Limonium ammophilon
Limonium ammophilon
Basionym:-Limonium graecum (Poiret) Rech.fil. subsp. ammophilon Papatsou & Phitos (1975: 203). Type:-GREECE.
Dodecanese: Ins. Giali (Dodekanisia): in arenosis maritimis, s.d., Papatsou 981 (holotype UPA, isotype E!).
= Limonium rhodense M. B. Crespo & Pena-Martin (2013: 35). Type:-GREECE. Dodecanese: Rhodes, between Mandriko and Kalavardha, S of Kamiros, 36° 19´21´´ N, 27° 52´42´´ E, in low maritime cliffs, 3 m a.s.l., 10 September 2011, Crespo & Pena-Martin s.n. (holotype ABH, isotype ABH!).
Description:-Plant perennial, glabrous, forming a sub-shrub 15-30 cm tall, with some erect stems and a robust tap-root. Caudices 20-30 mm long, branched, spirally leafy in the upper half. Leaves fleshy, rigid, tuberculate with many crateriform glands, glaucous, 20-40 mm long and 2-7 mm broad, narrowly spathulate, apex obtuse to rounded, with one central nerve, gradually tapering into the petiole. Stems 15-30 cm long, tuberculate with many crateriform glands, slightly glaucous, flexuous, branching frequently begins near the base. Inflorescence trullate in outline. Sterile branches numerous, 2-5 cm long, branched. Fertile branches 3-7 cm long, slightly arched, obliquely directed upwards, forming branching angles of 50°-65°, undivided or sometimes branched in the upper half. Spikes 10-70 mm long, straight, inserted erect to obliquely; axis of spike with many crateriform glands. Spikelets 7.5-10.0 mm long, composed of 1-4 flowers, remotely arranged with 2-3 per cm, laterally slightly curved near the base. Outer bract 2.2-3.8 mm long and 2.3-2.9 mm broad, triangular-ovate, obtuse to acute, densely very shortly hairy; bract margin narrowly membranous; central part slightly fleshy, sometimes only at the base, acuminate. Middle bract membranous, 2.9-4.0 mm long and 2.0-2.8 mm broad, oblong to oblong-obovate, rounded, shortly hairy. Inner bract 7.0-8.5 mm long and 4.2-5.2 mm broad, obovate, rounded to obtuse, densely shortly hairy in the upper two thirds; bract margin narrowly membranous; central part fleshy, 5.5-7.0 mm long and 3.0-3.8 mm broad, oblong-obovate, acuminate, forming a narrowly triangular tip, 1.0-1.7 mm long, not reaching the upper margin. Calyx 5.8-6.8 mm long, exceeding the inner bract by 1.0-1.5 mm; calyx tube more or less sparsely short to long hairy, with 5 hairy ribs ending above the base of lobes; calyx lobes ca. 0.5 × 1.2 mm, broadly semi-elliptic. Corolla lilac.
Chromosome number:-2n = 42 (Papatsou & Phitos 1975).
Distribution:-Frequent on the southern Aegean Islands of Amorgos, Chios, Crete, Donousa, Gyali, Karpathos, Kos, Milos, Rhodes and Syros (Fig. 97A).
Habitat:-Rocky coasts of various substrates, sandy places.
Etymology:-The Greek epithet “ammophilon” refers to the species preference for sandy places.
Taxonomic remarks:-The habit and the hairy inner bract of this species are similar to that of L. roridum, but
K.ammophilon differs from the latter by having longer, rugose inner bracts and very hairy outer and middle bracts. Specimens examined:-GREECE. Cyclades: Amorgos island, Egiali beach, in maritimis, 4 July 1984, Tzanoudakis 7423 (B); Donoussa, Kavos Panagias, 29 August 1998, Bartolo & Brullo s.n. (CAT, Herb. Erben);
In insula Melo, arenosis, 1859, Orphanides 3544 (G-BOISS); Syros, Kini, 9 July 1994, Brullo & Minissale s.n
Basionym:-Limonium graecum (Poiret) Rech.fil. subsp. ammophilon Papatsou & Phitos (1975: 203). Type:-GREECE.
