Phlomis lychnitis L., Sp. Pl.: 585 (1753)

Description: Suffrutescent or sub-shrubby plant up to 60 cm in height, sometimes with stolons. Many stems arched then erect, cottony-whitish, densely hairy, with many basal leaves. Leaves narrow 3–11 × 0.5–1.0 cm, lanceolate, the cauline somewhat wider, oblong, progressively becoming bracts, entire, pubescent above, with stellate hairs, which sometimes have a longer branch, strongly veined-reticulate, white-tomentose below, the young woolly with attenuated petioles, those with opposite leaves welded together, the cauline ones are sessile. Inflorescence formed by 4–8 whorls with 6 flowers each, ± close at the apical part, cupped. Bracts soft straight, setaceous, 1.5–6.0 × 1.5–3.0 cm, sessile, forming a cup between 2 opposite ones, broadly ovate, the lower ones long acuminate, those above ovate and acute, not or barely exceeding the flowers, long hairy on the margin with tangled hairs; bracteoles 12–16 mm long, 2–3 per calyx, linear, with long, feathery hairs. Calyx 14–18 mm long, with 5–8 mm teeth, acute. Corolla 22–27 mm long, deep yellow; glabrous, tube included in calyx; upper lip helmet-shaped, covered on the outside with stellate hairs, ciliate; lower lip with central convex lobe, the lateral ones, triangular; opening between them almost horizontal. Stamens generally recurved within the upper lobe, following its curvature; anthers with soldered theca aligned in the direction of the filament, so they appear to be one, with lateral dehiscence. Recurved style. Nucules 4–6 × 2–4 mm, ovoid, subtrigonous, brown.

Taxonomic remarks: Phlomis lychnitis is distinguished from Ph. crinita by the shape of the leaves (linear or linear-lanceolate, width <1.1 cm) and the bracts with different shape arranged in the form of a closed cup around the whorl with a large base enveloping the flowers (Figs. 1 and 2, Table 1) (see e.g. Morales, 2010).

Studied material: Morocco, Draâ-Tafilalet: Midelt, Ait Ben Azzou, 1490–1600 m, 32° 39′ 49.284′′ N, 4° 20′ 0.12′′ W, 11.VI.2022, Homrani Bakali (RAB 113642) (1).

Distribution and habitat in Morocco: Phlomis lychnitis grows on the southern side of the Atlas Mountains, in a drier environment in the Drâa-Tafilalet region, Midelt, in a small area of the mountain of Ait Ben Azzou (Fig. 3). It was found on limestone cliffs at 1490–1600 m a.s.l.

General distribution: France, Portugal, Spain (GBIF, 2022; POWO, 2022) and Morocco (North Africa, present work).

Conservation status: Populations of Ph. lychnitis L. are strictly limited to the specific ecological conditions of Ait Ben Azzo Mountain. This population is very limited (less than 5000 km²) and only protected from overgrazing on an abrupt slope. Since the population is of small size and occurs only at unique habitat types only, we provisionally propose a conservation status of “critically endangered” (only one plant that was not on the abrupt slope escaped from the heavy grazing in the zone). More inspection efforts are needed in the oriental High Atlas of Morocco to circumscribe the distribution of the species and better evaluate its status and distribution.

Historical records: There are three samples identified as Ph. lychnitis collected by Michel Gandoger in Morocco and deposited in the Geneva Herbarium (Cabo Tres Forcas IV.1908, Midjiga VII.1908, Zeluan IV.1909), but the veracity of the geographic origin of these samples can be questioned. Indeed, many of Gandoger’s samples are probably from false locations, as mentioned by Laínz (1956) and Montserrat (1999). The three Moroccan localities (Midjiga, Zeluan and Cap des Trois-Fourches) mentioned by Gandoger’s were not confirmed by the many botanical inventories carried out in these regions. Subsequently, no Moroccan floras have mentioned the presence of this species (Valdés et al., 2002; Fennane et al., 2007).

1. Corolla purplish, pinkish or white; basal bracts lanceolate-linear, not cusped ............2

-. Corolla yellow, yellowish-brown; basal bracts ovate-rhombic, cusped .......................5

2. All leaves petiolate ...........................................................................................3

-. Cauline leaves petiolate, upper ones sessile or subsessile .......................................4

3. Bracteoles linear-lanceolate, 1.8–3.5 mm wide; calyx ca. 2 cm long; corolla pale

pink; herbaceous plant, sometimes lignified ............ Ph. bovei subsp. maroccana Maire

-. Bracteoles linear-lanceolate to oblong, 2–3 mm wide; calyx 1.1–1.3 cm long;

corolla purple or pink, rarely white; shrub up to 200 cm ....................... Ph. purpurea L.

4. Herbaceous plant; basal leaves attenuated; bracteoles subequal or longer than

calyces; calyx with spinescent teeth ............................................... Ph. herba-venti L.

-. Suffrutescent or herbaceous plant; basal leaves with wedge-shaped base;

bracteoles shorter than calyces; calyx with no or barely mucronate teeth

.................................................................................... Ph. antiatlantica J.P. Peltier

5. Basal leaves linear or linear-lanceolate, up to 12 mm width; bracts often arranged

in a closed cup around the whorl, inflorescence generally unbranched ...... Ph. lychnitis L.

-. Basal leaves ovate, ovate-lanceolate or oblong-elliptic, more than 30 mm wide;

open bracts on whorl, inflorescence generally branched

....................................................................... Ph . crinita subsp. mauritanica Murb.