Stachys babylonica (Lamiaceae), a new species from Iraq

Abstract

Stachys babylonica (Lamiaceae). A new species from the mountainous, Kurdistan Iraq, is described and illustrated. Its distinguishing characters are discussed. It is distinguished from the closely related species S. kotschyi by having elliptic-rhombic (vs. ovate or oval- elliptic) leaves, (30-35 x 10-16 mm) (vs. 25-47 x 14-21mm), lower leaves petioles longer ± 16mm (vs. C.7mm), the median leaves petiole ± 7mm (vs. subsessile – sessile), calyx is narrowly tubular appressed (vs. infundibular – campanulate ± spreading), bracteoles are well developed as long as or longer than calyx (vs. shorter than calyx or absent), teeth of calyx are narrowly lanceolate (vs. broadly lanceolate and spreading). This new species to science is represented only by two specimens: the holotype & the isotype #12125.Specimen #12125 has been mistakenly identified as S. tomentosa Rech.f. by Rechinger [1]. Rechinger used only morphological characters in his identification. To clear the ambiguity, Pollen grain study was done and the results of this study were tabulated in Hamodie's work [2] .Specimen #50059 mentioned by Al –Zubaedy [3] as collected by Ali Halob in 2010 from Piera Magron Mt. was also mistakenly identified as S.babylonica. The consideration of specimens belong to S. kotschyi Boiss. as S. babylonica Hamodie & Wilcock made errors on conclusions by Al-Zubaedy [3] on molecular & P.G and morphological studies and reconsideration on these issues are needed. All the indicators so far gathered, approve that plants of this new species were most likely vanished from Piera Magron Mt. in Sulaimaniya sometime after 1948.