Crepis bithynica Boiss. is a member of sect. Macropodes Babc., a section of 14 species characterized by a strong perennial woody caudex elongated into a taproot (Babcock, 1947). Crepis bithynica was described from Turkey, and later recorded in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, Bulgaria (Babcock, 1947), the Majella Massif (Central Apennines) (Ballelli, 1999), and was thus reported by Conti & al. (2005). According to Kamari (1991) the occurrence in Greece is doubtful and was not confirmed in Bosnia-Herzegovina by Bjelcˇic´ (1983).

During a joint excursion on Majella we collected several specimens of this unit which had some differences with the Bulgarian population. The area was revisited and more plant material was collected in order to examine in deep the morphological variability. Botanical expeditions to the Turkish Mountain Uludag (habitat of C. bithynica), as well as to the Mt. Pirin (Bulgaria) were organized in 2008.

Comparative study of the collected material and specimens from APP, CAME, G, SOM and W revealed significant differences between Majella and Uludag populations and identified the Italian plants as belonging to the new species described here. In this way the known range of C. bythinica has to be reduced excluding Italian plants. The Bulgarian populations were the subject of a systematic and nomenclature treatment by Dimitrova & Greilhuber (1999, 2000, 2001) and assigned to two different varieties — C. bithynica var. pirinica Acht., later considered as a synonym of C. bithynica var. bithynica, and C. bithynica var. fodorii (Penzes) Dimitrova. The results of our current morphological study indicate that they are two well defined units quite different from the Turkish population. None of these units was included in the recent ITS phylogeny analysis (Enke & Gemeinholzer, 2008). A taxonomic interpretation of C. bithynica s.l. is in progress.

Crepis magellensis F. Conti & Uzunov, spec. nova (Fig. 1-3) Typus: ITALY: M. Focalone, presso la vetta sul sentiero per il M. Acquaviva, sfatticcio calcareo, 42°06.352′N 14°07.070′E (WGS84), 2650 m, 20.VIII.2006, F. Conti & D. Uzunov s.n. (holo-: APP!; iso-: FI!).

Herba perennis. Caulis plerumque monocephalus, usque ad 8 cm longus, ascendenti-curvatus, simplex vel divaricato-ramosus, rarissimo trifurcatus, fere aphyllus, glanduloso-pilosus. Folia basalia 2–6.5 × 0.4–1 cm magna, spatulata, runcinate lyrato-pinnatifida segmenti acutis, in petiolum gradatim attenuata, sparse glanduloso-pilosa. Involucrum 9–13 mm longus, bracteis lanceolatis acutis, tomentosis, glanduloso-pilosis. Receptaculum sparse ciliatum. Corolla usque ad 13 mm longa. Achenia 4.5–6 mm longa, 12–18 costata. Pappus 4.6–5.8 mm longus, albus.

Description. — Perennial, 2.5–8 cm high, with a woody rootstock tapering downward into a oblique taproot bearing fleshy laterals or stolons. Leaves in rosettes, basal leaves 2–6.5 × 0.4–1 cm, fleshy, spathulate, runcinate lyrato-pinnatifid, glabrous or with sparsely short white glandular hairs (0.1–0.3 mm) with yellowish gland. Stems 1, rarely up to 4 from each rosette, simple or less frequent furcate (very rarely up to 3), flexuous, sparsely white eglandular and glandular hair with yellowish gland, densely shortly white or rarely blackish glandular (yellowish gland) and white eglandular pubescent under the capitula. Involucre 9–13 mm high, dark green, tomentose with white eglandular hairs and with white, yellowish and blackish glandular hairs (yellowish gland); outer bracts unequal, lanceolate, acute; inner bracts linear-lanceolate, papillose on inner face, with wide scarious margins. Receptacle sparsely ciliate. Corollas 12–13 mm, yellow. Achenes ribbed 4.5–6 mm long. Pappus 4.6–5.8 mm long, white.

Phenology. — Flowering late July-August.

Chromosome number. — 2n = 10 (Ballelli, 1999).

Etymology. — Dedicated to Majella Mountains (Magella in Middle Age).

Habitat. — Very gentle slopes (from 0° to 7°), where the substrate consist of a continuous layer of calcareous scree of 2–5 cm pebbles, with Saxifrago-Papaveretum julici Feoli Chiapella & Feoli 1977 (Ballelli, 1999) and Ranunculo seguierii-Adonidetum distortae Di Pietro, Pelino, Stanisci & Blasi 2008 in which C. bithynica auct. fl. ital. is considered a characteristic species (Di Pietro & al., 2008). Other endemics occur in the same habitat, such as: Cerastium thomasii Ten., Galium magellense Ten., Viola magellensis Strobl, Achillea barrelieri (Ten.) Schultz Bip. subsp. barrelieri, Bunium petraeum Ten., Festuca alfrediana Foggi & Signorini, Adonis distorta Ten., Thlaspi stylosum (Ten.) Mutel, Androsace vitaliana subsp. praetutiana (Sund) Kress, Pedicularis elegans Ten., Avenula praetutiana (Arcang.) Pignatti and Leontodon montanus subsp. breviscapus (DC.) Cavara & Grande.

