Lomelosia divaricata (Jacq.) Greuter & Burdet

Raab-Straube, Eckhard von & Raus, Thomas, 2022, Euro + Med-Checklist Notulae, 15, Willdenowia 52 (2), pp. 273-299 : 281

Lomelosia divaricata (Jacq.) Greuter & Burdet (≡ Scabiosa divaricata Jacq. ; = S. sicula L.) – Fig. 4C, D.

+ Cm: Crimea: Sevastopol, N slope of Mount Sapun, 10 Jun 1981, Usacheva & Kosykh (YALT, as Pterocephalus plumosus (L.) Coult.); Yukharin ravine, 44°32'52.54''N, 33°28'05.08''E, 50 m, wasteland along ravine, 31 May 2017, Svirin (MW 0632721); sports airfield, 44°33'08.78''N, 33°29'30.53''E, 100 m, 11 Jun 2017, Svirin (MW 0632718); lower Yukharin ravine, 44°32'52.78''N, 33°28'04.84''E, 50 m, 11 Jun 2017, Svirin (MW 0632719); ravine between Yukharin ravine and sports airfield, 44°33'10.84''N, 33°28'15.81''E, 90 m, 11 Jun 2017, Svirin (MW 0632720); Yukharin ravine, 44°32'52.2''N, 33°28'05.1''E, 50 m, calcareous rock steppe, 15 Jun 2017, Ryff, Bondareva, Svirin & Yevseyenkov (YALT). – This is a new record for E Europe. The native range of L. divaricata is Spain, Sardinia, the Balkan Peninsula and SW Asia to the Levant and Iran ( Domina 2017 +; Bartolucci & al. 2018; GBIF 2021e; POWO 2022f). According to herbarium material at YALT, L. divaricata was first collected in the Crimean Peninsula near Sevastopol in 1981, on the same day and in the same area as L. brachiata , and just like the latter species it was not correctly identified. Also, on the same day as L. brachiata , 31 May 2017, the species was rediscovered for Crimea by one of us (S.S.). The new location was found about ten kilometres southwest of the former one and includes several microlocalities. The species is one of the dominant elements of the Mediterranean steppes along with Aegilops biuncialis Vis. , Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn., Asphodeline taurica (Pall.) Endl. , Bromopsis sclerophylla (Boiss.) Holub , Convolvulus holosericeus M. Bieb. , Helianthemum salicifolium (L.) Mill. and Stipa lessingiana Trin. & Rupr. The distribution area of L. divaricata in the vicinity of Sevastopol is located within the polis (chora) of the ancient Greek colony of Chersonesus. It is probably an archaeophyte introduced from Greece or Asia Minor, like L. brachiata .

L. E. Ryff & S. A. Svirin