Rosularia haussknechtii (Boiss. & Reuter) A. Berger

Kaya, Ömer Faruk & Ertekin, Alaattin Selçuk, 2025, An emended description for Rosularia haussknechtii (Boiss. & Reuter) A. Berger (Crassulaceae) from Southeastern Anatolia, Adansonia (3) 47 (18), pp. 319-326 : 320-322

Rosularia haussknechtii s.str.

( Figs 1, 2, 3; Tables 1 , 2 , 3 )

Rosularia haussknechtii (Boiss. & Reut.) A.Berger , sensu stricto Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien (ed. 2) 18a: 466 ( Berger 1930). — Basionym: Umbilicus haussknechtii Boiss. & Reut. in Boiss., Flora Orientalis 2: 774 ( Boissier 1872).

TYPE MATERIAL. — Türkiye • [C7 Urfa] in fissuris rupium calcareaum regionis calidae ad Mar Jacob supra Orfa ( Urfa) Mesopotamiae; 15.V.1865; Haussknecht s.n.; lectotype: JE [ JE00003786 ] image!; isolectotypes: B[ B100241949 ] image!, BM[ BM000632423 ] image!, G-BOIS [ G00330685 ] image, G[ G00418089 ] image!, JE [ JE00003785 ] image!, K [ K000838527 ] image!, LE [ LE00013283 ] image!, MW [ MW0592720 ] image!), P [ P04022552 , P04022553 ] images!, W [ W0005250 , W1889-0223437 ] images!

OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Türkiye • B8 Diyarbakır, Eğil to Dicle 4 km, oak openings, rock crevices; 1042 m alt.; 23.V.2018; Ertekin 2018-085; DUF • C7 Şanlıurfa, North of Kızılkuyu Wildlife Development Area , near beltway, rock crevices; 729 m alt.; 27.V.2020; Ö.F.Kaya 6471 • Nemrut mountain, surroundings of Mar Jacob monastery ruins , rock crevices; 712 m alt.; 27.V.2020; Ö.F.Kaya 6479.

DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. — R. haussknechtii s.str. is an endemic species native to the Southeastern Anatolia Region and an IranoTuranian element. Bare crevices or rockies on open areas of oak forest form the plant habitat. R. haussknechtii s.str. grows in rockies or in rock areas at oak glades at 700-1050 meters altitudes in the Mesopotamian steppes and, three populations of R. haussknechtii s.str. were identified in Şanlıurfa and Diyarbakır provinces.

The distribution area of the species for Şanlıurfa is approximately 4 km 2 with an average of 350-400 individuals, while it is approximately 2 km 2 for Diyarbakır with an average of 150-200 individuals. The main factors such as road construction, land use change, grazing and urbanization threaten the plant environment/habitat. Therefore, it has been suggested that the plant should be evaluated in Vulnerable-VU B1b (iii) category according to IUCN Standards & Petitions Committee (2024) Red List categories.

REMARKS

The holotype was not specified, in the protologue of Rosularia haussknechtii by Boissier (1872). This was ignored by Chamberlain & Muirhead (1972) when a lectotype should have been determined. On the other hand, according to ICN ( Turland et al. 2018), Eggli (1988) used the term holotype instead of lectotype in his original choice of lectotype for Rosularia haussknechtii . This is an error (see point 9.10). However, since this erroneous typing was before January 1, 2001 (see Article 9.23), the original selection by Eggli (1988) is valid.

Unnumbered samples first collected by Haussknecht in 1865 from a single locality in Urfa (now Şanlıurfa) were named as Umbilicus haussknechtii by Boissier and Reuter ( Boissier 1872). There are 13 sheets collected by Haussknecht only from this type locality and only found in B, BM, G, JE, K, LE, MW, P, W herbaria. Although “typus” was written on the sheets found in B, G, P and W herbaria, taxonomists, who examined these samples, stated them as “ isotypus ”. The sheet (MW0592720) only found in MW was labelled as “ isolectotypus ”.

DESCRIPTION

Caudex well developed, 4-8 mm diam. Rosettes persistent after flowering, semiglobular, 2-5 cm diam.; offsets many; scapes lateral, 5-10 cm long, green or pink. Rosette leaves obovate-spathulate to narrowly spathulate, 18-30 × 3-6 mm, uninerved, attenuate at base, densely pectinate-ciliate with scattered glandular hairs on both surfaces, apex subacute. Lower cauline leaves linear, oblong-linear, 8-12 × 1.5-2 mm; median leaves linear or oblong-linear, 16-24 × 2-3 mm, dull green or deep pink, hirsute, densely ciliate, apex obtuse; floral leaves smaller and densely glandular pilose 7-12 × 2 mm. Inflorescence a lax thyrse, densely hairy, 8-17 flowered, always lateral, 1-3 per rosette, axis glandular-hairy in upper 2/3 imbricate leafy. Flowers 5-merous, narrowly campanulate. Pedicel 1-4 mm. Bracts 2-4 mm, bracteoles lanceolate, hairy. Calyx 4-5 mm, densely hairy, tube 1-1.5 mm, teeth lanceolate, 3-4 mm. Corolla 10-12 mm, pale yellow, back of petals densely pilose, petals connate 2/3 to 3/4, corolla lobes spreading, 3-4 mm, ovate, yellow, with purple or pinkish veined, margins denticulate, mucronate, c. 0.5 mm, corolla tubes greenish, 7-8 mm, densely pilose, longer than the calyx. Stamens 10, biseriate, longer stamen 7-8 mm, shorter stamens 5-6 mm long. Follicles 5-6 mm, finely hairy, styles 1 mm, stigmas capitate. Flowering in May. Rocky places, open areas of oak forest.