Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2002, 140, 443–448. With 2 figures © 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2002, 140, 443–448 443 Blackwell Science, LtdOxford, UKBOJBotanical Journal of the Linnean Society0024-4074The Linnean Society of London, 2002 140 443448 Original Article NEW SPECIES OF ACANTHOLIMON FROM TURKEYDO AN and AKAYDIN *Corresponding author. E-mail: doganm@metu.edu.tr A new species of Acantholimon Boiss. (Plumbaginaceae) from Ankara, Turkey MUSA DOG ˘ AN 1 * and GALI · P AKAYDIN 2 1 Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06531 Ankara, Turkey 2 Department of Biology Education, Hacettepe University, 06532 Beytepe, Ankara, Turkey Received October 2001; accepted for publication May 2002 Acantholimon anatolicum Dogan & Akaydın sp. nov. (Plumbaginaceae) is described and illustrated. The species grows on deep gypsum-rich sandy soil on eroded mountain slopes between Çayırhan and Nallıhan in Ankara. Diag- nostic morphological characters that discern it from closely related species are discussed and its conservation status is indicated. A revised key to Acantholimon species with ± dense terminal spikes and excurrent scapes is given for the species found in Turkey. (c)The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2002, 140, 443–448. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: Central Anatolia – conservation – distribution. INTRODUCTION The genus Acantholimon Boiss. comprises about 200 species throughout the world but mainly distributed in Euro-Asia and crossing into South America. Its centre of diversity lies in the east Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian phytogeographic regions. Acantholi- mon species are all perennial, densely or laxly pulvi- nate subshrubs forming thorn cushions. The genus has ecological and economic importance. Its ornamen- tal importance with coloured long-lasting flowers is remarkable. A Turkish dessert is also made by means of boiling the roots (Baytop, 1994). Boissier (1879) recognized 74 species of Acantholi- mon in his Flora Orientalis; some of these species were described from Turkey. Bokhari (1970, 1972a) carried out taxonomic studies on Plumbaginaceae in Turkey where he recognized six genera ( Acantholimon Boiss., Limoniopsis Lincz., Limonium Miller, Armeria Willd., Goniolimon Boiss. and Plumbago L.) in this family, and described six new species ( A. confertiflorum, A. halophilum, A. reflexifolium, A.dianthifolium, A. hypochaerum and A. strigillosum). Bokhari (1972b) also studied the stigma and pollen types in Acantholi- mon and Limoniopsis. The first revision of Acantholi- mon in Turkey was done by Bokhari & Edmondson (1982) for the Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands in which they recognized 25. They indicated the possibility of finding further species either imper- fectly known (two species) or doubtfully recorded (nine species). A recent study conducted by Muvaffak (1997) con- cluded that there were nine species of Acantholimon in Ankara Province, viz: A. venustum Boiss., A. halophilum Bokhari, A. acerosum (Willd.) Boiss., A. kotschyi (Jaub. & Spach) Boiss., A. confertiflorum Bokhari, A. glumaceum (Jaub. & Spach) Boiss., A. caesareum Boiss. & Bal., A. puberulum Boiss. & Bal. and A. ulicinum (Willd. et Schultes) Boiss. In a recent numeric taxonomic study, a new infrageneric grouping in the genus was made on the basis of the species found in Ankara Province, and three subsections, namely Caryophyllacea Bunge (including A. venustum and A. kotschyii), Halophiliacea Muvaffak & Dogan (including A. halophilum, A. acerosum, A. caesareum and A. confertiflorum) and Androsacea Bunge (includ- ing A. glumaceum, A. puberulum and A. ulicinum) were recognized (Muvaffak, Dog ˘ an & Bilgin, 2001). The extensive field surveys and the laboratory studies conducted on Acantholimon in Turkey by the authors revealed four additional new species, namely A. avanosicum Dogan & Akaydın (Dog ˘ an & Akaydın,