9. Limonium istriacum Bogdanović & Brullo, sp. nov.

Type: — CROATIA. Istria: In maritimis prope Salvore. Istria (Austria). August 1881, Marchesetti 1455, sub Statice cancellata Bernh. (holotype ZA!; isotypes BOLO!, CAT!, FI!, M!) (Figs. 10, 39).

Diagnosis: — Planta dense pubescens, rosulis foliorum apice caudicularum, foliis rugosis, spathulatis, retusis apice, revolutis margine, 1-nerviis, scapis paucis, erectis, rugosis, ramis sterilibus paucis, brevibus, inflorescentia pyramidata, pauciramosa, spicis rectis ad curvatis, bractea inferiore late ovata, obtusa ad laeviter apiculata, bractea superiore obovato-subrotundata, obtusa, calice tubo piloso, lobis ovato-triangularibus, acutis.

Description: —Plant perennial, 5–25 cm tall, densely pubescent (hairs up to 0.1–0.2 mm long), with robust tap-root. Caudices 1–3 cm long, branched, with leaf rosettes at the apex. Leaves rigid, rugose, pubescent, green, 8–30 mm long, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, spathulate, revolute at the margin, 1-nerved, gradually tapering into a long petiole, retuse at the apex. Stems few, rather scattered, erect, rugose, pubescent, with few short sterile branches, simple or slightly branched, flexuous, fragile at nodes, diverging at the angle of 40–110(–140)°, internodes 5–10 mm long, right to curved. Inflorescence poor, pyramidate, few branched; spikes 5–15 mm long, straight to curved. Spikelets 5–5.5 mm long, 2–3-flowered, 5–8 per cm; outer bract 1.2–1.8 mm long, 1.5–1.7 mm wide, widely-ovate, obtuse to slightly apiculate, with margin narrowly membranous, glabrous, and central part fleshy, acuminate, hairy; middle bract 1.5–1.6 mm long, 1.2–1.5 mm wide, ovate, subrounded, membranous, densely hairy on the veins; inner bract 3–4 mm long, 2.6–2.8 mm wide, obovate-subrounded, obtuse, with margin membranous, glabrous, 0.2–0.3 mm wide, and central part fleshy, densely hairy, 2–2.2 mm wide, acuminate, forming a triangular tip, 0.4–0.5 mm long, no reaching the upper margin. Calyx 4–4.5 mm long, exserted 1.8–2 mm from the inner bract, tube hairy, with ribs densely hairy, almost reaching the lobe apex; calyx lobes ovate-triangular, glabrous, 0.9–1 × 0.6–0.7 mm, acute. Corolla lilac.

Etymology: —The epithet is named after Istria peninsula.

Distribution and ecology: —This species is known only from a short stretch of the northern Istrian coast near Savudrija (Salvore) from Trieste to Umag (Fig. 28B). Recently, it was not found probably due to the touristic human activity which have completely modified all coastal belt.

Additional specimens examined (Paratypes): — CROATIA. Istria: Litorale austriacum. In rimis scopulorum ad mare prope Salvore in ditione oppidi Umago, substr. calce hippuritico; 1–2 m alt., s.d., Marchesetti s.n. (K!, WU!); Istria, Salvore, July 1882, Marchesetti s.n. (FI!, M!); Istria, Salvore, August 1881, Marchesetti s.n. (FI!); In der Klippen zwischen Umago u. Salvore, 22 July 1909, Engelhardt s.n. (M!).