Limonium silvestrei (Plumbaginaceae), a new agamospecies from southern Spain

Limonium silvestrei Aparicio (Plumbaginaceae) is described and illustrated from the only known population located within an agricultural landscape in southern Spain. Based in the single A pollen/Cob stigma combination, male sterility, jumbled 3x karyotype and high seed set and germination, L. silvestrei should be regarded as a new agamospecies in Limonium. The number of long metacentric chromosomes observed in the karyotype of this species is in conflict with Erben’s theory about the evolution in the genus. The discovery and characterisation of this species stresses the relevance of forest fragments of natural vegetation in agricultural landscapes as biodiversity reservoirs.

[1]  M. Ingrouille,et al.  A taxometric analysis ofLimonium (Plumbaginaceae) in Western Europe , 1984, Plant Systematics and Evolution.

[2]  L. F. Carrillo,et al.  Flora de interés en bosques-isla de Andalucía Occidental , 2002 .

[3]  O. Georgiou,et al.  Biosystematic study of the genus Limonium (Plumbaginaceae) in the Aegean area, Greece. EO. Limonium on the islands Kithira and Antikithira and the surrounding islets , 2002 .

[4]  O. Georgiou,et al.  Two new species of Limonium (Plumbaginaceae) from the island of Kithira (Greece) , 1999 .

[5]  J. E. Hernández-Bermejo,et al.  Libro Rojo de la Flora Silvestre Amenazada de Andalucía. Tomo II: Especies Vulnerables , 1999 .

[6]  J. Rosselló,et al.  Limonium vigoi (Plumbaginaceae), a new tetraploid species from the Northeast of the Iberian Península , 1998 .

[7]  J. Rosselló,et al.  Limonium carvalhoi (Plumbaginaceae), a new endemic species from the Balearic Islands , 1998 .

[8]  J. Rossello,et al.  Limonium marisolii L. Llorens (Plumbaginaceae) revisited , 1998 .

[9]  R. Artelari.  Biosystematic study of the genus Limonium (Plumbaginaceae) in the Aegean area (Greece). I: Some Limonium species from the Kikladhes islands , 1989 .

[10]  G. Kamari,et al.  A karyological study of ten Limonium species (Plumbaginaceae) endemic in the Ionian area, Greece , 1986 .

[11]  M. Erben.  Karyotype differentiation and its consequences in Mediterranean « Limonium » , 1979 .

[12]  R. Snow.  Alcoholic hydrochloric acid-carmine as a stain for chromosomes in squash preparations. , 1963, Stain technology.

[13]  H. G. Baker.  Dimorphism and Monomorphism in the Plumbaginaceae II. Pollen and Stigmata In the Genus Limonium , 1953 .

[14]  A. Levan,et al.  The use of oxyquinoline in chromosome analysis. With appendix: The effect of oxyquinoline on protoplasmic viscosity , 1950 .

[15]  G. Stebbins,et al.  CYTOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE DIFFERENT GROWTH HABITS IN THE DICOTYLEDONS , 1938 .