Serapias ausoniae

Gennaio, Roberto & Pellegrino, Giuseppe, 2021, Serapias ausoniae (Orchidaceae; Orchideae): a new species from southern Italy confirmed by morphological, cytological and molecular analyses, Phytotaxa 516 (2), pp. 159-168 : 166-167

Serapias ausoniae GennaioR. & PellegrinoG., spec. nov. ( Figs 1–3 )

Type:— ITALY. Apulia: Province of Lecce, Municipality of Ugento. Bianca swamp, a brackish artificial lake, 39° 53’ 04” N, 18° 07’ 37” E, 6 m, Gennaio s.n.(holotype: CLU) .

Serapias ausoniae is related to S. parviflora but differs in having larger parts throughout, particularly the flowers.

Terrestrial herbs. Tubers 2(-3), sessile, ovoid. Stem 25–35 cm tall, with 3–4 green, frequently spotted, linearlanceolate basal leaves 15 cm long and 1.5–2.00 large, and 3–4 sheathing green leaves 17.0  2.3–2.5 cm; spike 8–15- flowered; bracts 4.5–5.0  1.5 cm, exceeding flowers, light green with apex fading to reddish green; petals and sepals form a large lilac-grey floral hood, veined purple outside, red-brown inside; sepals green with purple veins, 19–20  5–6 mm, linear-lanceolate, appressed; petals drop-shaped, 17–18  4–5 mm, purple-brown; labellum 1.5–1.8 cm long with 2 whitish to pink parallel basal ridges; hypochile greenish yellow, concave, 10–11  12–13 mm, lateral lobes rounded, sometimes erect, purple, partly hidden by hood; epichile lanceolate, acute, narrower than hypochile, brownish red, 11.0–12.0  4.5–5.5 mm; pollinia yellow, barely noticeable; ovaries 18.5–21.0  5.5–6.5 mm, greenish.

Phenology:— Flowers and fruits April–May.

Cytology:— Tetraploid, 2n=72.

Etymology:— Referring to the ancient inhabitants of Apulia.

Distribution and habitat:— At present, known only from the southern part of Italy (Apulia), where it occurs in small populations of a few plants each. It grows on damp coastal meadows, garrigue, open woodland.

Additional specimens examined:— ITALY, Apulia: Province of Lecce, Municipality of Vernole. Road San Cataldo-Cesine , among the vegetation of an olive grove, 40° 22’ 05” N, 18° 18’ 29” E, 5 Gennaio s.n. ( CLU) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Diagram of the whole (A) and partitioned (B) Serapias flower, with measured floral and bract traits.LH= Length of hypochile; WH= Width of hypochile; LE= Length of epichile; WE= Width of epichile; LL= Length of labellum; LS= Length of sepal; WS= Width of sepal; LP= Length of petal; WP= Width of petal; LB= Length of bract; WB= Width of bract. Drawn by G. Pellegrino, 2021.

FIGURE 2. A. Specimen of S. ausoniae; B. Comparison of inflorescence of S. ausoniae (right) and S. parviflora (left). Photography R. Gennaio.

FIGURE 3. Comparison of whole and partitioned flower of S. ausoniae (left) and S. parviflora (right). A. Flower. B. Bract. C. Median sepal. D. Labellum. E. Lateral sepal. F. Petal. Photography R. Gennaio.