una nuova Poacea

This art icle was downloaded by: [ Dr Daniela Cat aldo] On: 11 July 2012, At : 01: 42 Publisher: Taylor & Francis I nform a Lt d Regist ered in England and Wales Regist ered Num ber: 1072954 Regist ered office: Mort im er House, 37- 41 Mort im er St reet , London W1T 3JH, UK Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology: Official Journal of the Societa Botanica Italiana Publicat ion det ails, including inst ruct ions for aut hors and subscript ion informat ion: ht t p:/ / www.t andfonline.com/ loi/ t plb20 Stipa valdemonensis (Poaceae), a new species from Sicily a b c D. Cat aldo , S. A. Giardina , B. Moraldo & F. M. Raimondo d a Dipart iment o di Biologia ambient ale e Biodiversit à, Universit à degli St udi di Palermo, Cat ania, It aly b Dipart iment o di Biologia ambient ale e Biodiversit à, Cefal[ugrave], It aly c Ist it ut o FF. Marist i, Taormina, It aly d Dipart iment o di Biologia ambient ale e Biodiversit à, Universit à degli St udi di Palermo, Palermo, It aly Accept ed aut hor version post ed online: 18 Jun 2012. Version of record first published: 05 Jul 2012 To cite this article: D. Cat aldo, S. A. Giardina, B. Moraldo & F. M. Raimondo (2012): St ipa valdemonensis (Poaceae), a new species from Sicily, Plant Biosyst ems - An Int ernat ional Journal Dealing wit h all Aspect s of Plant Biology: Official Journal of t he Societ a Bot anica It aliana, DOI:10.1080/ 11263504.2012.700961 To link to this article: ht t p:/ / dx.doi.org/ 10.1080/ 11263504.2012.700961 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTI CLE Full t erm s and condit ions of use: ht t p: / / www.t andfonline.com / page/ t erm s- and- condit ions This art icle m ay be used for research, t eaching, and privat e st udy purposes. 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RAIMONDO4 1 Dipartimento di Biologia ambientale e Biodiversità, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Catania, Italy; Dipartimento di Biologia ambientale e Biodiversità, Cefal u, Italy; 3Istituto FF. Maristi, Taormina, Italy; 4 Dipartimento di Biologia ambientale e Biodiversità, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy Downloaded by [Dr Daniela Cataldo] at 01:42 11 July 2012 2 Abstract A new species of Stipa, endemic to Sicily, named Stipa valdemonensis is described here. The new taxon is related to Stipa crassiculmis. Owing to the small number of individuals observed, in few restricted localities only, it is assigned the IUCN threat status ‘‘vulnerable’’. Keywords: Sicilian flora, Stipa, Mediterranean islands, taxonomy Introduction In the course of floristic surveys for orchid mapping, in the area between the Nebrodi Mountains and Peloritani Mountains at the western outskirts of Mt. Etna, in northeast Sicily, D. Cataldo and S.A. Giardina recorded several Stipa individuals in two restricted localities that were apparently not referable to any taxon so far known in Sicily. Further field observations and herbarium analyses, also involving B. Moraldo and F.M. Raimondo, finally allowed to identify the plants under study as representing an independent species of Stipa crassiculmis Smirnov. In order to better delimit distribution and size of the population, new field surveys were carried out in other nearby areas, so that a third locality was found. The new Stipa population was first discovered in May 2009 on the southern side of Punta Castelluzzo and on the slopes of Serro Valle Scuri, two contiguous differently facing sites, between 650 and 900 m. a.s.l., in the territory of Mojo Alcantara (Messina). The second locality was found soon after in the Roccella Valdemone (Messina) territory, in the suburban park ‘‘Za Draga’’. This locality, lying on the southern side of Rocca Za Draga, is between 700 and 800 m a.s.l.. Finally, the third locality was found in May 2011, 6 km north of the town of Montalbano Elicona (Messina). It lies in a place known as ‘‘Santa Maria’’, about 750 m a.s.l., on a disturbed slope, above the road to the next village. Taxonomy Taking into account all of the characteristics of the group of Stipa crassiculmis, sensu