Linaria khalkhalensis Hamdi & Assadi

Hamdi, S.M.M., Assadi, M. & Maasoumi, A.A. 2009. Linaria khalkhalensis (Linaria sect. Linaria, Scrophulariaceae), a new species from Iran. Kew Bulletin 64: 339. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12225-009-9114-6

Type

Iran, Azerbaijan province, Khalkhal, NE of Khalkhal, 2100 – 2500 m, 7 June 1987, Yosefi TARI 1353 (holotypus TARI).

Morphology General Habit

Glaucous perennial herb, glabrous except for the inflorescence, erect; fertile stems 30 – 60 cm long, branched

Morphology Leaves

Leaves of fertile stems 30 – 45 × 1 mm, alternate, linear-filiform, acute

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence 1 – 2 mm long with 5 – 10 flowers, lax in both flowering and fruiting stage

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Bracts 2 – 2.5 × 0.4 – 0.5 mm, acute, lanceolate, glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel

Pedicels 1 – 2 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx lobes equal, 2 – 2.2 × 1 mm, acute, lanceolate, scarious

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla 13 – 14 mm long, yellow with violet veins or tinged with violet; tube 4 – 5 mm broad at mouth; abaxial lip sinus 0.9 mm, the distance between lip apex 4 mm; spur 7 mm long, 0.5 mm broad at base, straight, equalling the rest of corolla. Capsule 3 × 3.5 mm, longer than the calyx

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds 2 × 1 mm long, reniform, dark grey, wing 0.5 – 1 mm broad, disc smooth

Distribution

Recorded from Khalkhal and Deilaman in Azerbaijan Province, north-western Iran

Note

Linaria khalkhalensis is morphologically close to both L. lineolataBoiss. and L. elymaitica (Boiss.) Kuprian. (Table 1). L. khalkhalensis resembles L. lineolata by its pedicel length, bracts, calyx-lobes and leaf shape, and differs in having shorter corollas (vs. 15 – 17 × 3.5 – 5 mm long), shorter calyx-lobes (vs. 3 – 5 mm long), smaller capsules (vs. 3.5 – 6 mm long) and a concave-granular ornamentation pattern of testa cells (vs. convex & granular ornamentation pattern of cells). L. khalkhalensis is also similar to L. elymatica in its pedicel length, and leaf shape, but it differs in having shorter corollas (vs. 17 – 18 mm long), shorter calyx-lobes (vs. 4 × 1 – 2 mm long), longer bracts (vs. 1 × 0.2 – 0.4 mm long) and a concave-granular ornamentation pattern of cells (vs. convex- granular & concave-granular ornamentation pattern of cells).