Satureja macrantha C.A.Mey., 1970

Bordbar, Firouzeh & Mirtadzadini, Mansour, 2024, A morphological re-evaluation of the taxonomic status of Satureja L. (Lamiaceae, Nepetoideae, Mentheae) from flora of Iran, Adansonia (3) 46 (7), pp. 45-63 : 56-58

Satureja macrantha C.A.Mey.

( Fig. 2E, F )

Index seminum, quae Hortus Botanicus Imperialis Petropolitanus pro mutua commutatione offert: accedunt Animadversiones botanicae nonnullae 11: Suppl. 67 ( Meyer 1846). — Type: Azerbaijan • In montibus lapidosis calcareis ad Ghierus, Akarschai et Pachlutschinari ; 03.IX.1829; Szovits 587; lecto-, LE[ LE01175439 ], designed by Dirmenci in Duman et al. 2023; isolecto-, LE[ LE01175438 , LE01175440 ]) .

Satureja atropatana Bunge, Mémoires de l’Académie impériale des Sciences de Saint Pétersbourg , sér. 7, 21 (1): 36 ( Bunge 1873). — Type: Iran • In rupestribus apricis montanis Metschet Dagh inter Nehmetabad et Nähend haud procul ab urbe Tabris ; Seidlitz s.n.;(G[ G00786054 image!], LE [ LE01064419 image!, LE01064420 , image!], P[ P02998217 ]) , syn. nov.

PHENOLOGY. — Flowering time July-October, fruiting time September-November.

DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. — This is an Irano-Turanian element distributed in NW and W of Iran ( Fig. 5A ) as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq and Turkey. It prefers to grow on the crevices of the rocky slopes.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Iran • NW Iran, East Azarbaijan Province, NE of Tabriz, Ahar road ; 28.VIII.2007; Mirtadzadini 1981 ( MIR) • E of Tabriz, Paktshin ; 38°07’23.1”N, 46°25’32.6”E; alt. 1490 m; 09.IX.2019; Mirtadzadini 2041 ( MIR) • NW of Kaleibar, Vinaq village ; 39°01’55.6”N, 46°50’30.2”E; alt. 816 m; 12.VII.2016; Mirtadzadini & student team 1972 ( MIR) • Aras valley , near Asheqlu , N of Sultan village; 38°59’54.5”N, 46°44’12.6”E; alt. 630 m; 11.VII.2016; Mirtadzadini & student team1974 ( MIR) • Aras valley, 22 km from Nurduz to Asheqlu ; 38°53’27.3”N, 46°25’48.2”E; alt. 425 m; 11.VII.2016; Mirtadzadini & student team1976 ( MIR) • Aras valley, E of Siahrud, S of Nurduz ; 38°49’55.1”N, 46°12’16.9”E; alt. 810 m; 10.VII.2016; Bordbar 1970 ( MIR) • Aras valley , E of Siahrud, SW of Nurduz; 38°50’05.5”N, 46°11’10.4”E; alt. 996 m; 10.VII.2016; Mirtadzadini & student team 1971 ( MIR) • Arasbaran forest, Sooli-Darreh , Kalale-Sofla village ; 25.X.2007; Attar & Zamani 37841 ( TUH) • West Azarbaijan Province, Urumieh to Oshnavieh from Ghasemlu valleys , between Ghasemlu and Sangar ; alt. 1560 m; 02.XI.1995; Ghahreman & Mozaffarian 18184 ( TUH) .

Armenia • S Armenia, Syunik, N of Meghri ; 39°00’39.0”N, 46°12’28.0”E; alt. 1290 m; 29.VIII.2019; Mirtadzadini 1963 ( MIR) • N of Meghri ; 38°58’37.8”N, 46°12’48.8”E; alt. 1100 m; 29.VIII.2019; Mirtadzadini 2036 ( MIR) • On the pass 9 km from Vorotan to Kajaran; 39°24’35.1”N, 46°23’21.1”E; alt. 1350 m; 30.VIII.2019; Mirtadzadini 1964 ( MIR) • Between Goris & Vorotan; 39°26’24.1”N, 46°23’52.4”E; alt. 825 m; 06.IX.2019; Mirtadzadini 1965 ( MIR) .

