Corresponding author: Aris Zografidis (
Academic editor: E. Fischer
Zografidis A (2016) Two new infraspecific taxa of
Comprising more than 360 species,
The new subspecies
For the cultivated material current-year seeds were sown in early October (2013 & 2015), in small pots filled with Compo® Bio Anzucht- und Kräutererde substrate. Two-weeks old plants were individually transferred in plastic pots 7 cm of diameter and were transplanted every c. 8 weeks two additional times in successively larger plastic pots, 15 and 24 cm of diameter. The plants were kept outdoors, daily receiving 5 hours of direct sunlight on average, whereas the substrate was kept moist but not soggy.
Measurements were performed either with a common ruler or under a stereo-microscope (Zeiss, Stemi 2000-C) equipped with a camera and ImagePro software. Because the population size of the new subspecies is extremely small the measurements were either performed
GREECE. Attica: Mt Parnitha,
Monocarpic, eglandular- and minutely glandular-hairy biennial herb — or rarely short-lived perennial bicarpic — producing a well-branched taproot and a basal leaf-rosette in the first year of vegetative growth, followed by the production of additional rosette-leaves (in the same rosette) and an erect, terete, leafy flowering-stem in the second year of vegetative and reproductive growth. Eglandular hairs dendritic, 0.2–0.8 mm of length, more or less covering the whole aerial part of the plant; glandular hairs minute, sparse, present on leaves, bracts, bracteols and calyx segments, visible by microscopy; fully developed first-season rosettes yellowish- to brownish- and harshly-tomentose above, grayish- or yellowish- to brownish-, and ± harshly-tomentose beneath; rosette-leaves few to several (up to 50 in cultivated specimens), petiolate; petiole 1–10 cm of length; lamina ovate-elliptic to oblanceolate, 1.5–3.7 of length to width ratio, obtuse-cuneate at the base, crenate, obtuse at apex; larger leaf laminas 6–22 × 3–11 cm; second year mature rosette-leaves and lower cauline-leaves similar but ± glabrescent on adaxial surface; middle cauline-leaves progressively smaller, shortly petiolate, obtuse at the base, obtuse or subacute at the apex; upper cauline-leaves, small, sessile, obtuse at the base, subacute at the apex; all cauline leaves alternate; stem 40–160 cm of height, green to reddish-black, glabrescent but ± persistently tomentose below; Inflorescence 25–60 cm of height, simple or sparingly branched at the base with short, sub-erect branches and then inflorescence narrowly pyramidal in outline; flowers arranged in clusters of pedicellate, compacted cymes (glomerules), ± crowded at least above, consisting of 3 – 12 flowers; bracts 3–7 × 2–4 mm, ovate-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, glabrescent; bracteoles present, similar to bracts but smaller; longer pedicels 3–8 mm of length, tomentose, ± glabrescent; calyx divided almost to the base into 5 lanceolate to lanceolate-linear, acute segments, 3.5–6 × 1.1–1.7 mm; abaxial surface of calyx tomentose, ± glabrescent; corolla rotate, flat, 1.6–3.6 cm of diameter, light yellow, often with purple marks on the throat, with pellucid glands, divided to c. 3/4 into 5 broadly-obovate, subequal lobes; abaxial surface of corolla partially tomentose, adaxial surface often ciliate near the throat, otherwise glabrous; tube of corolla ± infundibuliform, 1–2.7 mm of length, 1.5–2.9 mm of diameter; stamens 5, free, densely ciliate with white, clavate hairs which reach the connective of anthers; three posterior stamens 5–9.5 mm, two anterior stamens 7–12 mm; stamen filaments greenish-white, occasionally with a purple tinge; all five anthers reniform, mediofix, papillose on adaxial surface, 0.6–1.5 mm; style tomentose at the base, 6–10 mm, clavate at the apex; stigma hemispherical; capsule (excl. rostrum) 3.5–7.5 × 3–5.4 mm, ovoid to broadly ovoid, densely tomentose on early development, later glabrescent, with a rostrum 1–1.5 mm; seeds numerous, chestnut brown to dark brown, 0.7–1 × 0.5–0.7 mm, obpyramidal to ovoid-oblong, irregularly prismatic, faveolate with 3–7 pits in each longitudinal series.
