Verbascum nihatgoekyigitii Karavel. & Çıngay, 2016

Çingay, Burçin & Karavelioğullari, Faik Ahmet, 2016, A new species of Verbascum, V. nihatgoekyigitii (Scrophulariaceae), from southeastern Anatolia, Turkey, Phytotaxa 269 (4), pp. 287-293 : 288-290

Verbascum nihatgoekyigitii Karavel. & Çıngay sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–3 , Table 1)

Diagnosis: V. nihatgoekyigitii is related to V. exuberans , but it differs by its whitish, stellate-tomentose indumentum (not yellowish, adpressed stellate-tomentose); stem single and usually branched above middle, robust, terete, somewhat straight angle (not many branched, angular); basal leaves elliptic to lanceolate (not only lanceolate), 20–30 (incl. petiole) × 7–15 cm (not 50–60 × 8–10 cm), cauline leaves cordate at base (not cuneate), the upper elliptic to ovate (not ovate to cordate-triangular); inflorescence with clusters 2–10 flowers (not 2–5 flowers); bracts oblong-elliptic, acuminate (not ovate-orbicular); pedicel 4–12 mm (not up to 7 mm); calyx lobes oblong-elliptic, acute-acuminate, 5–9 mm (not ovate-lanceolate, acute, 7 mm); corolla 14–18 mm, stellate-tomentose on the outer side (not 20–25 mm, stellate-tomentose outside); capsule ovate-oblong (not globose).

Type:— TURKEY. Hakkâri, Yüksekova, Dağlıca, rocky slopes on northwest side of pass to Dağlıca road, 1881 m, 37° 29’ 46.7” N, 44° 15’ 24.8”E, 14 July 2015, B.Çıngay 5244, F. A.Karavelioğlu, H.Tek & A.Akbaba (holotype: NGBB 4848!, isotypes: US!, ANK!, CBB!).

Description:— Biennial, 100–250 cm high, with hard, rough, whitish, stellate-tomentose indumentum. Stem robust, single and usually branched above middle, terete, somewhat straight angle Basal leaves 20–30 × 7–15 cm (incl. petiole), elliptic to lanceolate, entire; petiole broadly winged. Cauline leaves decurrent, sessile, auriculate, semi-amplexicaul; lower cauline leaves cordate at base; upper cauline leaves elliptic to ovate. Inflorescence with numerous branches, forming a very dense, pyramidal panicle, with clusters 2–10-flowered. Bracts oblong-elliptic, acuminate. Pedicel 4–12 mm; bracteoles lanceolate. Calyx 5–9 mm long, oblong-elliptic, cleft to ¾ length, with acute-acuminate lobes. Corolla 14–18 mm, yellow, without pellucid glands, stellate-tomentose outside. Stamens 5, 4–5 mm long, filament 3–4 mm long with whitish wool up to anthers. Anthers 0.5–1 mm long, reniform. Ovary ovate, stellate-tomentose hairy. Style 10 mm long, filiform. Stigma 2–3 × 0.5 mm, spathulate. Capsule 3–8 × 2–5 mm, ovate-oblong, densely stellate-tomentose.

Flowering and fruiting periods:— June–August.

Eponymy:— This new species is named in honour of Ali Nihat Gökyiğit, founder and leading financial contributor of the Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden and the ANG foundation, for his continued contributions to the “Illustrated Flora of Turkey ” and Turkish Botany. (In Turkish the letter “ğ” is silent and could be phonetically rendered as a soft ‘h’ in Latin, but we decided to retain the ‘ğ’ as ‘g’ to more nearly match the original spelling).

Suggested conservation status:— Verbascum nihatgoekyigitii is endemic to eastern Anatolia, where it seems to be very local. It belongs to the Irano-Turanian floristic element. The species is known only from type gatherings and from an area of approximately 0.001 km 2. Because of farming effect and overgrazing, the habitat of this species is under threat, and this situation leads to a true potential reduction in the number of individuals. The population is currently in a poor condition, and the number of individuals is estimated to be about 30–40. Therefore the species should be categorised as Critically Endangered CR [B2ab(i,ii,iii,v), D], according to the IUCN categories ( IUCN 2014).

Habitat and ecology:— The new species occurs on calcareous rocky slopes, grasslands and along roadsides. It is restricted to elevations between 1750 and 1900 m. The collection site is in the Irano-Turanian region, under a relatively arid climate. Species growing in the near vicinity include Alcea kurdica Alefeld (1862: 252) , Centaurea behen Linnaeus (1753: 914) , Centaurea gigantea Sch.Bip. ex Boissier (1875: 672) , Centaurea nemecii Nábělek (1925: 44) , Centaurea persica Boissier (1846: 132) , Cota tinctoria Linnaeus (1753: 896) J.Gay in Gussone (1845: 867), Eryngium billardierei Delaroche (1807: 87) , Papaver pseudo-orientale Medwedew (1918: 207) , Scutellaria tournefortii Bentham (1832: 1493) , and Silene chlorifolia Smith (1789: 13) . It is endemic to Turkey (Hakkâri province).

Other examined materials:— Verbascum exuberans . TURKEY. B2 Manisa: Denizli-İnegöl, Wegrand 57 km nach Denizli, 23 km vor Inegöl, 13 May 1938, Reese & Huber-Morath (Hub.-Mor. 5501) (holotype: G 00025625 [digital photo!]).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Verbascum nihatgoekyigitii from Hakkâri, southeastern Anatolia (Turkey). ab) habitat along roadsides; c) habitat in grasslands; d) inflorescences; e) fruits and flowers; f) flowers.

FIGURE 2. Verbascum nihatgoekyigitii (BCNG 5244). a) basal leaves; b) upper surface of basal leaves; c) stem; d) inflorescence (portion of panicle); e) cluster of fruits; f) fruit; g) capsule; h) outer surface of corolla; i) inner surface of corolla; j) insertion of androecium to corolla; kl) stamen; m) gynoecium. Scale bars: ad = 1 cm; e = 5 mm; fg = 2 mm; hj = 3 mm; km = 1 mm. (Drawings by Canan Atay).

FIGURE 3. Distribution of Verbascum nihatgoekyigitii (black-white dot) and Verbascum exuberans (green-white triangle) in Turkey.