Distribution. — Endemic to Majella from 2550 up to 2730 m (Mt. Amaro, between Mt. Amaro and Mt. Pesco Falcone, Mt. Focalone, Mt. Acquaviva, between Cima Pomilio and Mt. S. Angelo, between Cima Pomilio and Mt. Tre Portoni, Cima Pomilio, Piano Amaro) (Fig. 4).

Specimina visa. — M. Focalone, nella sella al bivio per il M. Acquaviva, pascoli rocciosi, 2630 m, 26.VIII.1996, S. Ballelli s.n. (CAME!); tra Cima Pomilio e M.S. Angelo, pascoli rocciosi e rupi, vers. W, 2600 m, 26.VIII.1996, S. Ballelli s.n. (CAME!); M. Acquaviva, pascoli della cima, 2700–2737 m, 26.VIII.1996, S. Ballelli s.n. (CAME!); tra M. Amaro e Pesco Falcone, sfatticci rupestri pianeggianti, 2600–2650 m, 9.VIII.1997, S. Ballelli s.n. (CAME!); Majella, M. Focalone, Caramanico Terme (Pescara), sfatticcio calcareo, 2600 m, 07.VIII. 1999, F. Conti s.n. (APP!); Piano Amaro, 2558 m, incl. 2°, esp. N, suolo a strisce con clasti di piccole dimensioni (2–3 cm), 9.VIII.2003, G. Pelino s.n. (APP!)

Fig. 1.

— Crepis magellensis F. Conti & Uzunov. A. Plant ; B. Part of leaf ; C. Achene with pappus; D. Inner involucral bract ; E. Floret.

[Conti & Uzunov s.n., APP] [Drawer : F. Conti]

Fig. 2.

Holotype of Crepis magellensis F. Conti & Uzunov.

[Conti & Uzunov s.n., APP]

Conservation status. — The species lives only in the alpine belt in the Majella massif in few close localities that can be consider one “location” (IUCN, 2008). The estimated area of occupancy (AOO) is 28 km², the extent of occurrence (EOO) is 3.8 km² and we suspect a reduction of the habitat surface caused by ‘tourism' (threat 6.1 ‘Recreational Activities') and ‘global warming' (threat 11.1 ‘Habitat Shifting & Alteration') (Iucn-Cmp, 2008; Salafsky & al., 2008). Although both the area of occupancy and extent of occurrence are within the thresholds for “Critically Endangered” (CR), it is uncertain if there has been sufficient decline to justify that category. According to the IUCN red list categories (IUCN, 2008) the species should be considered as “Near Threatened” (NT).

Table 1.

Morphological differences between Crepis bithynica Boiss. and C. magellensis F. Conti & Uzunov.

Taxonomic relationship. — Crepis magellensis differs from C. bithynica in the fleshy leaves with different shape (blade length/petiole length ratio lower) and almost glabrous or with few short glandular hairs (the longest measure 0.2–0.4 mm while in C. bithynica they are 0.4–1.1 mm long), lower number of lobes (0–4 pairs), glandular hairs evidently shorter, especially on stems (the longest 0.2–0.5 mm long, measured about 2 mm under the capitula, in C. bithynica 0.5–0.9 mm) and bracts (0.4–0.8 mm against 0.8–1.6 mm), corolla tube longer (3.6–4.5 mm against 2.7–3.7 mm), rootstock with stolons (Table 1).

Notes. — The unique combination of characteristics makes C. magellensis a distinct and easily identifiable species. It is closely related to C. bithynica that, in known populations, has morphological differences until now underestimated. From collected data that will be included in a subsequent treatment, it seems that Bulgarian populations can represent two auto — nomous taxa. The relationships and speciation mechanism in Crepis, a classic genus for studying the karyotype evolution and hybridisation, are subject to revision in light of new phylogenetic data from ITS and ‘matK' sequences that only partly support Babcock's sectional arrangement (Enke & Gemeinholzer, 2008). For understanding the taxonomic position of C. magellensis and its possible relation with other geographically and morphologically close species (C. hookeriana Ball., C. faureliana Maire, C. schachtii Babc., C. bithynica s.l., etc.) further investigations into the karyotype morphology and hybridisation are necessary together with more molecular data and related morphological and phylogenetic analysis.

The absence of C. magellensis from other Apennines mountains can be explained by the particular characteristics of Mt. Majella. Because of its morphology, it has the largest extension of high altitude terrains, more than Mt. Gran Sasso even if the latter reaches the highest altitude. The summit plateaus of Majella, over 2500 m high, are 11 km² large, compared with 2 km² of Gran Sasso (Giraudi, 1998), and this causes peculiar edaphic conditions and microclimate as well.

Fig. 3.

In habitat. A. Crepis magellensis F. Conti & Uzunov ; B. C. bithynica Boiss.

[Photos by the authors]

Fig. 4.

Distribution of Crepis magellensis F. Conti & Uzunov.