Psephellus vanensis A. Duran, Behcet & B. Dogan, 2015

Dogan, Bekir, Behcet, Luetfi, Duran, Ahmet & Avlamaz, Davut, 2015, Psephellus vanensis (Asteraceae), a new species from east Turkey, PhytoKeys 48, pp. 11-19 : 12-17

Psephellus vanensis A. Duran, Behcet & B. Dogan sp. nov. Figs 1, 2, 3

Diagnosis.

Psephellus vanensis differs from Psephellus pyrrhoblepharus in its stem 13-20 cm tall and tomentose (vs. (20-)30-50 cm, floccose-tomentose), basal leaves usually undivided and elliptic to lanceolate, rarely lyrate with 2-3 pairs of lateral segments (vs. lyrate with very large broadly lanceolate terminal segment and 1-2 pairs of small lateral segment), involucre 11-17 × 11-14 mm, bowl-shaped (vs. 20-25 × 15-25 mm, ovoid to nearly globose), achenes 4-5 mm long (vs. 6-7 mm), pappus 5-6 mm long (vs. 4-7 mm long), inner row of scales 1-2 mm long (vs. 3-4 mm long).

Type.

Turkey. Van: Başkale, Çaldıran village, steppe fields, 2000-2050 m a.s.l., 17 Jun 2009, Behçet & D. Avlamaz 1603 (holotype: KNYA, isotypes: GAZI, ANK, HUB, Bingöl Univ. Herb.).

Description.

Perennial herb with a woody rootstock. Stem erect, striate, densely tomentose, 13-20 cm tall, 1.3-2 mm in diameter at base, simple, upper parts of stems leafless. Leaves concoloured, green, densely tomentose; basal leaves usually undivided and elliptic to lanceolate, 3-7 × 0.6-1.2 cm (including petiole), rarely lyrate with 2-3 pairs of lateral segments; cauline and upper cauline leaves undivided and lanceolate, partly decreasing in size towards capitula, 1-2.5 × 0.2-0.9 cm. Capitula solitary, 18 -28 × 11-15 mm (including flowers). Involucre 11-16 × 11-14 mm, bowl-shaped. Phyllaries nearly imbricate, glabrous; appendages conspicuous, large, concealing most of the basal part of phyllaries, scarious, pale-brownish, with distinct cilia, cilia 1-2 mm long, 8-10 cilia on each side. Corolla pink-violet. Marginal florets slightly longer than central florets, radiant, 12-13 mm long, without staminode, with 5 narrowly linear-lanceolate lobes 3-4 mm long; central flowers radiant, 10-11 mm long, without staminode, with 5 lobes 2-3 mm long. Achenes 4-5 mm, straw-colored to brownish, smooth, glabrous; pappus 5-6 mm, inner row of scales 1-2 mm, scabrous. Flowers in June-July and fruits in July-August.

Ecology.

The new species occurs on steppe fields, whereas Psephellus pyrrhoblepharus is found on rocks and slopes. Psephellus vanensis grows in plant communities with Asyneuma pulchellum (Fischer & C.A.Mey.) Bornm., Campanula conferta DC., Tanacetum kotschyi (Boiss.) Grierson, Bromus danthoniae Trin., Bromus tomentellus Boiss., Eryngium billardieri Delar., Helichrysum plicatum DC., Thymus kotschyanus Boiss. & Hohen. var. kotschyanus , Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam., Achillea vermicularis Trin., Gundelia tournefortii L. var. tournefortii , Erysimum echinellum Hand.-Mazz., Iris paradoxa Steven, Dactylis glomerata L. subsp. glomerata , Stipa pontica P.Smirnov, Prangos pabularia Lindley and Dianthus orientalis Adams.

Distribution and conservation status.

Psephellus vanensis is endemic to east Anatolia, where it seems to be very local. It belongs to the Irano-Turanian element (Fig. 4). The species is known only from type gatherings and from an area of approximately 0,006 km2 (criterion B1). Because of overgrazing, the habitat of this species is under threat, and this situation leads to potential reduction in the number of individuals (criterion A). The population is in a poor condition, and the number of individuals is estimated to approximately 120-125 (criterion C2). Therefore the species should be regarded as Critically Endangered ( IUCN 2014).

Key to the related Psephellus species

1	Stem taller than 20 cm, appendages straw-coloured, achenes 6-7 mm long	2
-	Stem shorter than 20 cm, appendages pale brownish, achenes 4-5 mm long	Psephellus vanensis
2	Cauline leaves pinnatilobate or undivided, appendages with ciliae 3-5 mm long, pappus 4-7 mm long	Psephellus pyrrhoblepharus
-	Cauline leaves lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, appendages with ciliae 1-2 mm long, pappus 8-9 mm long	Psephellus gilanicus

Taxonomic position.

