who studied the Dalmatian flora.

Distribution and ecology: —This is a very rare species circumscribed only to a few islets, as Smokvica and Saplun, from Lastovo archipelago in southern Dalmatia ( Fig. 30E ). It colonized the calcareous rocky clefts directly exposed to sea aerosol, where it grows together with other halophytes.

Additional specimens examined (Paratypes): — CROATIA. Southern Dalmatia: Scoglio di Smokvica, Vrhovnjaci, arcipelago di Lastovo, sud Dalmazia, 28 July 2006, BogdanoviĆ s.n. ( CAT!, ZAGR!); Isola di Saplun , Lastovnjaci, Lastovo, Sud Dalmazia, 28 July 2006, BogdanoviĆ s.n. ( CAT!, ZAGR!) .

Figures

FIGURE 8. Limonium ginzbergeri. A. Inflorescence branches. B. Spikelets. C. Outer bracts. D. Middle bracts. E. Inner bracts (dorsal view). F. Inner bract (lateral view). G. Calyces. H. Calyx lobes. I. Leaves. J. Leaf adaxial face. K. Leaf abaxial face (Illustration by Salvatore Brullo based on Bogdanović s.n..type CAT).

FIGURE 30. Geographical distribution of Limonium trinajsticii (A). L. leprosorum (B). L. tabularae (C). L. subnudum (D). L. ginzbergeri (E) and L. dictyophorum (F).

FIGURE 37. Habit of Limonium ginzbergeri from holotype. Bogdanović s.n. (CAT).