Dodecanese: Ins. Giali (Dodekanisia): in arenosis maritimis, s.d., Papatsou 981 (holotype UPA, isotype E!).
= Limonium rhodense M. B. Crespo & Pena-Martin (2013: 35). Type:-GREECE. Dodecanese: Rhodes, between Mandriko and Kalavardha, S of Kamiros, 36° 19´21´´ N, 27° 52´42´´ E, in low maritime cliffs, 3 m a.s.l., 10 September 2011, Crespo & Pena-Martin s.n. (holotype ABH, isotype ABH!).
Description:-Plant perennial, glabrous, forming a sub-shrub 15-30 cm tall, with some erect stems and a robust tap-root. Caudices 20-30 mm long, branched, spirally leafy in the upper half. Leaves fleshy, rigid, tuberculate with many crateriform glands, glaucous, 20-40 mm long and 2-7 mm broad, narrowly spathulate, apex obtuse to rounded, with one central nerve, gradually tapering into the petiole. Stems 15-30 cm long, tuberculate with many crateriform glands, slightly glaucous, flexuous, branching frequently begins near the base. Inflorescence trullate in outline. Sterile branches numerous, 2-5 cm long, branched. Fertile branches 3-7 cm long, slightly arched, obliquely directed upwards, forming branching angles of 50°-65°, undivided or sometimes branched in the upper half. Spikes 10-70 mm long, straight, inserted erect to obliquely; axis of spike with many crateriform glands. Spikelets 7.5-10.0 mm long, composed of 1-4 flowers, remotely arranged with 2-3 per cm, laterally slightly curved near the base. Outer bract 2.2-3.8 mm long and 2.3-2.9 mm broad, triangular-ovate, obtuse to acute, densely very shortly hairy; bract margin narrowly membranous; central part slightly fleshy, sometimes only at the base, acuminate. Middle bract membranous, 2.9-4.0 mm long and 2.0-2.8 mm broad, oblong to oblong-obovate, rounded, shortly hairy. Inner bract 7.0-8.5 mm long and 4.2-5.2 mm broad, obovate, rounded to obtuse, densely shortly hairy in the upper two thirds; bract margin narrowly membranous; central part fleshy, 5.5-7.0 mm long and 3.0-3.8 mm broad, oblong-obovate, acuminate, forming a narrowly triangular tip, 1.0-1.7 mm long, not reaching the upper margin. Calyx 5.8-6.8 mm long, exceeding the inner bract by 1.0-1.5 mm; calyx tube more or less sparsely short to long hairy, with 5 hairy ribs ending above the base of lobes; calyx lobes ca. 0.5 × 1.2 mm, broadly semi-elliptic. Corolla lilac.
Chromosome number:-2n = 42 (Papatsou & Phitos 1975).
Distribution:-Frequent on the southern Aegean Islands of Amorgos, Chios, Crete, Donousa, Gyali, Karpathos, Kos, Milos, Rhodes and Syros (Fig. 97A).
Habitat:-Rocky coasts of various substrates, sandy places.
Etymology:-The Greek epithet “ammophilon” refers to the species preference for sandy places.
Taxonomic remarks:-The habit and the hairy inner bract of this species are similar to that of L. roridum, but
K.ammophilon differs from the latter by having longer, rugose inner bracts and very hairy outer and middle bracts. Specimens examined:-GREECE. Cyclades: Amorgos island, Egiali beach, in maritimis, 4 July 1984, Tzanoudakis 7423 (B); Donoussa, Kavos Panagias, 29 August 1998, Bartolo & Brullo s.n. (CAT, Herb. Erben);
In insula Melo, arenosis, 1859, Orphanides 3544 (G-BOISS); Syros, Kini, 9 July 1994, Brullo & Minissale s.n
FIGURE 13. Limonium ammophilon (Papatsou & Phitos) Domina. A) Habit; B) Spikelet; C) Outer bract; D) Middle bract; E) Inner bract; F) Calyx; G) Calyx lobes; H) Leaves. (Drawn from “Chios, Emporios , Brullo & Giusso s.n., Herb. Erben, CAT”).