Open AccessSystematics of the high mountain taxa of the genus Sideritis L. section Sideritis , subsection Fruticulosae Obón & D. Rivera (Lamiaceae)
Author(s) -
RIVERA D.,
OBON C.,
ALCARAZ F.,
LLORACH R.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
botanical journal of the linnean society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.872
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1095-8339
pISSN - 0024-4074
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8339.1999.tb00504.x
Subject(s) - taxon , biology , polyphyly , taxonomy (biology) , botany , altitude (triangle) , threatened species , iucn red list , endemism , systematics , genus , zoology , ecology , habitat , phylogenetics , clade , biochemistry , geometry , mathematics , gene
Section Sideritis is an extremely diversified group which is formed mainly by species growing at low altitude. The group of high altitude taxa of this section is polyphyletic and has been taxonomically divided in different subsections in which these taxa appear normally associated with low‐lying planitiary ones, the latter being the probable ancestors. The subsections comprising high altitude taxa are: subsect. Gymnocarpae , subsect. Fruticulosae; subsect. Hyssopifoliae , subsect. Luridae; subsect. Boigiae and subsect. Aranensis . Most of the high altitude taxa of section Sideritis are endemics with small distribution areas; they are incompletely known and threatened with extinction. The upper altitude limit of this section is attained at over 3000 m in Sierra Nevada (Spain) by Sideritis glacialis Boiss., which has been included in subsect. Fruticulosae Obón and D. Rivera. The taxonomy of this complex group of high altitude endemic taxa of Sideritis subsection Fruticuhsae is discussed on the basis of macro‐morphological and micro‐morphological characters. These are used in identification keys and for analysis of dissimilarity. The different habitats, allied species and plant communities are described. The following taxa are recognized: Sideritis glacialis subsp. glacialis, S. glacialis subsp. vestita, S. glacialis subsp. virens and S. glacialis subsp. fontquerii .