Rumex tunetanus (Polygonaceae): rediscovery of an endangered Tunisian endemic

Abstract

Rumex tunetanus is a strictly endemic species occurring on the banks of the dried lake of Sejenane (NW-Tunisia) which was discovered in 1888 (published in 1899), but never seen until our rediscovery in 2009. This finding allowed us to give a more complete morphological description of the species, as well as to specify its ecological preferences and conservation status. A lectotype preserved at P was designated for the name Rumex tunetanus.

Full text

Phytotaxa 296 (2): 118–130
http://www.mapress.com/j/pt/
Copyright © 2017 Magnolia Press Article PHYTOTAXA
ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition)
ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition)
118 Accepted by Duilio Iamonico: 29 Jan. 2017; published: 15 Feb. 2017
https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.296.2.2
Rumex tunetanus (Polygonaceae): rediscovery of an endangered Tunisian endemic
ZEINEB GHRABI-GAMMAR1,2*, SERGE D. MULLER3, MAYA ROUISSI1,4, IMTINEN BEN HAJ JILANI1,5,
LAÏLA RHAZI6, GÉRARD DE BÉLAIR7, SEMIA BEN SAAD-LIMAM1,4 & AMINA DAOUD-BOUATTOUR1,4
1 Université de Manouba, Faculté des Lettres, des Arts et des Humanités de la Manouba, UR99/UR/02-04 Biogéographie, Climatologie
Appliquée et Dynamique Erosive (BiCADE), 2010 Manouba, Tunisie
2 Université de Carthage, Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie (INAT), 43 Avenue Charles Nicolle, 1082 Cité Mahrajène, Tunis,
Tunisie; e-mail: zghrabi@yahoo.fr
3 Université de Montpellier - CNRS, Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution (ISE-M), Case 061, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier
cedex 05, France
4 Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté des Sciences, Département de Biologie, 2092 Tunis, Tunisie
5 Université de Carthage, Institut Supérieur des Études Préparatoires en Biologie Géologie (ISEPBG), Choutrana II, 2036 Soukra,
Tunisie
6 Université Mohamed V- Rabat, Laboratoire de Botanique et Environnement, Faculté des Sciences, 4 avenue Ibn Battouta B.P. 1014 RP,
Rabat, Maroc
7 Université Badji Mokhtar, Laboratoire de Pédologie et Développement Durable, Faculté des Sciences, 23000 Annaba, Algérie
*author for correspondence
Abstract
Rumex tunetanus is a strictly endemic species occurring on the banks of the dried lake of Sejenane (NW-Tunisia) which was
discovered in 1888 (published in 1899), but never seen until our rediscovery in 2009. This finding allowed us to give a more
complete morphological description of the species, as well as to specify its ecological preferences and conservation status.
A lectotype preserved at P was designated for the name Rumex tunetanus.
Keywords: conservation, Garâa Sejenane, North Africa, Rumex, wetland
Introduction
The Tunisian flora includes 40 endemic species, each characterized by a narrow distribution area (Cuénod 1954,
Pottier-Alapetite 1979 and 1981, Neffati et al. 1999, Le Floc’h et al. 2010). All these species are poorly known in
terms of frequency, ecology and population dynamics, making a difficult to assess their conservation status. In fact,
12 % of these species are classified as Data Deficient under IUCN (2008). One of the most intriguing of these Tunisian
endemics is the Tunisian dock Rumex tunetanus Baratte & Murbeck ex Murbeck (1899: 5), which is represented by
perennial herbs growing in the wet marshes of the Sejenane plain. This species was never seen after its discovery in
1888 (date of collections of the type of R. tunetanus—see the paragraph “Taxonomic treatment”).
 Untilthe1950s,theGarâaSejenane(37°05′N,09°12′E,110ma.s.l.;Fig.1)wasdescribedasashallowlake(area
15 km2) that never completely dries up (Le Floc’h 1959). “Garâa” is a Tunisian word designating permanent, freshwater
lakes and marshes (Hughes et al. 1997). With a maximal depth of 1 m, the site was covered by an extended marsh
of Schoenoplectus lacustris (Linnaeus 1753: 47) Pallas (1888: 49), which is locally associated with Nymphaea alba
Linnaeus (1753: 510), and at borders of the lake with a large belt of Isoetes velata A. Braun (1850: 19) and Eryngium
pusillum Linnaeus (1753: 233) (see e.g., Gauthier-Lièvre 1931, Pottier-Alapetite & Labbe 1951, Pottier-Alapetite
1952, 1958). The lake was the home for several rare species, such as: Armeria spinulosa Boissier (1848: 675), Butomus
umbellatus Linnaeus (1753: 372), Mibora minima (Linnaeus 1753: 63 ) Desvaux (1818: 45), Persicaria amphibia
(Linnaeus 1753: 361) Gray (1821: 268), Rumex tunetanus, Utricularia vulgaris Linnaeus (1753: 18) (see e.g., Cuénod
1954, Pottier-Alapetite 1979 and 1981, Rouissi et al. 2016). The drainage of the waterlogged plain that began in the
1960s lowered the water level and led to the partition of hydrophytic plant communities. Today, the water level does not
exceed 50 cm in the deepest zones (in winter), and the garâa dries out completely in summer. It is extensively grazed

