﻿On the identity of Thymushumifususvar.aureopunctatus (Lamiaceae) and taxonomic notes on the Th.richardii complex.

Llorenç Sáez,Salvatore Cambria,Jesús Riera,Sandro Bogdanović,Faruk Bogunić

doi:10.3897/phytokeys.186.75412

Abstract

The name Thymushumifususvar.aureopunctatus, described from Bosnia and Herzegovina, is lectotypified, and its taxonomic value is discussed. Thymusrichardiisubsp.richardii is currently considered an endemic subspecies common to Mallorca (Balearic Islands) and Bosnia and Herzegovina from the Balkan Peninsula. Specimens identified as Th.richardii from both Balearic Islands and Bosnia and Herzegovina were studied to determine if they are indeed the same taxonomic entity. Detailed micromorphological observations and morphometric analysis, suggest that the Balkan plants (Th.humifususvar.aureopunctatus) and the Majorcan populations (Th.richardiisubsp.richardii) are clearly separate entities. For the former name, based on morphological, phytochemical, biogeographical and present results, we propose the subspecific rank, as Th.richardiisubsp.aureopunctatuscomb. & stat. nov. Full descriptions of all five subspecies currently accepted within Th.richardii are provided.

Highlights

The western Mediterranean Basin is one of the most important regions where the genus Thymus L. has diversified (Morales 1997)
One of the species included is Thymus richardii Pers. a diploid (2n = 28, 30) Mediterranean species with a strongly fragmented distribution (Morales 1997, 2010; Bartolucci 2018; Bartolucci et al 2018)
I) the differences between the habitat occupied by Th. richardii subsp. richardii in both areas, ii) the differences in the composition of essential oils (Llorens et al 2014), and iii) the fact that the Bosnian and Herzegovinian population was initially recognised as a separate taxon (Th. humifusus var. aureopunctatus Beck) by several authors (Malý 1908, 1923; Ronniger 1930a, b) invites a re-evaluation of the inclusion of the latter taxon within the synonymy of Th. richardii subsp. richardii as originally proposed by Jalas (1971)

Summary

Introduction

The western Mediterranean Basin is one of the most important regions where the genus Thymus L. has diversified (Morales 1997). Richardii is currently considered an endemic subspecies common to Mallorca (Balearic Islands) and Bosnia and Herzegovina from the Balkan Peninsula. Specimens identified as Th. richardii from both Balearic Islands and Bosnia and Herzegovina were studied to determine if they are the same taxonomic entity.

Results

Conclusion