Dianthus aticii Hamzaoglu, 2015

Hamzaoglu, Ergin, Koc, Murat & Aksoy, Ahmet, 2015, Dianthus aticii, a new species from Turkey (Caryophyllaceae), PhytoKeys 48, pp. 21-28 : 22-26

Dianthus aticii Hamzaoglu sp. nov. Figs 1 , 2

Diagnosis.

Stems suffruticose (not herbaceous); sterile shoot leaves subulate, subcanaliculate (not linear, flattened or absent); inner epicalyx scales with scarious margin 0.2 -0.4 mm wide, arista 1/10-1/7 as long as scale (not with scarious margin 0.3-0.8 mm wide, arista 1/7-1/3 as long as scale).

Type.

TURKEY. Bilecik: Bilecik highway exit towards Eskişehir, 40°06'27"N, 29°59'47'E, 330 m, stony slopes and steppes, 16 June 2013 (fl, fr), E. Hamzaoğlu et al. 6743 (holotype: GAZI; isotypes: GAZI, ANK); Bolu: Seben, between Bozyer and Korucuk villages, 1025 m, forest clearings, flowing slopes, 19 July 2013, M. Koç & E. Hamzaoğlu 6868 (paratypes: GAZI, ANK); Ankara: Nallıhan, Gökçeöz village, road of forest watchtower, 820 m, forest clearings, stony slopes, 19 July 2013, M. Koç & E. Hamzaoğlu 6869 (paratypes: GAZI, ANK).

Specimens examined.

Dianthus aticii Hamzaoğlu sp. nov. - TURKEY. Bilecik: Bilecik highway exit towards Eskişehir, 40°06'27"N, 29°59'47'E, 330 m, stony slopes and steppes, 16 June 2013, E. Hamzaoğlu et al. 6743 (holotype: GAZI; isotypes: GAZI, ANK); Bolu: Seben, between Bozyer and Korucuk villages, 1025 m, forest clearings, flowing slopes, 19 July 2013, M. Koç & E. Hamzaoğlu 6868 (paratypes: GAZI, ANK); Ankara: Nallıhan, Gökçeöz village, road of forest watchtower, 820 m, forest clearings, stony slopes, 19 July 2013, M. Koç & E. Hamzaoğlu 6869 (paratypes: GAZI, ANK); Dianthus zonatus Fenzl - TURKEY. Manisa: Spil Dağı National Park, road of Atalanı resting area, 1320 m, calcerous rocks, 2 July 2011, M. Koç & E. Hamzaoğlu 6106 (GAZI); Kütahya: İscehisar, around Seydiler, 1150 m, rocks, 5 August 2012, E. Hamzaoğlu et al. 6584 (GAZI); Eskişehir: Around Sivrihisar, 1115 m, rocks, 24 June 2012, E. Hamzaoğlu et al. 6339 (GAZI); Konya: Between Kulu and Cihanbeyli, Kulu exit, 1130 m, steppe, 13 July 2011, E. Hamzaoğlu et al. 6122 (GAZI); Ankara: Polatlı, above Babayokuş village, 900 m, stony places, 2 July 2010, M. Koç et al. 1205 (GAZI); Aydın: Between Söke and Didim, after 4 km from Güllübahçe exit, 820 m, 25 June 2006, E. Hamzaoğlu et al. 4071 (GAZI); Muğla: Köyceğiz, above Yayla village, from Gökçeova Lake to Sandras Mountain summit, 1950 m, serpentine rocks, 15 July 2011, E. Hamzaoğlu et al. 6198 (GAZI); Antalya: Elmalı, N of Vahhabi Ümmi Türbesi, 1480 m, rocks, 12 June 2007, M. Koç & Ü. Budak 2152 (GAZI); Karaman: Between Ermenek and Karaman, 16 km, 1670 m, Pine forest openings, stony places, 18 July 2005, Ü. Budak et al. 1743 (GAZI); Niğde: Çamardı, above Demirkazık village, 1475 m, rocks, 11.7.2012, E. Hamzaoğlu et al. 6449 (GAZI).

Description.

Suffruticose, several-stemmed, subpruinose herbs. Stems erect, fragile, 20-35 cm tall, branching from upper nodes, 6-10-nodes, glabrous or puberulent. Leaves subcanaliculate, thick, glabrous or puberulent, margins scabrous, ciliate and scarious at base, apex acuminate; sterile shoot leaves subulate, equal or longer than cauline leaves; cauline leaves subulate to linear-filiform, 11-22 × 0.6-1.2 mm, appressed to stem, obviously shorter than internodes, rigid, 3-veined, sheaths equal or slightly longer than wide; upper similar but smaller. Flowers solitary or few in racemes; branches angled at 5-15°, glabrous or sparsely puberulent, up to 3 cm long; pedicels 5-15 mm, glabrous or sparsely puberulent, greenish. Epicalyx scales (4-)6-8(-12), cartilaginous, greenish or straw-coloured, glabrous or puberulent, appressed to calyx, apex acute to acuminate except arista; outer linear-lanceolate, veinless below, indistinctly 5-9-veined above, 1/5-2/5 as long as calyx, 4-8 × 0.8-1.2 mm, with narrowly scari ous (c. 0.2 mm) margins, arista 1/2-2/3 as long as scale; inner oblong-oblanceolate, veinless below, indistinctly 7-9-veined above, 2/5-1/2 as long as calyx, 6-9 × 2.5-3.5 mm, with scarious (0.2-0.4 mm) margins, arista 1/10-1/7 as long as scale. Calyx cylindric-lanceolate, 16-22 × 3-4.5 mm, distinctly 36-40-veined above, glabrous or puberulent, pale green or sometimes purplish; teeth triangular-lanceolate, 4-5.5 × 1.2-2 mm, 7-veined, with ciliate and scarious margins, apex acute to acuminate, sometimes short mucronate. Petals 20-23 mm long; limb broadly cuneate, 7-8 × 6-7 mm, c. 1/3 as long as petal, completely exserted from calyx, usually spotted, barbulate, pink, yellowish-green beneath, 7-11-toothed to apex, teeth triangular, up to 1/6 as long as limb; claw 12-15 × 1.5 mm, collar almost as wide as claw. Capsule equal in length to calyx. Seeds elliptical, 2-3 × 1.4-2 mm, blackish.