RUMEX TUNETANUS Phytotaxa 296 (2) © 2017 Magnolia Press • 119
and cultivated (off-season and summer market gardening) and comprises a patchwork of marshes, temporary swamps,
and temporarily flooded cultivated fields (Ferchichi-Ben Jamaa et al. 2010, Rouissi et al. 2016). Several species have
disappeared (e.g., Alternanthera sessilis, Butomus umbellatus, Nymphaea alba, Utricularia vulgaris), but most of
the other taxa that had been known before the drainage began, remain as well as some newly-discovered species for
Tunisia: Chara braunii Gmelin (1826: 646), Crassula helmsii Cockayne (1907: 349), Cr. decumbens Thunberg (1794:
54), Cr. vaillantii (Willdenow 1798: 720) Roth (1827: 992), Nitella opaca (C.Agardh ex Bruzelius 1824: 16, 23)
C.Agardh (1824: 124) and Pilularia minuta Durieu (1810: 540) (Muller et al. 2008, Daoud-Bouattour et al. 2009 and
2014, García et al. 2010, Rouissi et al. 2016).
FIGURE 1. Location of Garâa Sejenane (Google earth V 7.1.7.2606). The ancient lake is represented in dots. The photograph shows
Garâa Sejenane viewed from the south (photo by A. Daoud-Bouattour, February 2010): the central zone of the plain is cultivated and
grazed, and the surrounding hills are covered with degraded cork-oak woods.
As part of field surveys carried out on the Sejenane plain (see e.g., Muller et al. 2008, Daoud-Bouattour et al.
2009, Ferchichi-Ben Jamaa et al. 2010, Rouissi et al. 2014 and 2016) and more than 120 years after the discovery of
the Tunisian dock, we found a large population of Rumex tunetanus in December 2009. Between 2010 and 2014, we
discovered in the same area five additional smaller populations of this steno-endemic species. This work is part of an
assessment program of the Plant Red List of Tunisia (REGNES), launched in 2008 by the Tunisian Ministry of the
Environment (MEDD 2006), and associated with the selection of Important Plant Areas (IPA) under the aegis of the
IUCN (Radford et al. 2011).
Material and Methods
Phytosociological relevés (Braun-Blanquet 1932) were carried out during the spring (period 2010–2014) in the 6 sites
where Rumex tunetanus was discovered: one relevé per site were made, except in the case of the largest population
(GS1) where two relevés were performed in 2010 and 2013.
Plant species were identified using Tunisian floras (Cuénod 1954, Pottier-Alapetite 1979 and 1981), Algeria (Quézel
& Santa 1962–1963) and North Africa (Maire 1952–1987). So as to compare Rumex tunetanus to morphologically
related species, samples of the Algerian endemic R. algeriensis Barratte & Murbeck (in Murbeck 1899: 6) var.
hipporegianus Battandier (1919: 79) and of the cosmopolitan species R. crispus Linnaeus (1753: 335), were collected in
Annaba (Numidia-Algeria) and in Garâa Sejenane, respectively, in Spring 2012. A thorough morphological analysis

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120 • Phytotaxa 296 (2) © 2017 Magnolia Press
of 10 samples of R. tunetanus was carried out to complete the description of the species, especially its underground
organs, basal leaves, achene and pollen, and to provide an exhaustive description. To determine its ecology and habitat,
a Correspondence Analysis (CA) was performed by integrating the phytosociological relevés of R. tunetanus sites to
the complete set of relevés carried out in the garâa (Rouissi et al. 2016) using PAST software (Hammer et al. 2001).
FIGURE 2. Rumex tunetanus : A,habitus;B,basalleaf;C,tuberoustaproot;D,flowersshowingstamens;E, fruit surrounded by three
serratedvalves; F,3-angledachenes, withonebearing adriedstyle; G, tricolporate pollen grains. Scales: A–C, 1cm; D–E,5mm;F,
1mm;G, 20 µm (drawings S.D. Muller & Z. Ghrabi-Gammar, photo S.D. Muller).

