Limonium fragile
1.Limonium fragile Erben & Brullo, sp. nov. (Fig. 15)
Type:-GREECE. Dodecanese: Karpathos, Akro Scopi, 30 August 1996, Brullo & Guarino s.n. (holotype MSB-164245!, isotypes CAT!, FI!, Herb. Erben!).
Diagnosis:-Planta perennis, glabra, griseo-viridis, 5-15 cm alta, foliis 5-20 × 1-3 mm, anguste oblanceolatis ad anguste spathulatis, verrucosis, 1-nerviis, caulibus tenuibus, paucis ad pluribus, verrucosis ad rugosis, ramis sterilibus pluribus, spicis 5-35 mm longis, spiculis 5.9-6.2 mm longis, 1-3-floris, ad 2-4 in 1 centimetro dispositis, bractea inferiore 1.2-1.7
× 1.5-2.2 mm, triangulari-ovata, bractea media 1.5-1.9 × 1.3-1.8 mm, elliptica, bractea superiore 4.3-5.0 × 2.7-3.1 mm, elliptica, apice rotundata, margine anguste membranaceo, calyce 4.5-5.0 mm longo, ex bractea superiore 1.0-1.5 mm exserto, tubo sparsim piloso, lobis calycis ca. 0.8 × 0.8 mm, anguste semi-ellipticis.
Description:-Plant perennial, glabrous, forming a sub-shrub 5-15 cm tall, with few to several ascending to erect stems and a robust tap-root. Caudices 1-5 cm long, densely branched and densely spirally leafy in the upper third, living leaves in rosettes at apices. Leaves fleshy, grey-green, flat, verrucate, 5-20 mm long and 1-3 mm broad, narrowly oblanceolate or narrowly spathulate, apex obtuse to nearly acute, slightly retuse, with one central nerve, gradually tapering into the petiole. Stems slender, 3-12 cm long, flexuous, verrucate to rugose, branching begins near the base of the stem; sometimes proliferating in axils. Inflorescence trullate or obtrullate in outline. Sterile branches several, 5-25 mm long, more or less straight, normally undivided, verrucate. Fertile branches slender, 5-35 mm long, slightly verrucate, mostly straight, obliquely directed upwards, forming branching angles of 25°- 45°, normally unbranched. Spikes 5-35 mm long, straight, inserted obliquely directed upwards; axis of spike sometimes with crateriform glands. Spikelets 5.9-6.2 mm long, composed of 1-3 flowers, remotely arranged with 2-4 per cm. Outer bract 1.2-1.7 mm long and 1.5-2.2 mm broad, triangular-ovate, obtuse to acute; bract margin broadly membranous; central part fleshy, acuminate. Middle bract membranous, 1.5-1.9 mm long and 1.3-1.8 mm broad, elliptic, rounded. Inner bract 4.3-5.0 mm long and 2.7-3.1 mm broad, elliptic, rounded; bract margin more or less narrowly membranous; central part fleshy, 3.1-4.1 mm long and 1.8-2.1 mm broad, oblong, acuminate, forming a narrowly triangular tip, 0.7-1.0 mm long, not reaching the upper margin. Calyx 4.5-5.0 mm long, exceeding the inner bract by 1.0-1.5 mm; calyx tube very sparsely shortly hairy, with 5 ribs ending above the base of lobes; calyx lobes ca. 0.8 × 0.8 mm, narrowly semi-elliptic. Corolla pale violet.
Chromosome number:-2n = 43 (Erben Li-1717, unpubl.).
Distribution:-Karpathos, Crete and Antikythera, where it is very rare (Fig. 90B).
Habitat:-Calcareous rocky coast.
Etymology:-The epithet “fragile” refers to the very delicate stems.
Taxonomic remarks:-L. fragile is very similar to L. athinense, from which it differs by having very long caudices, narrower leaves, longer spikes and shorter outer and middle bracts.
Hybrids between L. fragile and L. pigadiense have longer spikelets and larger flowers and occur on Karpathos near Poseidon. Hybrids between L. fragile and L. virgatum have characters intermediate to the parent taxa and are found on Crete.
Type:-GREECE. Dodecanese: Karpathos, Akro Scopi, 30 August 1996, Brullo & Guarino s.n. (holotype MSB-164245!, isotypes CAT!, FI!, Herb. Erben!).