DESCRIPTION

Aromatic perennial, 20-50 cm high. Stems erect or out-spreading, branched mostly at the base, covered with short retrorse hairs, length of lower internodes 10-25 mm, length of inflorescence internodes 5-15 mm. Leaves entire, sessile, linear to oblong or oblanceolate, rarely lanceolate, lower leaves 10-18 mm long, 2-5 mm wide, usually conduplicate, attenuate at base, apex obtuse or ± acute, covered with short scattered scabrous hairs and sessile glands. Verticillasters distant or approximate, 1-6 flowers in each verticillaster, flowers often sessile, peduncle (if present) up to 1-3 mm, pedicel (if present) up to 1-2 mm, bracts and bracteoles 1.5-3 mm long. Calyx green, rarely purple, tubular, covered with short scattered scabrous hairs and scattered sessile glands on the outside, (3.5-)4-6(-7) mm, teeth slightly recurved, superior teeth triangular-subulate or deltoid-triangular, 1-1.5(-2) mm, inferior teeth lanceolate or subulate, 1.5-2.5(-3) mm. Corolla blade violet, the tube white, (11-)12-15(-16) mm long. Stamens slightly exserted from the corolla tube. Style slightly shorter than or as long as posterior stamens. Nutlets elliptic to elongated elliptic, c. 1.2-1.5 mm long, 0.5-0.7 mm wide, brown to dark brown.

REMARKS

Satureja atropatana , a narrow endemic species, was described by Bunge (1873) based on specimens collected by Seidlitz from a single location in NW of Iran. In the first description, this species was compared with S. longiflora (syn. S. edmondii ) but not with S. macrantha . S. macrantha formerly was reported by Meyer (1846) from "Karabagh" ( Azerbaijan). This species is distributed in a variety of localities in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey as well as NW of Iran. The two species are separated mainly by the shape of calyx teeth. The superior teeth in S. atropatana is wide triangular, and the inferior teeth longer, lanceolate and obtuse while the superior teeth in S. macrantha is triangular, and the inferior teeth longer and narrower ( Rechinger 1982; Jamzad 2012). No other herbarium materials were reported from the type locality of S. atropatana since the first record, probably because of human activities and destructions in the area. In Flora Iranica this species was described based on the type and in Flora of Iran based on two specimens near the type locality. By the exploring of the plant materials from Iran and the locality of S. macrantha in Armenia, there is a confusion in the delimitation of S. macrantha and S. atropatana as separate species. In fact, the shape and length of calyx teeth are variable morphologic characters in S. macrantha , even in one individual. No other morphological differences were found. Therefore, S. atropatana is placed in synonymy under the name S. macrantha as the name has precedence.

The color of corolla for S. macrantha was mentioned to be “ rosea ” in Flora Iranica ( Rechinger 1982) and red in Flora of Iran ( Jamzad 2012), while it is mauve (pale purple) in Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands ( Davis 1982), and pink in Flora of the USSR ( Borissova 1977). We observed only the corollas with the white tubes, and violet blades in Iran and Armenia.

This species has been reported from Hamadan and Kermanshah Provinces of Iran by Jamzad (2012). By the exploration of the specimens in the reported localities in Hamadan and Kermanshah Provinces, we found only S. macrosiphonia and S. longiflora , respectively. We supposed to be a mistake in identification of the specimens.

Figures

FIG. 2. — Habit and close-up of inflorescence of Satureja L.species from flora of Iran:A, S.kermanica Payandeh,Bordbar & Mirtadz.(Bordbar 1956); B, C, S. khuzistanica Jamzad (Mirtadzadini 3805); D, S. khuzistanica (Mirtadzadini 3804); E, S. macrantha C.A.Mey. (Bordbar 1970); F, S. macrantha (Mirtadzadini 2036); G, S. macrosiphoniaBornm.(Mirtadzadini & Bordbar 5156); H, S. macrosiphoniaBornm.(Mirtadzadini & Bordbar 4157); I, S.mutica Fisch. & C.A.Mey. (Mirtadzadini 3822); J, S. mutica (Mirtadzadini 3832); K, S. sahendica Bornm. (Mirtadzadini 1984).

FIG. 5. — Distribution map of Satureja L. species in Iran: A, S. macrantha C.A.Mey.; B, S. macrosiphonoa (Coss.) Maire; C, S. sahendica Bornm.; D, S. mutica Fisch. & C.A.Mey. (circle), S. longiflora Boiss. & Hausskn. (square).