RUMEX TUNETANUS Phytotaxa 296 (2) © 2017 Magnolia Press • 121
In April 2010, the water pH was measured and soil samples taken in GS1. Soil samples of the GS1 site underwent
a granulometric analysis and loss on ignition at 550°C to measure the quantities of organic matter and at 1000°C to
measure carbonates (Dean 1974).
The size and density of the most important population (GS1) was defined using GPS techniques (April 2010).
Herbarium collections examined are preserved kept in Tunisia at the Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, at the Herbarium
of the National Institute of Agronomy of Tunis and at the National Gene Bank, and in France at the Herbarium of
Université de Montpellier (MPU).
The nomenclature according to Le Floc’h et al. (2010).
Taxonomical treatment
Rumex tunetanus Barratte & Murbeck ex Murbeck (1899: 5)
Type (lectotype designated here): mission botanique de Tunisie, bords du lac Cejnan, Kroumirie orientale, 23 June 1888, Cosson,
Barratte & Duval s.n. (P-05338611!, image of the lectotype available at http://mediaphoto.mnhn.fr/media/
1441386044455s2QUltcOdjvT6n2t;isolectotypeP-05338612!, image of the isolectotype available at http://mediaphoto.
mnhn.fr/media/1441386044474M1oZVHh7XfuUEtr0).
Description (Fig. 2):—perennial, amphibious geophyte, with a tuberous vertical, thick, dark-brown taproot topped off
with 1–4 short rhizomes, each developing an aerial axis. Stem erect, 80–120 cm tall, thin, reddish, striped, with 8–10
internodes (basal internode reaches 25 cm in length). Basal leaves petiolate (petiole about 18 cm long, and slightly
enlarged at the base), with blade 18–20cmlong,ridged,moreorlesscordateatthebase;caulineleavessimilartothe
basal one but smaller in size. Inflorescence branched 4, in the upper half of the stem, each consisting in a loose leafless
panicle. 15 flowering whorls, the lower ones spaced (distance between two successive whorls 2.0–2.5 cm) and bearing
about 25 flowers, the upper whorls more densely arranged (0.5 cm) and with 3–5 flowers. Outer sepals pinkish, linear
and adpressed on the edges of fruit-bearing valves that are triangular, densely reticulated by barely bulging veins, with
5–8 shallow pairs of uneven, slightly curved teeths (5–6 or 4–6 mm long), with an oblong-ovoid callosity (equal to or
longerthanhalfthevalvelength),thetwolateralleavesareshorterandhavesmallercallosities;anthers,whichareas
long as the fruit-bearing valves, become flat and large with curved edges after pollen release. After fertilization, each
flowering axis can release between 400 and 600 brown, shiny achenes (2.7–3.0 mm long with a maximum width at the
middle). Pollen grain subsphaerical (30–35 µm in diameter), micro-cross-linked, tricolporate, with thin, long furrows
(ectoapertures) and small, round pores (endoapertures).
Typification:—Baratte & Murbeck (1899: 5) described Rumex tunetanus through a short diagnosis: “is mostly
characterized by stem leaves which are quite narrow, very elongated, more or less highly corrugated and stiff in
the edges, more or less deeply cordate at the base where the limb reaches its biggest width”; they also provided
an illustration which is part of the original material. In the protologue, R. tunetanus was considered to be related
to the sympatric R. crispus, and R. stenophyllus Ledebour (1830: 58). Baratte & Murbeck (1899: 5) also cited two
specimens (syntypes according to the Art. 9.7 of ICN, McNeill et al. 2012) collected in 1888 during the last botanical
mission of the Committee Responsible for the Scientific Exploration of Tunisia. We found these two specimens at P
(codes 05338611, and 05338612), both bearing plants whose features matches the diagnosis. We here designate the
P-05338611 as the lectotype of the name Rumex tunetanus, while the P-05338612 is the isolectotype.
Chromosome number:—Unknown.
Habitat and ecology:—Rumex tunetanus grows on temporary habitats (Fig. 3 A) characterized by sandy-silty
soils at water depths of 20–50cmduringthefloodingperiod[marshes of the ancient lake of Sejenane (Fig.1; see
also Gauthier-Lièvre 1931, Pottier-Alapetite & Labbe 1951, Pottier-Alapetite 1958)]. This particular wetland was
comparable to the large lakes of NE-Algeria (Samraoui & de Bélair 1997, Stevenson et al. 1998, Rouissi et al. 2016)
before it was seriously damaged by the various water projects between 1958–1980 (digging drainage ditches, drilling
wells, building dams on the Sejenane River, etc.) and, perhaps, by drought between 1980–2002 (Ouali et al. 2014). These
disturbances have led to the partition of the garâa and to its transformation into a patchwork of temporary habitats and
cultivated lands that have resulted in a reorganisation of hydrophytic plant communities and the extinction of the most
of vulnerable species. Today, the area is mainly used for grazing, fodder (sorghum), summer crops (tomato, pepper,
watermelon, melon, tobacco) and off-season crops (potato, green beans) (I. Ben Haj Jilani, unpublished data).

