Calendula suffruticosa subsp. foliosa (Batt.) A.C. Gonç & P. Silveira 2023

Gonçalves, Ana Carla, Ouhammoud, Ahmed, Amirouche, Rachid, Santos, Conceição, Figueiredo, Estrela & Silveira, Paulo, 2023, A taxonomic revision of Calendula (Asteraceae) in Morocco, including some taxa from Algeria and Tunisia, Phytotaxa 605 (1), pp. 1-83 : 46

11d. Calendula suffruticosa subsp. foliosa (Batt.) A.C. Gonç & P. Silveira , comb. et stat. nov.

Calendula foliosa Battandier (1888: 479) . Calendula tomentosa var. foliosa (Batt.) Battandier & Trabut (1905: 189) . Type:— ALGERIA. Djebel Bou Zecza, May 1882, Battandier s.n. (lectotype MPU! [MPU007674]), designated here; isolectotype P! [P00084054]).

Description:––Perennial herbs. Stems (29) 32–46.3 (53) cm long, erect to ascending, with glandular and non-glandular pubescence, in some areas, slightly white-arachnoid. Basal leaves (3.5) 3.8–5.1 (5.6) × (1) 1.2–1.6 (2.5) cm, (0.2) 0.3–0.3 (0.3) mm thick, obovate to oblong, apex acute to obtuse, margins sub-entire to slightly sinuate-dentate, with glandular and non-glandular pubescence, slightly white-arachnoid in the margins. Capitula solitary, (2.2) 2.6–3.4 (4.2) cm diameter. Outer achenes rostrate (9) 12.3–23.8 (27) × 2–2.5 (2.8) mm, ± straight or slightly curved, without dorsal spines, with or without a ventral basal tooth; middle achenes bialate (10.5) 13.5–16.1 (22) × (6.7) 8.5–11.1 (11.7) mm, with a rostrum (2.5) 3.3–4.5 (9.7) mm, lateral wings sinuate-dentate to incise dentate; inner achenes vermiculate-exalate (3.3) 4.3–5.5 (7.2) × (1.3) 1.7–2 (2.8) mm, falcate. Figure 18 .

Habitat and distribution:—Limestone rocks/cliffs, at an elevation of ± 200 m. It is found in sub-humid Mediterranean bio-climate. Endemic to Gorges of Lakhdaria (formerly Palestro), Zaccar, Jbel Bou Zecza.

Conservation status:— Data Deficient (DD) . Calendula suffruticosa subsp. foliosa is under numerous threats, especially due to climate change and drought. It is rare and local with a small restricted range; only one population is known (classical population), but there may be others in this region. The number of mature individuals is estimated to be <250 based on field observations. The AOO is 4 km 2 which would qualify the subspecies for CR. However, as there is inadequate information to assess the risk of extinction based on distribution and/or populations, we proposed that the conservation status is DD.

Chromosome number:— 2n = 32.

Genome size:—3.08 ± 0.04 pg.

Notes:— Calendula suffruticosa subsp. foliosa went unnoticed by many botanists because few herbarium specimens were available for study. Lanza (1919: 138) considered C. foliosa as a form of C. fulgida . There is an evident consistence of characters on the available specimens, and that persists in cultivation, to recognise the two subspecies. Battandier (1888: 479) listed two localities for C. foliosa (Djebel Bou Zecza and Gorges de Palestro) and did not indicate a type. There are three collections that could qualify as syntypes: MPU007674 (Djebel Bou Zecza), MPU007673 (Gorges de [illegible, possibly Keddara]) and P00084054 (Gorges de Keddara). Gorges de Keddara is situated NW of Palestro [Lakhdaria] and could refer to the locality mentioned in the protologue. We designate MPU007674 as lectotype since there is no doubt about its collecting locality.

Additional collections:— ALGERIA. Gorges de Palestro: 100m [36°36’ N, 3°35’ E], 7 June 2013, P . Silveira , A. C. R. S . Gonçalves & R . Amirouche 3320 ( AVE!) .

Figures

FIGURE 18. Variability of achene morphology of Calendula. A. C. suffruticosa subsp. monardii (Silveira, Gonçalves &Amirouche 3316, AVE); B. C. suffruticosa subsp. foliosa (Silveira, Gonçalves & Amirouche 3320, AVE); C. C. suffruticosa subsp. djurdjurensis (Silveira, Gonçalves & Amirouche 3321, AVE); D. C. suffruticosa subsp. tunetana (Silveira 3039d, AVE); E. C. suffruticosa subsp. suffruticosa (Silveira 3038, AVE); F. C. arvensis (S. Castro P35 in Silveira 3078, AVE). Rostrate achenes: A1, 2; B1-3; C1, 2; D1-4; E1, 2; F1, 2. Bialate achenes: B4-6. Trialate achenes:A3, 4; C3-5; D5, 6. Cymbiform achenes: E3-5; F3, 4. Vermicular-alate achenes: A5; D7; E6; F5. Vermiculate-exalate achenes: A6, B7, 8; C6, 7; D8; E7 and F6. All achenes in side view, except: A3, B4, B5, C4, D5, E3, E5 and F3 in ventral face view, and B6, C3, C5, D6, E4 and F4 in ± dorsal face view. Scale bars = 1 cm.