Scutellaria topcuoglui Yıldırım, Çiçek &Akbaş, 2021

Yildirim, Hasan, Çiçek, Mehmet, Akbaş, Kenan & Şeker, Erkan, 2021, Scutellaria topcuoglui (Lamiaceae), a new serpentinomorph species from southwestern Anatolia, Turkey, Phytotaxa 528 (3), pp. 180-190 : 181-186

Scutellaria topcuoglui Yıldırım, Çiçek &Akbaş sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–2 ).

Type:— TURKEY. C2 Muğla: Ula district, upper of Çörüş neighbourhood, eastern part of Balan Mountains serie, Mount Muslu foothills, Pinus brutia forest clearings, serpentine areas, 230 m, 25 May 2021, M. Çiçek 2021-400, K. Akbaş & B. Topçuoğlu (holotype EGE-43217!, isotypes ANK!, EGE-43218!, GAZI!, HUB!, NGBB!, M. Çiçek Herbarium!) .

Diagnosis:— Scutellaria topcuoglui is similar to S. glaphyrostachys . It differs from S. glaphyrostachys mainly by presence of glandular hairs (vs. eglandular to tomentose-eglandular hairy) from stems, leaves, bracts, calyx and corolla, longer fruiting calyx (4.5–5 mm vs. 3–4 mm) with longer scutellum (3–3.5 mm vs. 1.5–2 mm), longer corolla (20–22 mm vs. 10–12 mm) and in a different color (purplish vs. violet), mericarp color (brown vs. dark brown), longer mericarp (1.5–2 mm vs. 1.2–1.65 mm), different mericarp surface sculpturing (rounded and convex papillae vs. polygonal and flattened), and in habitat (serpentine areas vs. calcareous areas).

Description: Perennial herbs. Stems 4-angled, 2 alternate sides green and the other reddish-purplish, branched at base, ascending to erect, 15–30(–40) cm tall, densely glandular and eglandular hairy. Leaves simple, decussate, lamina 20–30 × 15–22 mm, ovate to triangular-ovate, margins crenate, apex obtuse or obtuse-acute, base truncate or cordate or cordate to truncate, green, sparsely pubescent on both the lower and the upper surfaces, veins on the lower surface distinct, mostly reddish-brownish or sometimes green and densely pubescent or rarely glandular and eglandular hairy along veins. Petioles (10–)15–20(–23) mm long, densely glandular and eglandular hairy. Flowers secund (1-sided), in axils of floral leaves (bracts) differentiated from the cauline leaves. Pedicels spreading or rarely appressed to inflorescence axis, 3–3.5 mm at anthesis, 4–4.5 mm in fruit. Inflorescence a spicate raceme, 6–10 cm, with (3–)5–12(–17) flowers, simple or branched at the upper half of stem, densely erect glandular and moderately long eglandular. Bracts exceeding calyx at anthesis, elliptic-ovate, (7–)8–10 × 2–4 mm, green, margins entire, apex acute, rarely obtuse-acute, base obtuse-acute, glandular hairy, petiolate, 2–3 mm, glandular hairy. Calyx persistent, bilabiate, tubular, 2.5–3.5 mm long at anthesis, green or the lower lip green and the upper lip reddish-purplish, glandular and long-rigid eglandular hairy, 4.5–5 mm in fruit. Scutellum (a characteristic appendage for Scutellaria at the upper lip of the calyx) 3–3.5 mm tall at anthesis, reddish-purplish, glandular and long-rigid eglandular hairy, enlarging to 5 mm in fruit. Corolla with the tube 20–22 mm long; tube slightly glandular, pale purple; upper lip slightly glandular and long eglandular, pale purple; lower lip glabrous (slightly long ciliated at bud, glabrous to glabrescent mature), white and purplish spotted. Stamens 4, didynamous, 2-long and 2-short, inserted in the upper lip (not exceeding the upper lip); the anthers of short stamens with 2-thecae, ca. 0.7 mm long each one, basifix, purplish, short ciliated at ventral side, filaments glabrous, ca. 10 mm long; the anthers of long stamens with one-theca, ca. 0.9 mm long, dorsifix, purplish, short ciliated at ventral and dorsal sides, filaments glabrous, ca. 13 mm long. Style glabrous, 18–19 mm long, divided into two parts at the apex, stigma lobes unequal. Ovary gynobasic. Mericarps 4, oblong-elliptic to ovoid-globose, 1.5–2 × 1–1.65 mm, brown, papillae-tuberculate.