Martinovský & Moraldo (1980), and after the most closely related taxa belonging to it were critically analyzed, the Sicilian population is here described as a new species named Stipa valdemonensis. Stipa valdemonensis Cataldo, S.A. Giardina, Moraldo & Raimondo sp. nova (Figure 1). Holotype: Sicilia, Mojo Alcantara (Messina), versante meridionale di Punta Castelluzzo, lungo i fianchi di Serro Valle Scuri, su affioramenti costituiti da argilloscisti carboniosi, 650–900 m (a.s.l.), 378540 56.9400 N – 1580200 12.6800 E, 24.05.2010, D. Cataldo & S. A. Giardina (PAL; isotypes: CAT, FI, PAL. Iconography: Figure 1. Diagnosis: Herba caespitosa perennis, culmis robustis 50–80 cm altis. Foliorum vaginae pilosae, suprema ore ad 10 mm lata, basin paniculae amplectens; ligula Correspondence: Francesco M. Raimondo, Dipartimento di Biologia ambientale e Biodiversità, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Via Archirafi 38, 90123 Palermo, Italy. Tel: þ39 09123891243. Fax þ39 0916238260. Email: francesco.raimondo@unipa.it ISSN 1126-3504 print/ISSN 1724-5575 online ª 2012 Società Botanica Italiana http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2012.700961 D. Cataldo et al Downloaded by [Dr Daniela Cataldo] at 01:42 11 July 2012 2 Figure 1. Iconography of Stipa valdemonensis: (a) entire plant; (b) culm; (c) lemma; (d–e) sections of leaf. foliorum basalium 1–1.6 mm culmorum 3–6 mm longae; lamina in statu conduplicato juncea, foliorum inferiorum scabrae, superiorum extus glabrae intussecus costas papillis conicis minutissimis (ca. 0.02 mm altis) spinuloso-tuberculatis. Panicula depauperata, 6–8-spiculata. Glumae subaequales, 5–7 cm longae, acuminatae; lemma 2.1–2.4 cm longum, lineis pilorum 7 ornatum, quarum dorsalis et subdorsales subaequilongae dimidium lemmatis nonnusquam superantes, marginales insertionem aristae attingentes et abhinc in appendices binas ciliatas protractae; arista bis geniculata, 30–35(737) cm longa; columna scabriuscula; seta pilis 4–6 mm longis plumosa. Eponymy: The specific epithet refers to the ancient name (Valdemone Mountains) with which the Neastern Sicilian range was known up to the 19th century. Description: Perennial caespitose herb with robust, 50–80 cm high culms. Culm sheaths up to 10 mm Stipa valdemonensis (Poaceae), a new species wide apically, clasping the base of the panicule. Leaf sheaths hairy; ligules of basal leaves 1–1.6 mm, of culm leaves 3–6 mm long; lower blades scabrous, the upper ones glabrous outside, inside with ribs covered with aculeolate 0.02 mm high conical tubercles. Panicle depauperate, with 6–8 spikelets. Glumes subequal, 5–7 cm long, acuminate; lemma 2.1– 2.4 cm long, with hairs in seven lines, the dorsal and subdorsal ones subequal, sometimes exceeding one half of the lemma, the marginal ones reaching the basis of the arista and extending into ciliate auricles; arista twice geniculate, 30–35(–37) cm long; column scabrous, seta plumose, with 4–6 mm long hairs. (aggr.), Fraxinus ornus L. and Pyrus spinosa Forsk., these communities fall within the potential Quercion ilicis belt (Bazan et al. 2010). Stipa valdemonensis Downloaded by [Dr Daniela Cataldo] at 01:42 11 July 2012 Phenology: Flowering and fruiting period: May to July. Chorology and ecology Distribution (Figure 2): As known so far, Stipa valdemonensis occurs scattered in northeast Sicily, confined to a small area at the western border of the Etna region, between the Nebrodi and the Peloritani Mountains. The population of Montalbano extends over less than 200 m2, those of Mojo Alcantara and Roccella Valdemone over ca. 5 and 2 hectares, respectively. Ecology (Figures 3–6): All three localities are situated between 650 and 900 m a.s.l.. Like the other representatives of Stipa crassiculmis, S. valdemonensis occurs on Mediterranean hillsides in sub-arid meadows, on limestone, where several hemicryptophytes and geophytes are dominant. Owing to the sporadic occurrence of Quercus ilex L., Q. pubescens Willd. Figure 2. Distribution of Stipa valdemonensis in Sicily (.). 