Satureja khuzistanica Jamzad (Jamzad 1994

Satureja khuzistanica Jamzad (Fig. 2 B-D) The Iranian Journal of Botany 6 (2): 216 (Jamzad 1994). — Type: Iran • Khuzistan, 72 km from Andimeshk to Khorramabad, 5 km after pol-e Tang; alt. 520 m; 14.XI.1985; Mozaffarian 58416; holo-, TARI! Satureja rechingeri Jamzad, Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien, 98 B: 75 (Jamzad 1996). — Type: Iran • Ilam Province, Ilam to Mehran, Ban-e Roushan; alt. 900 m; Jamzad, Mazhari & Ahmadi 75587; holo-, TARI!; syn. nov. PHENOLOGY. — Flowering September to December, fruiting November to January. DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. — S. khuzistanica is an endemic species distributed on the rocky slopes of mesic areas between Irano-Turanian and Saharo-Arabian regions in SW and W of Iran, Ilam, Lorestan and Khuzestan Provinces (Fig. 4D). SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Iran • SW Iran, Khuzestan Prov., SE of Pol-e Dokhtar, SE of Jelowgir village; 14.III.2011; Mirtadzadini 1983 (MIR) • NE of Dezful, Salankuh; 32°42’06.1”N, 48°57’24.4”E; alt. 1518 m; 02.VI.2017; Mirtadzadini 3802 (MIR) • W Iran, Ilam Prov., 16 km to Mehran from Ilam, S of Banroshan; 33°33’17.79”N, 46°13’12.98”E; alt. 900 m; 13.XII.2019; Mirtadzadini, Bordbar & Doostmohammadi 3803 (MIR) (type locality of Satureja rechingeri) • Lorestan Prov., Pol-e Dokhtar to Andimeshk, road of Emamzada Shah Ahmad; 32°48’30.0”N, 47°59’47.5”E; alt. 830 m; 17.IX.2019; Mirtadzadini 3805 (MIR) • Ibid., 32°48’03.4”N, 48°00’04.0”E; alt. 1150 m; 17.IX.2019; Mirtadzadini 3804 (MIR). DESCRIPTION Aromatic perennial, fruticose, up to 50 cm high covered with dense extremely long simple hairs, small dense capitate glands and large scattered capitate glands with globular head. Stems erect, branched mostly at the base, length of lower internodes 6-15 mm, length of inflorescence internodes 3-12 mm. Leaves broad, obovate, ovate or wide elliptic, flattened, apex often acute, cuneate or attenuate at the base, petiole up to the 2 mm long, stem leaves 8-20 mm long, 6-12 mm wide, floral leaves similar in shape to the stem leaves. Verticillasters distant, 2-8 flowers in each verticillaster, peduncle up to 2-4 mm, pedicel up to 2 mm. Calyx green, tubular-campanulate, 5-9 mm, triangular-lanceolate, inferior teeth 2-3 mm, superior teeth 1.5-2.5 mm. Corolla blade pale violet, yellowish, cream, the tube cream, white or pink, 12-15 mm long, tubular in the basal part, from the middle gradually broadened toward the mouth. Stamens exserted from the corolla tube. Style slightly shorter than or as long as posterior stamens. Nutlets widely obovate, 1.8-2 mm long, 1.2-1.5 mm wide, brown. REMARKS Satureja khuzistanica was described by Jamzad (1994) based on a specimen collected by Mozaffarian (TARI 58416) from south-west of Iran, Andimeshk to Khoramabad (in Khuzestan Province). This species is readily recognized from the other Satureja species by its large broad obovate or elliptic leaves covered with pubescent hairs. Later, Jamzad (1996) collected a specimen herself closely related to S. khuzistanica and recognized it as a separate species namely S. rechingeri. The second species was collected from west of Iran, Ilam Province, Ilam to Mehran. According toJamzad (1994, 1996, 2012) the two species differ by the indumentum composed of short simple glandular hairs in S. khuzistanica vs dense, white villose hairs in S. rechingeri. They also separated by the form of inflorescence: shortly pedunculate and remote in former and dense interrupted spike with longer peduncles in latter species. The length and width of leaves, the length of calyx, calyx teeth and corolla in S. rechingeri is longer than those of S. khuzistanica. Moreover, the two species differ by having different color of corolla: bluish-violet in S. khuzistanica and yellow with the lips tinged purple in S. rechingeri. Other morphological properties are the same for both species in the mentioned descriptions. Exploring of the species in nature in Ilam, Lorestan and Khuzestan Provinces (including their type localities) as well as the study of deposited herbarium specimens in MIR and TUH does not support the recognition of them as independent taxa for the reasons discussed in the following and consequently, S. rechingeri is reduced to synonymy under S. khuzistanica by the name priority: 1) the indumentum characteristics can not be regarded as diagnostic characters. Some individuals are more densely hairy but this is only intra-population diversity; 2) there is no clear difference in the form of inflorescence; 3) there is no discontinuity in the length and width of leaves as well the length of corolla. In some individuals the length of calyx and calyx teeth is longer however these characters have no correlation with the other morphological features; and 4) The species cannot be identified by the color of corolla, a variable characteristic among the individuals of a population. The corolla tube is cream, yellowish, white, or pink while the blade is pale violet, yellowish or cream.

Topic: Plant Ecology and Taxonomy Studies
Subfield: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Domain: Life Sciences