Sarcocornia obclavata Yaprak, 2012

Yaprak, Ahmet Emre, 2012, Sarcocornia obclavata (Amaranthaceae) a new species from Turkey, Phytotaxa 49 (1), pp. 55-60 : 3-4

Sarcocornia obclavata Yaprak , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 )

Similar to Sarcocornia fruticosa , but differs in seed testa with appressed hairs and inferior fertile segments oblcavate (not cylindrical).

Type: — TURKEY. Çanakkale: Gelibolu, Evreşe, Kavak Köyü Çorağı , sea level, 20 October 2004, A. E . Yaprak 2004-95 (holotype ANK, isotypes GAZI, EGE, ISTF) .

Small erect shrubs, with succulent, articulate stems, not rooting at the nodes. Leaves opposite, connate, reduced to small tubercles. Inflorescences a spike-like thyrse of sessile, 3-flowered cymes sunk in cavities in the axis. Fertile segments obclavate (more obvious in lower fertile segments). Bracts lobe-like. Stamens 2; anthers c. 1.2 mm. Stigmas bifid or trifid. Testa membranous, covered with appressed hairs and small, rounded, papillae-like trichomes ( Fig 2 –4). Endosperm absent.

Flowering from early September to late October and fruiting from October to November. It occurs on lower parts of lagoons with Arthrocnemum macrostachyum ( Moricand 1820: 2) Koch (1853: 96) , Salicornia emericii Duval-Jouve (1869: 176) , Sarcocornia perennis , Halimione portulacoides (Linnaeus 1753: 1053) Aellen (1938: 126) , Halocnemum strobilaceum ( Pallas 1771: 481) Bieberstein (1819: 3) and H. yurdakulolii Yaprak (2008:717)

Etymology: —The epithet refers to the obclavate shape of the fertile segment.

Additional specimens examined:— Sarcocornia obclavata (paratypes): TURKEY. İzmir: Çiǧli, Çamaltı tuzlası, sea level, lagoon, 22 November 2000, A. E . Yaprak 2000-23 ( ANK). Mersin: Silifke , Göksu Deltası, Paradeniz Dalyanı, sea level, lagoon, 4 September 2004, A. E . Yaprak 2004-115 ( ANK), Aydın: Söke , Doǧanbey, sea level, Lagoon, 17 October 2004, A. E . Yaprak 2004-78 ( ANK)— Sarcocornia perennis subsp. perennis : TURKEY. İzmir: Çiǧli, Çamaltı Tuzlası, sea level, 18 October 2004, A. E . Yaprak 2004-87 ( ANK). Çanakkale: Gelibolu , Evreşe, Kavak Çoraǧı, sea level, 20 October 2004, A. E . Yaprak 2004-93 ( ANK). Samsun: Bafra, Cernek Lake Shore , sea level, 28 October 200,1 A. E . Yaprak 2001-50 ( ANK). Edirne, Enez, salt lake shore, sea level, 4 September 2002, A. E . Yaprak 2002-27 ( ANK)— Sarcocornia perennis subsp. alpini : SPAIN. Cádiz: Se cria en las marismas de Sanlucar de Barrameda (letra de Lagasca), S. R . Clemente MA29391 (lectotype, designated by Castroviejo & Coello 1980: MA, photo!) . Pontevedra: Villagarcia de Arosa , Isla de Arosa, zona no inundada por el mar, suelo arenoso, August 1987, E . Valdes-Bermejo 10219 SC ( GAZI). PORTUGAL. Baxio Alentejo: Vila Nova de Milfontes ria Mira , 10 m, 23 September 1984, M . Luceno ( GAZI)— Sarcocornia fruticosa: Habitat in Europae maritimis, Herb. Burser XVI (2): 22, right specimen (lectotype, designated by Ball 2007: UPS, photo!). SPAIN. Huelva: Isla de Saltes, SW of Huelva, sea level, 22 September 1995, Freitag 27.218 ( KAS). Almeria : 20 km SW Almeria, Salinas de Roquetas del Mar, 23 September 1995, Freitag 27.230 ( KAS) .

Discussion — Sarcocornia obclavata is similar to S. fruticosa in being erect and without creeping subterranean stems rooting on nodes. It differs from that species in the shape of the fertile segments (obclavate vs. cylindrical) and seed testa (covered with curved hairs vs. conical hairs). A detailed morphological comparison of the new species with other Sarcocornia species in Mediterranean region is provided in Table 1.

Sarcocornia obclavata is until now only known from Turkey, but it possibly exists elsewhere in the eastern Mediterranean. Collection of specimens too early in the year causes major taxonomical problems in the genus, because these specimens are impossible to identify. The genus needs to be studied in detail throughout the Mediterranean.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Sarcocornia obclavata. A. Branch. B. Branch with sterile segments. C. Sterile segment. D. Fertile Segment. Drawn from Holotype by G. N. Tuğ.

FIGURE 2. SEM picture of Sarcocornia obclavata. A. Seed. B. General. C. Appressed hairs. D. Detail of hairs. E. Detail of small rounded papillae-like trichomes. F. Detail of a small rounded papillae-like trichomes