3 Figure 3. Awns of Stipa valdemonensis from the type material. Downloaded by [Dr Daniela Cataldo] at 01:42 11 July 2012 4 D. Cataldo et al Figure 4. Stipa valdemonensis in the locus classicus (Mojo Alcantara) (photograph by D. Cataldo). Figure 5. Stipa valdemonensis in the Roccella Valdemone locality (photograph by D. Cataldo). occurs on long abandoned fields, where Ferula communis L., Asphodelus ramosus L., Hyparrhenia hirta (L.) Stapf, Euphorbia rigida M. Bieb., Phlomis fruticosa L., Pallenis spinosa (L.) Cass., Carlina gummifera (L.) Less., Avena barbata Pott ex Link, Echium italicum L., Anisantha madritensis (L.) Nevski, Achnatherum bromoides (L.) P. Beauv., Stipa capensis Thunb. and Ampelodesmos mauritanicus (Poir.) T. Durand & Schinz abound. This vegetation mostly belongs to the association Thapsio-Feruletum communis Bartolo, Brullo, Minissale & Spampinato, which is widespread in Sicily (Bartolo et al. 1990). Status: Owing to the restricted distribution, the small population size and the low number of individuals known so far, the status ‘‘Vulnerable’’ (according to IUCN 2001) is assigned to S. valdemonensis. Remarks and taxonomic relationships According to Martinovský et al. (1975), Stipa crassiculmis subsp. picentina occurs in Sicily. That report is based on a specimen from the limestone mountains of Palermo identified in WU as ‘‘Stipa pennata’’ and cited by Moraldo (1986): Palermo, in Downloaded by [Dr Daniela Cataldo] at 01:42 11 July 2012 Stipa valdemonensis (Poaceae), a new species 5 Figure 6. Stipa valdemonensis in the Montalbano locality (photograph by D. Cataldo). montibus aridis, s.d., Reina (WU). This same taxon was also reported from Ficuzza (Palermo) by Gianguzzi et al. (2004) and, subsequently, by Giardina et al. (2007), but its presence was later considered as doubtful (Conti et al. 2007). Probably, the population of Stipa from the cited locality is to be identified with S. sicula Moraldo, Caputo, La Valva & Ricciardi (Raimondo et al. 2004). The report of Gianguzzi et al. (2004) – in the lack of other specimens collected by the same authors (Gianguzzi, in litteris) – should, therefore, be referred to S. sicula. Recently, Raimondo et al. (2010) excluded Stipa crassiculmis subsp. picentina from the Sicilian flora. Stipa valdemonensis differs from S. crassiculmis (including its subspecies) not only by the overall size of the awns. Typical characteristics of S. crassiculmis shared by S. valdemonensis are the inflated uppermost leaf sheath (hence the epithet ‘‘crassiculmis’’), the glabrous and aculeolate ribs in the inner lamina, and the often more than 30-cm long arista. Conclusions In the past few years, taxonomic studies on the vascular flora of Italy resulted both in the revision of some critical groups (e.g., Bancheva et al. 2011) and in the description of new species in various genera, such as Lathyrus (Conti 2010) and Linum (Peruzzi 2011). The description of a new Stipa species, presumed to be endemic to Sicily, belongs to that same context. Owing to its characteristics, S. valdemonensis belongs to the S. crassiculmis group as defined by Martinovský & Moraldo (1980). Other specimens Sicily: Roccella Valdemone (Messina), Parco suburbano ‘‘Za Draga’’, 378550 36.6300 N – 158000 55.3300 E, 09.05.2010, D. Cataldo & S.A. Giardina (PAL); Montalbano Elicona (Messina) Contrada Santa Maria, 388020 37.6900 N – 148590 41.5800 E, 07.06.2011, D. Cataldo (PAL); Mojo Alcantara (Messina), versante meridionale di Punta Castelluzzo, lungo i fianchi di Serro Valle Scuri, su affioramenti costituiti da argilloscisti carboniosi, 650–900 m (a.s.l.), 378540 56.9400 N – 158020 12.6800 E, 09.05.2011, D. Cataldo & S. A. Giardina (CAT, FI, PAL). Acknowledgements The authors wish to acknowledge Professor Paolo Colombo for his useful morphological analysis; Professors Pietro Mazzola and Werner Greuter for their suggestions and critical revision of the text; and the University of Palermo, the Fondazione Internazionale pro Herbario Mediterraneo (Palermo) and the Fondazione per la Flora Italiana (Florence) for financial support. References Bancheva S, Geraci A, Raimondo FM. 2011. 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