Distribution, ecology and macro- and micromorphology of the genus Melissa in Istria and on the islands of the Kvarner Bay (original) (raw)

19. Österreichische Botanik-Tagung, 2021

Abstract

The island of Krk with an area of 405,78 km2 presents a very rich flora (1525 species) including some very special rare and unique taxa (Rottensteiner & Zernig 2020). This island is covered by the typical vegetation of the submediterranean zone (mixed Quercus pubescens woods and šibljak), just in the southernmost parts, around Baška and Stara Baška with transitions to eumediterranean vegetation. The genus Melissa (Lamiaceae) in Istria is represented by two species, M. officinalis ssp. officinalis and M. romana (Rottensteiner 2014, 2018). M. romana was recorded here for the first time in SE Kras, Krk Island in June 2019 (Dolovo), shortly thereafter also at the west coast near Njivice (Padure 2019) and new locations in Nivice and Vrbnik (Padure 2021). In the past, M. romana was considered a variety of M. officinalis (lemon balm) and catalogued as M. officinalis subsp. altissima. Montelucci (1953) considered it as a case of stabilized polyploidy (M. romana 2n=64; M. officinalis 2n=32) as it does not generate any offspring and it has an intermediate aspect when it grows beside M. officinalis (Miceli et al. 2006, Pignatti 2018, 2019). Our research presents the distribution of genus Melissa with ecological, macro- and micromorphological (SEM) characteristics of vegetative and generative organs that differentiate the species. Keywords: Melissa, Istria, Krk, ecology, morphology Literature Miceli A., Negro C. & Tommasi L. (2006): Essential oil of Melissa romana Miller grown in South Apulia, Italy, J. Ess. Oil Res. 18: 473–475. Montelucci G. (1953): La vegetazione del Monte Terminillo (Appennino centrale), Webbia 9: 49–359. Padure I. M. (2019): Lamiaceae Belege aus dem „Herbarium Istriacum“. In: Rottensteiner W.K.: Notizen zur „Flora von Istrien”, Teil V – Joannea Botanik 16: 101–105. Pignatti S. (2018): Melissa in Flora d'Italia 3, secundo ed., p. 259–260, Edagricole, Milano. Pignatti S. (2019): Melissa in Flora d'Italia 4, secundo ed., p. 737, Edagricole, Milano. Rottensteiner W. K. (2014): Melissa in Exkursionsflora für Istrien, Naturwissenschaftlicher Verein für Kärnten, Klagenfurt, p. 557. Rottensteiner W. K. (2018): Melissa in Die Pflanzen Istriens in ihren natürlichen Lebensräumen, Naturwissenschaftlicher Verein für Kärnten, Klagenfurt, p. 259. Rottensteiner W. K. & Zernig K. (2020): Beiträge zur Flora von Istrien VI: Eine kommentierte Prüfliste der Gefäßpflanzen als Grundlage für eine „Flora der Insel Krk (Veglia/Vögls) in der Quarner Bucht“, Fritschiana 95: 1– 75.

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