Scrophularia anatolica, Sinan & Yapar & Behçet, 2024

Sinan, Ali, Yapar, Yakup & Behçet, Lütfi, 2024, Scrophularia anatolica (Scrophulariaceae): A new species from eastern Anatolia (Turkey), Phytotaxa 665 (3), pp. 291-299 : 292-296

Scrophularia anatolica A.Sinan, Yapar & Behçet sp. nov. ( Figs. 1‒6 ).

Type: — TURKEY. B8 Bingöl: Solhan, Yaylım mountain, Sülünkaş village , 300 meters before the crossroads, stony slopes, 38°50’35.03”N, 40°57’58.79”E, 1393 m a.s.l., 25 April 2023, A.Sinan, L.Behçet & Y.Yapar 5457 (holotype: BIN,) ; isotypes: BIN, ANK .

Paratype: — Turkey. B 8 Bingöl:Solhan,Yaylım mountain,Sülünkaş village, 300 meters before the crossroads, stony slopes, 38°50’35.03”N, 40°57’58.79”E, 1393 m a.s.l., 19 May 2023, A.Sinan, L.Behçet & Y.Yapar 5460 ( BIN).

Diagnosis: Scropularia anatolica is closely related to S. erzincanica and S. lucida . It mainly differs from S. erzincanica by scarious bracts and bracteol margins (vs. herbaceous), 0.8‒1.5 mm broad calyx lobes with scarious dentate margins (vs. 0.2 mm entire), corolla purple, 3‒3.6 × 1.8‒2 mm, lobes unequal (vs. greenish‒pink, c. 5 mm, lobes subequal) and stamens distinctly exerted to 1.5‒2× length of corolla (vs. shortly exerted) ( Fig. 2 ). S. anatolica differs from S. lucida by shorter stem, 1‒36 herbaceous stemmed, biennial, 20‒40 cm long (vs. robust, 1 rarely a few stemmed, 40‒130 cm, perennial or biennial), bracteols 1.5‒2 mm long (vs. 2‒8 mm), corolla completely purple, 3‒3.6 mm long (vs. pale brownish‒pink to dirty witish‒red, 4‒8 mm, upper lobes brownish‒pink to maroon), stamens long exerted from corolla (vs. included, very rarely subexerted), smaller capsule 3× 3.5 mm (vs. 4‒5× 3.5‒5.5 mm).

Description: Biennial, Stem 20‒40 cm long, purple, 1‒36 branched at the base, ascending‒erect, striate and sparingly glandular. Basal leaves entire, fleshy, broadly ovate to orbicular, 15‒50 × 13‒40 mm, slightly cuneate at base, margin crenate. Median leaves 1‒2‒pinnatisect, sparsely glandular, 20‒55 × 7‒20 mm, lower with long (to 45 mm) petiole, upper ones more shortly petiolate; ultimate segments oblong‒lanceolate, margin dentate to pinnatifid. Inflorescence aphyllous, 5‒24 cm long, cymes alternate, 5‒9(‒12)‒flowered. Lowest bracts undivided, sparsely glandular, linear‒ lanceolate, purple, 3‒4.5 × 1 mm, upper ones linear‒lanceolate, 1.5‒2.5 × 0.6 mm. Peduncle 10‒15 mm long, sparingly glandular; bracteoles 1.5‒2 × 0.5 mm, linear, purplish, undivided, with slightly scarious margin. Pedicels 1‒2 mm long, alar pedicels 1.7‒2.2 mm long, exceeding bracteoles. Calyx lobes ± obovate to orbicular, 2.5‒3 × 2.5 mm, purplish or greenish, glabrous, with 0.8‒1.5 mm whitish scarious dentate margin. Corolla purple, 3‒3.6 × 1.8‒2 mm, lobes unequal (upper 2 mm, lower 1 mm), staminode purple, ovate to deltoid, 1.4‒1.7 × 1.5‒1.8, not as broad as upper lip. Stamens distinctly exserted to 1.5‒2× length of corolla, anther 0.5 mm long, filament 4‒7 mm long, purple, glabrous. Capsule subglobose, pale brown, glabrous, 3.5 × 3 mm. Seed 1.3‒1.5 × 1 mm, oblong‒ovoid to triangular, blackish‒brown.

