Serapias xmanfredoniae (S. apulica x S. cordigera) and Serapias xsipontensis (S. apulica x S. vomeracea), two new hybrids of the Gargano (North Apulia)

Abstract

During an in-depth study on the different species of the gen. Serapias and their hybrids in Apulia, an inspection was carried out on a population of Serapias apulica present on the slopes of the Gargano Promontory (northern Apulia). During field observations on the population of the aforementioned species, in addition to the already known hybrid Serapias ×garganica (Serapias apulica × Serapias vomeracea var. longipetala; Baumann and Künkele, 1989), two other new hybrids were found which we named: Serapias ×manfredoniae (Serapias apulica × Serapias cordigera) and Serapias ×sipontensis (Serapias apulica × Serapias vomeracea). Serapias ×manfredoniae and Serapias ×sipontensis unmistakably recall, at a first observation in the field, many important characters of the parental S. apulica, mainly as regards the large and ventricular bracts, the large flowers and the dark red-purple colour of the flower spike; other important elements of affinity and discrimination emerged in the preparation of the samples: shape and size of the sepals, shape and size of the petals, extension and shapes of the various parts of the labellum, colour of the pollen masses; what was acquired allowed us to determine with good approximation the identification factors of the two new hybrids. Serapias ×manfredoniae also reminds the parental S. apulica due to the general robust appearance of the plant; the light pigmentation of the tepal hood; the whitish hairiness of the labellum; it shows ancestry from S. cordigera due to the reniform lateral lobes widely overlapping the epichyle; the shape and width of the epichile; the medium-sized ovary and other elements; between the parents mainly the shape and size of the sepals, the size of the base of the petals and their total length are intermediate. Serapias ×sipontensis reminds S. apulica also for the following characteristics: a medium-stocky tepal hood with purple-dark longitudinal veins; narrow, extended and thread-like apex of the petals with the general dark purple-brown colour; the green ovary with slight purple hues, in addition to the numerous elements mentioned above (large and broad ventricular bract, large flowers, dark red-purple colour of the flower spike); instead, it recalls S. vomeracea for these reasons: the reduced size of the labellum; the narrow epichile; the lamellae of the basal callus are on average robust, spaced and sub-parallel, to form a gutter longer than wider; the purple-brown colour marked on the pollen bags; the shape and size of the sepals and the size of the base of the petals and their total length are mainly intermediate between the parents.