Análisis taxonómico de Glebionis coronaria (L.) Cass. ex Spach en el Mediterráneo / Taxonomic analysis of Glebionis coronaria (L.) Cass. ex Spach in the Mediterranean

The species G. coronaria (L.) Cass. ex Spach and G. segetum (L.) Fourr. are accepted within the genus Glebionis Cass. for the Mediterranean. In this work we propose to elevate G. coronaria (L.) Cass. ex Spach var. discolor (d'Urv.) Turland to the rank of species as Glebionis discolor (d’Urv.) st. nov., based on the disposition of the intercostal glands, the colour of the ligules, and the size and wings of the cypselas of the flosculous flowers and their distribution. Glebionis coronaria (L.) Cass. ex Spach with totally yellow ligules is exclusive to the meso- Mediterranean thermotype, and Glebionis discolor (d’Urv.) stat. nov. is found in the thermo- and meso-Mediterranean (it is exclusive to the latter thermotype). In view of this, samples were taken in territories in Greece, Sicily, and in the south of the Italian and Iberian peninsulas. A micro- and macro-morphological study was done on the material herborized in pure populations, and on the voucher specimens conserved in various herbaria in these territories. Herborization was done following thermoclimatic criteria in order to establish the area of distribution of both varieties. High-resolution confocal microscopy was used for the micromorphological study of the achenes, after examination with normal microscopy to determine the most significant differences. The measurements of the cypselas of the flosculous flowers were done by taking images, duly scaled, of different populations in Portugal, Spain and Italy and of cultivated populations of both varieties. The measurements were made based on a number of observations ranging between 296 and 425, and a statistical treatment was applied using the XLSTAT program.