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FIGURE 3. GS1: A, temporary marsh with Rumex tunetanus during a high-water period (photoby S.D.Muller,03October2009); B,
production of hay fodder by local inhabitants during summer (photo by A. Daoud-Bouattour, 12 July 2010).
The communities including Rumex tunetanus thus appear to be temporary habitats somewhere between marshes
and ponds, with a physiognomy of marshes related to the occurrence of high perennial helophytes but sheltering a
number of annual species which are typical of temporary ponds. Both sites have higher water depths (from 30 to 50 cm
inwinter)thatareentirelymowninsummer;the4othersitesaregrazedinspring.Theyhaveapparentlyneverbeen
cultivated, probably because of their late submersion until the end of spring. The water pH is slightly acid (6.7), and
the sandy-silty soils (2/3 sand, 1/3 silt and clay) contain 16.3 % of organic matter and 2.7 % of carbonates.
Our phytoecological study shows that the habitat dominated by the longest hydroperiod seems the most favorable:
R. tunetanus occurs in dense populations within helophytic vegetation including species such as: Bolboschoenus glaucus
(Lamarck 1791: 142) S.G. Smith (1995: 101), Helosciadium crassipes W.D.J. Koch ex Rchb. (1824: 16), Oenanthe
fistulosa Linnaeus (1753: 254) and O. silaifolia M. Bieb. (1819: 232). Shallower habitats with shorter hydroperiods
show lower densities, with plant communities including numerous species of temporary ponds [particularly, Isoetes
velata, Myosotis sicula Gussone (1843: 214) and Pilularia minuta]. This difference suggests that R. tunetanus is
sensitivetothenatureandintensityofdisturbances,andthatitendureslatemowing(June;Fig.3B)betterthanspring
grazing, which may be attributed both to the preservation of its sexual reproduction and to its capacity for vegetative
regeneration by rhizome fragmentation.
Despite these drastic changes, traditional agro-pastoral practices such as summer mowing of wet meadows
and marshes, have preserved a rich biodiversity, particularly concerning that of the plant communities with Rumex
tunetanus. Local agricultural practices are rapidly evolving, however, and significant projects (dam, roads…) are
ongoing or planned for the near future so as to open the region up and encourage its economic development (Ferchichi-
Ben Jamaa 2010). The population growth that will follow these changes will surely put growing pressure on the
already weakened, fragmented wet habitats and most likely threaten R. tunetanus.
Distribution:—Rumex tunetanus is the only Tunisian endemic belonging to the genus Rumex (see e.g., Le Floc’h
et al. 2010), with a distribution are restricted to Garâa Sejenane (area ranging from 500 m2 to 30 ha).
Taxonomical notes:—Rumex tunetanus is morphologically similar to R. algeriensis var. hipporegianus, and R.
crispus. Murbeck (1899) compared R. algeriensis with R. tunetanus from the morphological point of view showing
similarities “especially in its quite narrow, very elongated stem leaves which are more or less deeply cordate at the
base where the limb reaches its biggest width”, but distinguishing R. tunetanus by “its full length heavily ridged rod,
by its thicker panicle, by its multiflorous look like whorls, by its longer and more twig-like pedicles, by its fuller more
narrow valves, by its callus which length does not generally reach half of that of the valves, by the caryopse having its
biggest width in the middle, etc.”.
Phytosociological remarks:—The phytosociological data reveal the occurrence of 58 species (Table 1), of which
70 % are strictly associated with wetlands (Ghrabi-Gammar et al. 2009). Based on the result of the correspondence
analysis(CA;Fig.4),plantcommunitieswithR. tunetanus refer to temporary habitats (temporary marshes, flooded
crops and temporary ponds). These communities include many helophytes [Alisma lanceolatum Withering (1796:
362), Alopecurus bulbosus Gouan (1762: 37), Bolboschoenus glaucus, Cyperus longus Linnaeus (1753: 45) subsp.
badius (Desfontaines 1798 : 45) Bonnier & Layens (1894: 324), Eleocharis palustris (Linnaeus 1753: 47) Roemer