Phenology: Flowering period: April to May; Fruiting: May to June.

Etymology: Epithet of Scrophularia anatolica is derived from the name of the province of East Anatolian, where the type specimen was found.

Recommended turkish name: Anadolu sıracaotu (Menemen et al. 2016).

Phytogeographic region: Irano‒Turanian ( Fig. 3 ).

Seed Morphology: Seed grains of Scrophularia anatolica 1.3‒1.5 × 1‒1.5 mm, blackish‒brown, oblong‒ovoid to triangular. Surface ornamentation bireticulate‒alveolate. Scrophularia erzincanica : Seeds 0.8‒1.3 × 1.5‒2.0 mm, brown or blackish‒brown, oblong, ellipsoid or obovoid. Surface ornamentation bireticulate‒alveolate. Scrophularia lucida : seeds 0.5‒0.7 × 0.8‒1.2 mm, light or dark brown, oblong, ellipsoid or obovoid. Surface ornamentation bireticulate‒alveolate ( Fig. 6 ).

Distribution and Ecology: Scrophularia anatolica grows on stony slopes ( Fig. 4 ) at 1300‒1400 m a.s.l., together with Alyssum strictum Wild. , Anarrhinum orientale Benth. , Anchusa azurea Mill. , Astragalus gummifer Labill. , A. muschianus Kotschy & Boiss. ex Boiss. , Bromus tectorum L., Centaurea virgata Lam. , Clypeola aspera (Grauer) Turrill , Dactylis glomerata L., Gypsophylla ruscifolia Boiss. , Helichrysum plicatum DC. , Hypericum scabrum L., Linum mucronatum Bertol. , Melica persica Kunth , Phlomis armeniaca Willd. , Phyllocara aucheri Guşul , Poa bulbosa L., Salvia multicaulis Vahl , Scabiosa rotata M.Bieb. , Scutellaria orientalis L., Silene supergulifolia (Desf.) M.Bieb. , Veronica orientalis Mill. , among others.

Recommended IUCN threat category: Scrophularia anatolica is an endemic species known only from one locality (Solhan, Bingöl). The population of this new species is endangered due to road construction works. Its area of occupancy (AOO) is estimated to be less than 10 km 2, and the number of mature individuals is less than 200. The species must be regarded as Critically Endangered [CR B1ab(i,ii,iii,v)+2ab(i,ii,iii,v)] ( IUCN 2024).

Taxonomic relationships: Scrophularia anatolica is similar to S. lucida in having entire basal leaves, calyx lobe glabrous, calyx margin scarious, corolla lobes unequal, present staminode. Besides, S. anatolica shows some resemblances with S. erzincanica , entire basal leaves, cauline leaves, calyx indumentum, colour of calyx margin and fruit features in particular. S. anatolica can be easily distinguished from S. erzincanica by the dentate calyx margins, the width of the membranous margins, the colour and dimensions of the corolla and stamens distinctly exerted from corolla. It also differs from S. lucida by colour of corolla, staminode shape, and stamens length according to corolla length. Morphological comparison among the three taxa is given in Table 1.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Scrophularia anatolica. Fotograph by Yakup YAPAR.

FIGURE 2. Flowers of S. anatolica (A.Sinan, L.Behçet & Y.Yapar 5457)(A), S. erzincanica (Kandemir 10590) (B) and S. lucida (L. Behçet, F. Özgökçe & Murat Ünal 928) (C), respectively.

FIGURE 3. Distribution map of () S. anatolica, () S. erzincanica, () S. lucida.

FIGURE 4. Habitat of Scrophularia anatolica, Fotograph by Yakup YAPAR.

FIGURE 5. Habit and detail of the flower of Scrophularia anatolica.

FIGURE 6. SEM micrographs of seeds of S. anatolica (A.Sinan, L.Behçet & Y.Yapar 5460) (A‒C), S. erzincanica (Kandemir 10590) (D‒F), S. lucida (L. Behçet, F. Özgökçe & Murat Ünal 928) (G‒I).