Scrophularia longiflora Benth.

Ranjbar, Massoud, Rahchamani, Narges & Gautier, Laurent, 2016, Scrophularia longiflora Benth. and S. nana Stiefelh. (Scrophulariaceae), two distinct species from Iran, confused under the name S. farinosa Boiss., Candollea 71 (2), pp. 195-203 : 197-201

Scrophularia longiflora Benth. in DC., Prodr. 10: 313. 1846 ( Fig. 3 B-D).

Typus: IRAN: Persia , s.d., Anon. s.n. (holo-: G-DC [ G00498883 ]!) .

= Scrophularia farinosa Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Orient. ser. 1, 7: 40. 1846. Lectotypus (designated here): I RAN. Prov. Fars: in fissuris rupium sept. v. spectantium m. Sabst-Buschom [Sabz Pushan] pr. u. Schiras rarius, [29°26’55’’N 52°32’00’’E], 25.V.1842, Kotschy 427 ( G-BOIS [ G00330405 ]!; isolecto-: E [ E00327361 ] image seen, FI [ FI009673 ] image seen, G [ G00382756 , G00382757 , G00382758 ]!, GOET [ GOET011067 ] image seen, K [ K001096210 ] image seen, MO-97706 image seen, MO-97810 image seen, P [ P03412070 , P03412071 , P03412073 in part., P03412074 ] images seen, WAG [ 1835848 ], W [ W0017712] image seen). Syntypi: IRAN. Prov. Fars: Sabz Pushan [Sabst Buschom], 1842, Kotschy 843 ( G-BOIS [ G00330408 ]!, JE [ JE00010888 ] image seen, P [ P03412073] image seen, W [ W0017422 ] image seen).

Perennial herb, 4-16 cm tall, decumbent, stems short, thin, numerous, with long internodes below and shorter above, grey, with a white dense indumentum of farinaceous hairs and with rare dispersed dendroid hairs. Lower leaves alternate, grey, densely farinaceous with a few dendroid branched hairs on both surfaces, petioles 8-20 mm long, blade broadly ovate in overall shape, 16-20 × 5-10 mm, venation pinnate, prominent on abaxial surface, pinnatifid to pinnatisect, upper part of leaf dentate, with 3-4 teeth 0.5-1 mm long each side; angle of teeth with reference to midrib 20-30º, subacute to obtuse; lower part of leaf divided, with 2-3 lobes 3-6 mm long each side, angle of lobes with reference to midrib 30-40º, obtuse, each lobe with ca. 2-3 teeth 0.5 mm long each side, angle of teeth ca. 45º, obtuse, apical side of tooth convex and straight, basal side of tooth concave. Upper leaves alternate, grey, densely farinaceous and with rare dendroid hairs on both surfaces, petiole 4- 10 mm long, blade symmetrical, narrowly ovate, acute, 12-20 × 4-7 mm, venation pinnate, prominent on abaxial surface, blade pinnatifid to pinnatisect, with ca. 2-4 lobes each side; 0.5-1.8 mm long, angle of lobes with reference to midrib ca. 30º, acute, apical side of lobes convex to straight, basal side concave. Inflorescence dense, many-flowered, bracteate, paniculate, cymes drepanium, elongate in fruiting status up to 7–8 cm long. Bracts lanceolate, entire, acute, 5-10 × 1-3 mm, grey, densely farinaceous, the lower ones leaf-like. Bracteoles lanceolate, entire, acute, 3-3.5 × 1 mm, grey, densely farinaceous. Peduncle 4-6 mm long, densely farinaceous hairs mixed with sparsely glandular hairs. Pedicels 1.5-2 mm long, densely glandular and with a sparsely farinaceous hairs. Flowers zygomorphic. Calyx 2.5-3 × ca. 2.5 mm, sepals equal, ovate-orbicular, obtuse at apex, grey to greenish, densely covered with glandular hairs, with white often glabrous margins. Corolla 9-10 mm long, urceolate, yellow-white when fresh, brown in dried status, glabrous, lobes unequal, obtuse, upper lobes 1.5-2 mm longer than lower lobes. Stamens 4, fertile, exserted, 9.5-10 mm long, filaments white, densely glandular-dotted, anthers white. Staminode small, orbiculate, ca. 0.5 × 0.5 mm, purple, its filament shorter than the ones of the fertile anthers, and thus included in the corolla tube. Ovary spherical to ovoid, 1-1.5 × 1.5 mm, densely gland-dotted. Style terminal, filiform, ca. 8 mm long, glabrous. Capsule spherical to ovoid, 3.5-5 × 3-4 mm, mucronate at apex, mucron 0.5-1 mm long, grey to green, densely gland-dotted. Seed rectangular to elliptic, 0.9-1.1 × 0.4-0.5 mm, dark brown to black, with scattered depressed area, sometimes lighter discontinuous bands.

1

cm

[B: Ranjbar 35993, BASU; C: Anon. s.n., G-DC; D: Kotschy 427, G-BOIS]

Notes. – The name S. longiflora was published on April 8, 1846 by Bentham (1846: 313) (see Stafleu & Cowan, 1976), where it is clearly stated that the only specimen seen is a specimen of unknown collector coming from Persia, and kept in the de Candolle herbarium. There is only one specimen under this name in the G-DC herbarium, and this is consequently the holotype of that name.

The name S. farinosa first appeared in 1845 on the printed labels of Kotschy’s specimen distributed and edited by R.F. Hohenacker. However, these labels lack any kind of diagnostic elements and hence the name cannot be considered as validly published until Boissier (1846), released in Jul.-Oct. 1846 according to Stafleu & Cowan (1976). The species is described based on two collections: Kotschy 427 and 843 collected from Iran, Sabz Pushan (Sabst-Buschom) around Shiraz. Although Grau (1981) cites “Typus Kotschy 427, 843; holotypus G!, isotypus W!”, the G-BOIS duplicates of these collections should be considered as syntypes and lectotypification is needed. The specimen Kotschy 427 [G00330405] is designed here as lectotype ( Fig. 3D ) because it is complete and includes a mature plant with fruit. The other specimen Kotschy 843 [G00330408] is not complete being without fruit. Besides, Kotschy 427 is much more widely distributed in other herbaria.

Both Boissier (1879) and Grau (1981) have correctly considered that S. farinosa and S. longiflora were synonyms. However, they both retained the name S. farinosa , whereas S. longiflora was effectively published a few months earlier and has priority.

Other specimens examined. – IRAN. Prov. Fars: Sabz Pushan [Sabst Buschom], 1842, Kotschy 427a ( G [ G00330574 ]); sine loc., s.d., Michaux s.n. ( G [G00382553]); around Shiraz, s.d., Michaux s.n. ( P [ P03412072 ]); Shiraz , Darvaz-e Qoran , 29°38’03’’N 52°33’37’’E, 1580 m, 29.IV.2014, Ranjbar 35993 ( BASU); Bamu protected region, Darreh Chap, 1650-1900 m, 30.V.1975, Wendelbo & Foroughi 17531, partly ( G [ G00418106 ]) .

Figures

Fig. 3. – Distribution map of Scrophularia longiflora Benth. and S. nana Stiefelh. in Fars Province in Iran (A) and collections of S. longiflora (B-D). A. Examined specimens and data of “Flora Iranica” (white circles: S. longiflora; white stars: S. nana) and type collections (black circle: S. farinosa (= S. longiflora); black star: S. nana); B. Holotype; C. Details of Ranjbar 35993 collection at BASU: overview of plant, close-up of leaf, and fruit; D. Lectotype of its synonym S. farinosa Boiss.