The new species is placed in Psephellus sect. Psephelloidei (Boiss.) Wagenitz & Hellwig according to the involucre and achene characters as determined by Wagenitz (1975), Wagenitz and Hellwig (2000).

Affinity.

Psephellus vanensis is closely related to Psephellus pyrrhoblepharus , which occurs in Central Anatolia and is endemic to Turkey. It mainly differs from Psephellus pyrrhoblepharus in its stem 13-20 cm tall and densely tomentose (vs. 30-50 cm, floccose-tomentose), basal leaves usually undivided and elliptic to lanceolate, rarely lyrate with 2-3 pairs of lateral segments (vs. lyrate with very large broadly lanceolate terminal segment and 1-2 pairs of small lateral segments).

Psephellus vanensis is also related to Psephellus gilanica , which is endemic to Iran ( Wagenitz 1980). It mainly differs from Psephellus gilanica in its stem 13-20 cm tall (vs. 25-40 cm), tomentose (vs. sparsely floccose-tomentose), basal leaves usually undivided and lanceolate, rarely lyrate with 2-3 pairs of lateral segments (vs. lyrate with 2-3 pairs of lateral segments).

Additional characters of Psephellus vanensis and the related species Psephellus gilanica and Psephellus pyrrhoblepharus are provided in Table 1 .

Psephellus vanensis also resembles Psephellus bornmuelleri , which occurs in Central Anatolia and is endemic in Turkey. It mainly differs from Psephellus bornmuelleri in its stem 13-20 cm tall and tomentose (vs. 35-70 cm, sparsely tomentose to glabrescent), basal leaves usually undivided and elliptic to lanceolate, rarely lyrate with 2-3 pairs of lateral segments (vs. pinnatipartite or lyrate, with 4-6 pairs of lateral segments), involucre 11-17 × 11-14 mm, bowl-shaped (vs. 15-20 × 15-25 mm, ovoid to nearly globose), appendages pale brownish (vs. straw-coloured), flowers pink-violet (vs. purple), achenes 4-5 mm long (vs. c. 7 mm long).

Phytogeography.

The east Anatolia region is a botanically interesting area, occupying the Irano-Turanian phyto-geographical region. The area is very rich in local endemic plants ( Akman et al. 2011; Koçyiğit and Bona 2013). Recently many articles were published on new species from this particular region, notably Ferula mervynii M. Sağıroğlu & H. Duman ( Sağıroğlu and Duman 2007), Silene dumanii Kandemir, G. Ecevit Genç & İ. Genç ( Kandemir and Genç 2009), Jurinea tortumensis A. Duran & B. Dogan ( Dogan et al. 2010), Campanula hacerae A. İlçim ( İlçim et al. 2011), Silene gevasica Hamzaoğlu ( Hamzaoğlu et al. 2011), Allium shirnakiense L. Behçet & Rüstemoğlu ( Behçet and Rüstemoğlu 2012), Rhabdosciadium urusakii E. Akalın ( Akalın and Akpulat 2012), Onosma atila-ocakii O Koyuncu & Yaylacı ( Koyuncu et al. 2013) and Crocus yakarianus Yıldırım & O. Erol ( Yıldırım and Erol 2013).

Additional specimens examined.

Psephellus pyrrhoblepharus : Turkey, B7 Elazığ: Harput, around the Anguzu Baba Türbesi, 1560 m., 14 Jun 2007, A. Duran 7464, B. Dogan & M. Öztürk (KNYA!); A6 Amasya: Akdağ, above Zefe köy, 1700 m., Tobey 1207 (E, photo!); B9 Bitlis: Kambos Da., above Hürmüz, 1800 m., 31 Jun 1954, Davis 23403 (E, photo!).

Psephellus bornmuelleri : Turkey, C5 Konya: between Ereğli-Niğde, 1400 m, 1904, W.Siehe (E, photo!); B3 Eskisehir: c. 15 miles from Polatli to Sivrihisar, 800 m, 12 Jun 1965, chalky fields, Coode & Jones 2252 (E, photo!); Ankara: Polatlı, Acıkır vicinity, 840-860 m, 2 Jun 1995, gypsum places, Aytaç 6893 & Adigüzel (GAZI!); Ankara: Polatlı, Acıkır vicinity, 840-860 m, 22 Jun 1993, Duman 4812 & Aytaç (GAZI!); Ankara: Polatlı, Acıkır vicinity, 840-860 m, 4 Jun 1991, Aytaç 3822 & Duman (GAZI!); B4 Ankara, between Şereflikoçhisar-Ankara, 10 km, saline places, 900-950 m, 5 Jun 2002, Aytaç 8374 & M.Ekici (GAZI!).

Psephellus gilanica : Iran, Tehran: prope Shekerabad, 2200 m, Bornmüller 7266 (B, photo!).

Note: Davis’s grid system was used for the coordinates.