Phenology:— Flowering in May–June and fruiting in June–July.

Etymology:— This new species is named in honor of Buse Topçuoğlu, who is an amateur botanist and nature enthusiast and firstly collected the new species. The Turkish name of this species is given as “ Muğla kasidesi”, according to the guidelines of Menemen et al. (2013).

Distribution and habitat:— Endemic to southwestern Anatolia, Turkey. An East Mediterranean element. It is known from the type locality and near vicinity (between the Ula and Köyceğiz districts) in the province of Muğla ( Fig. 3 ), on serpentine rocky areas in Pinus brutia forest clearings. The new species colonizes only the serpentine soils, between 190 and 590 m elevation. The new species is distributed on the Balan Mountain series, which is composed of serpentine soil and serpentine rocks.

Mericarp morphology:— Mericarp oblong-elliptic to ovoid-globose, 1.5–2 × 1–1.65 mm, brown. The surface is papillated-tuberculate. The papillae are rounded and convex with a concave part at apexes. Each papilla is covered with sessile-tuberculate glands and more or less appressed, patent or spreading hairs concentrated near the papillae apices. The surface near hilum is not papillate or slightly papillate, mostly consists of flat surface cells with dense appressed hairs ( Fig. 4 [A–D] and Fig. 6 [A & B]).

Pollen morphology:— Scutellaria topcuoglui is similar to S. glaphyrostachys in terms of some palynological characters. These characters are sculpturing pattern (bireticulate-perforate), aperture type (tricolpate), lumen shape (amorphous), reticule shape (circular-elliptic), reticule diameter and lumen diameter. Some pollen characters such as sculpturing type and aperture type generally do not differ between similar species. Pollen morphology studies on species belonging to the sect. Scutellaria were formerly investigated (yet unpublished data). According to this study, pollen sculpturing and aperture type of S. glaphyrostachys are similar to S. topcuoglui .

Some differences were determined between pollen measurements of Scutellaria topcuoglui and S. glaphyrostachys . The polar axis of S. topcuoglui is 22.92(±0.96) µm and equatorial axis is 26.70(±1.15) µm. The polar axis of S. glaphyrostachys is 27(±2.2) µm and the equatorial axis is 21.5(±2.7) µm. In terms of pollen shape (P/E), S. topcuoglui is determined as oblate-spheroidal (0.86 µm), but S. glaphyrostachys is subprolate (1.29 µm) ( Fig. 5 ).

There are considerable differences in exine and intine thicknesses between the two species. The exine thickness of Scutellaria topcuoglui is relatively thin (0.94 µm). The exine thickness of the S. glaphyrostachys is thick (2.2 µm). S. glaphyrostachys has relatively thick intine (0.82 µm), while S. topcuoglui has thin intine (0.44 µm). Colpus length (Clg) of S. glaphyrostachys (23 µm) is longer than S. topcuoglui (20.16 µm). There are differences in terms of muri thickness. The muri thickness of S. glaphyrostachys (0.4–0.5 µm) is thicker than S. topcuoglui (0.22 µm).

As a result of pollen measurements, it was seen that some pollen characters played an important role in the differentiation of the two species. These characters comprised the pollen shape, exine thickness, intine thickness, colpus width, colpus length, and muri thickness. Among these characters, it is the pollen shape that should be considered an important character between Scutellaria topcuoglui and S. glaphyrostachys . Because the pollen shape often shows similarities among closely related species. However, as a result of the comparisons we made, it was determined that S. topcuoglui was different in terms of its pollen shape from S. glaphyrostachys .