Diagnosis:-Planta perennis, glabra, griseo-viridis, 5-15 cm alta, foliis 5-20 × 1-3 mm, anguste oblanceolatis ad anguste spathulatis, verrucosis, 1-nerviis, caulibus tenuibus, paucis ad pluribus, verrucosis ad rugosis, ramis sterilibus pluribus, spicis 5-35 mm longis, spiculis 5.9-6.2 mm longis, 1-3-floris, ad 2-4 in 1 centimetro dispositis, bractea inferiore 1.2-1.7
× 1.5-2.2 mm, triangulari-ovata, bractea media 1.5-1.9 × 1.3-1.8 mm, elliptica, bractea superiore 4.3-5.0 × 2.7-3.1 mm, elliptica, apice rotundata, margine anguste membranaceo, calyce 4.5-5.0 mm longo, ex bractea superiore 1.0-1.5 mm exserto, tubo sparsim piloso, lobis calycis ca. 0.8 × 0.8 mm, anguste semi-ellipticis.
Description:-Plant perennial, glabrous, forming a sub-shrub 5-15 cm tall, with few to several ascending to erect stems and a robust tap-root. Caudices 1-5 cm long, densely branched and densely spirally leafy in the upper third, living leaves in rosettes at apices. Leaves fleshy, grey-green, flat, verrucate, 5-20 mm long and 1-3 mm broad, narrowly oblanceolate or narrowly spathulate, apex obtuse to nearly acute, slightly retuse, with one central nerve, gradually tapering into the petiole. Stems slender, 3-12 cm long, flexuous, verrucate to rugose, branching begins near the base of the stem; sometimes proliferating in axils. Inflorescence trullate or obtrullate in outline. Sterile branches several, 5-25 mm long, more or less straight, normally undivided, verrucate. Fertile branches slender, 5-35 mm long, slightly verrucate, mostly straight, obliquely directed upwards, forming branching angles of 25°- 45°, normally unbranched. Spikes 5-35 mm long, straight, inserted obliquely directed upwards; axis of spike sometimes with crateriform glands. Spikelets 5.9-6.2 mm long, composed of 1-3 flowers, remotely arranged with 2-4 per cm. Outer bract 1.2-1.7 mm long and 1.5-2.2 mm broad, triangular-ovate, obtuse to acute; bract margin broadly membranous; central part fleshy, acuminate. Middle bract membranous, 1.5-1.9 mm long and 1.3-1.8 mm broad, elliptic, rounded. Inner bract 4.3-5.0 mm long and 2.7-3.1 mm broad, elliptic, rounded; bract margin more or less narrowly membranous; central part fleshy, 3.1-4.1 mm long and 1.8-2.1 mm broad, oblong, acuminate, forming a narrowly triangular tip, 0.7-1.0 mm long, not reaching the upper margin. Calyx 4.5-5.0 mm long, exceeding the inner bract by 1.0-1.5 mm; calyx tube very sparsely shortly hairy, with 5 ribs ending above the base of lobes; calyx lobes ca. 0.8 × 0.8 mm, narrowly semi-elliptic. Corolla pale violet.
Chromosome number:-2n = 43 (Erben Li-1717, unpubl.).
Distribution:-Karpathos, Crete and Antikythera, where it is very rare (Fig. 90B).
Habitat:-Calcareous rocky coast.
Etymology:-The epithet “fragile” refers to the very delicate stems.
Taxonomic remarks:-L. fragile is very similar to L. athinense, from which it differs by having very long caudices, narrower leaves, longer spikes and shorter outer and middle bracts.
Hybrids between L. fragile and L. pigadiense have longer spikelets and larger flowers and occur on Karpathos near Poseidon. Hybrids between L. fragile and L. virgatum have characters intermediate to the parent taxa and are found on Crete.
FIGURE 15. Limonium fragile Erben & Brullo. A) Habit; B) Spikelet; C) Outer bract; D) Middle bract; E) Inner bract; F) Calyx; G) Calyx lobes; H) Leaves. (Drawn from “Karpathos, Akro Scopi, Brullo & Guarino s.n., MSB, CAT”).