Distinction from other taxa.

Dianthus aticii shows close similarities to Dianthus zonatus Fenzl because of toothed and barbulate petals, solitary or double flowers, and epicalyx scales that reach up to half of its calyx length ( Fenzl 1842, Boissier 1849, Tchihatcheff 1860, Reeve 1967). Despite these similarities, there are very distinctive differences between Dianthus aticii and Dianthus zonatus such as stem morphology, leaf shape, and size of epicalyx scales and petals (Table 1 , Figure 2 ).

Key to the two closely related Dianthus species

1	Stems suffruticose; sterile shoot leaves subulate and subcanaliculate; inner epicalyx scales with scarious margin 0.2-0.4 mm wide; petals 20-23 mm long	Dianthus aticii sp. nov.
-	Stems herbaceous; sterile shoot leaves linear and flattened or absent; inner epicalyx scales with scarious margin 0.3-0.8 mm wide; petals 24-31 mm long	Dianthus zonatus

Seed morphology.

Seeds of Dianthus aticii are elliptical, 2-3 × 1.4-2 mm, black, granular; dorsal surface convex, with regular rectangular cells, tuberculate, with 4-7 teeth on each margin, teeth V-undulate, apparent; ventral surface flat, with irregular rectangular cells, tuberculate, with 4-7 teeth on each margin, teeth S-undulate, not apparent; apex beaked. The seeds of Dianthus aticii are different from the seeds of Dianthus zonatus in terms of shape and cell edges of both the dorsal and ventral surfaces (Table 1 , Figure 2 ).

Phenology.

The new species was observed flowering in June and July, in stony slopes and steppes, between 330 and 1025 m.

Chorology and ecology.

Dianthus aticii grows in relatively sub-arid forest clearings in Bilecik, Seben (Bolu), and Nallıhan (Ankara); it grows in moist areas where the Euro-Siberian and Irano-Turanian phytogeographic regions coincide in the northwest part of Turkey ( Davis 1965). The forest clearings of these areas that are sub-arid, compared with the oceanic climate zone, were occupied by some semi-xeric species. These areas where the forest and steppe formations co-exist are the ideal habitats for Dianthus aticii . The species grows on stony slopes within forest openings together with Quercus pubescens Willd., Juniperus oxycedrus L., Crataegus monogyna Jacq. subsp. monogyna , Cistus creticus L., Jasminum fruticans L., Helianthemum nummularium (L.) Miller, Fumana thymifolia (L.) Verlot, Alyssum sibiricum Willd., Silene italica (L.) Pers., Pilosella piloselloides (Vill.) Sojak, Onosma tauricum Pallas ex Willd., Veronica multifida L., Teucrium polium L., Acantholimon acerosum (Willd.) Boiss., Hypericum perforatum L., Genista tinctoria L., Vicia cracca L. subsp. stenophylla Vel., Astragalus vulnerariae DC., Astragalus microcephalus Willd., Rosa canina L., and Centaurea urvillei DC.

Conservation status.

According to the current data Dianthus aticii grows in the Bilecik, Seben (Bolu), and Nallıhan (Ankara) districts, which have an area of approximately 7000 km2. This has a discontinuous distribution due to dense forests, settlement, and farming areas. The open areas, which this species prefers, have the potential of possible settlements and agricultural activities. Therefore, the habitat of this species is under danger of being decreased and disturbed/destroyed in the future. Therefore, it is proposed that the species should be classified as Vulnerable [VU (B1b-iii) according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categories ( IUCN 2014)].

Etymology.

The species is named in honour of the eminent Turkish hydrobiologist Prof Dr Tahir Atıcı (Gazi Faculty of Education, Gazi University, Ankara).

Figures

Figure 1. Photographs of plant habit and flowers of Dianthus aticii and Dianthus zonatus. Dianthus aticii - A 1 Habit B 1 Flower; Dianthus zonatus - A 2 Habit B 2 Flower.

Figure 2. SEM photographs of the seed coat. A Dianthus aticii B Dianthus zonatus 1 - 3 dorsal surface 4 - 6 ventral surface (scale bars: 1 and 4: 1 mm, 2 and 5: 20 μm, 3 and 6: 10 μm).