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— Muğla: Between Ula and Köyceğiz district, upper of Çörüş neighbourhood, eastern part of Balan Mountains serie, Mount Muslu foothills, Pinus brutia openings, serpentine areas, 250–590 m, 6 June 2020, K. Akbaş 1062-a & B. Topçuoğlu (Muğla University Herbarium!) . Muğla: Ula district , between Yeşilçam and Aksaz, Pinus brutia openings, serpentine areas, 190–225 m, 6 June 2020, K. Akbaş 1062-b & B. Topçuoğlu (Muğla University Herbarium!); ibid., 25 May 2021, M. Çiçek 2021-401, K. Akbaş & B. Topçuoğlu (M. Çiçek Herbarium!) .

Additional specimens examined (related taxa):— Scutellaria glaphyrostachys : C3 Antalya: Kargı çayı ile Kozlu dere arası, 1000 m, taşlık yamaçlar, 26 August 1947, Davis 14241 (W!); Antalya: Alanya’nın kuzeyi, Kargı çayı, Taşatan adlı yer, 1000 m, yamaçlar, 25 August 1947, Davis 14421 (W!); Antalya: Gebiz, Bozburun Dağı, Taşlı Yaylası yakınları, 1700 m, 25 July 1949, Davis 15545 (K!); ibid., Kurucaova, 1800 m, 25 July 1949, Davis 15696 (K!); ibid., Taşlı Yaylası ile Kozlu dere arası, 27 July 1949, Davis 15720 (K!); Isparta: Sütçüler, Dedegöl Dağı, Selköse ile Oruç Gazi Yaylaları arası, metamorfik yamaçlar, 1200–1400 m, 1 August 1949, Davis 15906 (K!); C5 Hatay (Antakya):Akra Dağı (Kel Dağı) 1220–1675 m, June 1909 (in shed. Scutellaria cassia Briquet ; Mont Cassius 4–5500 ft. Juni 1909), Haradjian 3127 (W!, K!); ibid., 305–610 m, June 1909, Haradjian 2958 (K!); Hatay: Teknepınarı (Batıayaz)’nın üstü, Musa Dağı’nın doğu etekleri, 550–700 m, kalker kayalık yamaçlar, Quercus coccifera çalılığı ve Pteridium sp. içleri, 10 July 2005, M. Çiçek 1889 (ANK!); ibid., 16 July 2006 M. Çiçek 1990 (ANK!); ibid., 19 June 2007, M. Çiçek 2051 (ANK!); ibid., Musa Dağı’nın doğu kenarı, Batıayaz’ın üstü, 700 m, maki, 21 June 1953, A. Huber-Morath 11898 (W!); C6 Adana: Amanos Dağları, Düldül Dağı, 1525–2135 m, Haradjian 2403 (W!).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Scutellaria topcuoglui: A. habit, B. flower lateral view, C. flower frontal view, D. bracts, E. scutellum in fruit, F. leaf.

FIGURE 2. Scutellaria topcuoglui: A. habitus and habitat, B. inflorescence, C. frontal view of flower, D. lateral view of flower, E. bracts and scutellum in fruit, F. scutellum and mericarps.

FIGURE 3. Distribution map of Scutellaria topcuoglui () and S. glaphyrostachys ().

FIGURE 4. SEM photographs of mericarp surface of Scutellaria topcuoglui: A. ventral view, B. dorsal view, C–D. papillae detailed view; S. glaphyrostachys: E. ventral view, F. dorsal view, G–H. papillae detailed view.

FIGURE 5. SEM photographs of pollen grain and pollen surface of Scutellaria topcuoglui: A–B. general view, C–D. surface detail.

FIGURE 6. Mericarps of Scutellaria topcuoglui: A. dorsal view, B. ventral view; mericarps of S. glaphyrostachys: C. dorsal view, D. ventral view.