Comparative illustration of
Name derives from the genitive of the Latin word “cervus” in reference to the red deer of the National Park which were often observed in the subspecies habitat. The popular animals are a considerable threat to their own
Variety
GREECE. Ins. Evia. Above the settlement of Ag. Dimitrios,
Polycarpic eglandular- and minutely glandular-hairy short-lived perennial herb — or less often monocarpic biennial — producing a well-branched taproot and a sterile, erect or ascending, terete, leafy stem in the first year of vegetative growth, followed by the production of an additional sterile stem and a terete flowering-stem in each of the succeeding few years of vegetative and reproductive growth. Eglandular hairs dendritic, 0.4–2 mm of length, more or less covering the whole aerial part of the plant; glandular hairs minute, sparse, present on leaves, bracts, bracteols and calyx segments, visible by microscopy; fully developed first-season leaves whitish- to yellowish- and softly-tomentose above, grayish-white and softly tomentose beneath; sterile stems up to 80 cm in height; fertile stems 40–180 cm of height, green to reddish-black, glabrescent but ± persistently, tomentose below; lower cauline-leaves petiolate; petiole up to 15 cm of length; lamina ovate to widely ovate, 1.2–1.9 of length to width ratio, obtuse-truncate to cordate at the base, crenate, obtuse at apex; larger leaf laminas 16–40 × 11–24 cm; middle cauline-leaves similar but progressively smaller and often subacute at the apex, shortly petiolate; upper cauline-leaves small, sessile, ovate-cordate, subacute at the apex; all cauline leaves alternate; Inflorescence 25–60 cm of height, simple or sparingly branched at the base with short, sub-erect branches and then inflorescence narrowly pyramidal in outline; flowers arranged in clusters of pedicellate, compacted cymes (glomerules), ± crowded at least above, consisting of 3 – 12 flowers; bracts 3–7 × 2–4 mm, ovate to lanceolate, acute to acuminate or cuspidate, glabrescent; bracteoles present, similar to bracts but smaller; longer pedicels 4–10 mm of length, tomentose, ± glabrescent; calyx divided almost to the base into 5 lanceolate to lanceolate-linear, acute segments, 3.5–6 × 1.1–1.7 mm; abaxial surface of calyx tomentose, ± glabrescent; corolla rotate, flat, 1.5–2.8 cm of diameter, yellow, with or without indistinct purple marks on the throat, with pellucid glands, divided to c. 3/4 into 5 broadly-obovate, subequal lobes; abaxial surface of corolla partially tomentose, adaxial surface sometimes ciliate near the throat, otherwise glabrous; tube of corolla ± infundibuliform, 1–2.3 mm of length, 1.5–2.2 mm of diameter; stamens 5, free, ciliate with white, clavate hairs which reach the connective of all anthers or do not reach the connective of the anterior stamens; three posterior stamens 5–8 mm, two anterior stamens 6–10 mm; stamen filaments orange; all five anthers reniform, mediofix, papillose on adaxial surface, or glabrous on adaxial surface of the connective of anterior stamens, 0.8–1.4 mm; style tomentose at the base, 6–9 mm, slightly clavate at the apex; stigma hemispherical; capsule (excl. rostrum) 3.5–7 × 3–5 mm, ovoid to broadly ovoid, densely tomentose on early development, later glabrescent, with a rostrum 1–1.5 mm; seeds numerous, chestnut brown to dark brown, 0.7–1.1 × 0.5–0.7 mm, obpyramidal to ovoid-oblong, irregularly prismatic, faveolate with 4–8 pits in each longitudinal series.
Name is in reference to the often abounding in ferns habitat of the variety.
The differences between
Diagnostic characteristics of
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Life cycle | Monocarpic biennial, rarely polycarpic short-lived perennial | Polycarpic short-lived perennial or monocarpic biennial |
Indumentum of first year mature rosettes on adaxial surface of leaves | Yellowish to brownish, harsh | Grayish-white to yellowish, soft |
Indumentum of rosette leaves on abaxial surface | Grayish-white or yellowish to brownish, thin | Grayish-white, thick |
Dendritic hairs (mm) | 0.2–0.8 | 0.4–2 |
Length to width ratio of leaf-lamina (rosette leaves) | 1.5–3.7 [2.5 ± 0.5] | 1.2–1.9 [1.6 ± 0.2] |
Lamina of larger leaves, (cm) | 6–22 [14.7 ± 4.4] × 3–11 [6.2 ± 1.9] | 16–40 [26.6 ± 7.1] ×11–24 [17 ± 3.5] |
Base of lamina | Obtuse-cuneate | Obtuse-truncate to cordate |
Stamen filaments | Greenish-white | Orange |
Hairs on connective of anterior stamens (adaxial surface) | Present | Frequently absent |
On Mt Parnitha and on the mountainous region of central Evvia — Mts Dirfi and Xirovouni —
Murbeck’s assumption that typical
Distribution map of
Considering the recent radiation in the genus
Both infraspecific taxa of
I am grateful to: P. Koubetsos and K. Polymenakos for the useful discussions on interesting
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