RUMEX TUNETANUS Phytotaxa 296 (2) © 2017 Magnolia Press • 123
& Schultes (1817: 151), Helosciadium crassipes, Juncus heterophyllus Dufour (1825: 88), Oenanthe fistulosa, O.
silaifolia, O. virgata Poiret (1798: 529), Rumex pulcher Linnaeus (1753: 336)] as well as typical amphibious species of
temporary Mediterranean pools [such as Elatine macropoda Gussone (1827: 475), Eryngium pusillum, Isoetes velata,
Juncus capitatus Weigel (1772: 28), J. pygmaeus Richard ex Thuillier (1799: 178), Lythrum borysthenicum (Schrank
1822: 643) Litvinov (1917: 209), L. hyssopifolia Linnaeus (1753: 447), L. tribracteatum Salzmann ex Sprengel (1827:
190), Myosotis sicula, Pilularia minuta, Ranunculus baudotii Godron (1840: 21), R. ophioglossifolius Villars (1789:
731), R. sardous Crantz (1763: 84)]. Two populations of R. tunetanus occur on the CA graphs in the temporary ponds
(Fig. 4), showing a species tolerance to summer drying out. Communities with R. tunetanus have maximum densities
of 150 plants/ha for the most extensive population (GS1), and densities of 5–30 plants/ha for other populations.
TABLE 1 (1/2). Phytosociological relevés for Rumex tunetanus(+, isolated plants; 1,1–5%;2,5–25%; 3, 25–50%;4,50–75%;5,
75–100 %).
Site GS1 GS2 GS3 GS4 GS5 GS6
Date 22.04.10 01.05.13 22.04.10 26.05.10 09.05.12 02.05.13 05.05.14
Altitude (m) 102 101 100 106 101 102
Surface area (m2) 30000 15000 500 15000 2000 1500
Water depth in April-May (cm) 15 30 0 0 0 0 0
Maximal water depth in winter (cm) 50 50 30 20 20 20 20
Bare soil (%) 0 0 10 10 10 0 10
Vegetation coverage (%) 100 100 90 90 90 100 90
Agrostis pourretii Willd. . . . . 2 . .
Alisma lanceolatum With. 2 1 2 1 1 . 3
Alopecurus bulbosus Gouan 5 2 5 2.3 4 . 5
Anacyclus clavatus (Desf.) Pers. . . . . . 1 .
Asphodelus ramosus L. subsp. ramosus . . . . . . +
Bellis annua L. . . + . 1 1 .
Bolboschoenus glaucus (Lam.) S.G.
Smith
5 5 1 . 1 2 3
Callitriche obtusangula Le Gall . . . . . . 5
Carex divisa Huds. subsp. chaetophylla
(Steud.) Nyman
1 1.2 . . . . .
Chamaemelum fuscatum (Brot.) Vasc. . . . . 1 . .
Cichorium intybus L. . . . . . 1 .
Coronopus squamatus (Forssk.) Asch. . . . . . 1 .
Crassula helmsii Cockayne . . . . 3 . .
Crypsis schoenoides (L.) Lam. . . . . 2 . .
Cuscuta epithymum L. 4.5 . . 2 . . .
Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. . . . . 2 . 1
Cyperus longus L. subsp. badius (Desf.)
Bonnier & Layens
1.2 . 1 . . . .
Damasonium bourgaei Coss. . . + . . . .
Elatine macropoda Guss. . . 1 . . . .
Eleocharis palustris (L.) Roem. & Schult. 1 . 1 4.5 . 2 2.3
...Continued on next page

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TABLE 1. (Continued)
Site GS1 GS2 GS3 GS4 GS5 GS6
Eryngium pusillum L. . . . 3 2 1 3
Galactites tomentosa Moench . . . . 1 . .
Geranium dissectum (L.) . . . . . 1 .
Glyceria spicata (Biv.) Guss. 1 2 1 . . . 4
Helosciadium crassipes W.D.J. Koch ex
Rchb.
4 5 . . . . .
Isoetes velata A. Br. . . 1 . + . +
Isolepis cernua (Vahl.) Roemer &
Schultes
. . 1 + 1 . .
TABLE 1 (2/2). Continue.
Site GS1 GS2 GS3 GS4 GS5 GS6
Juncus bufonius L. . . + . 1 . .
Juncus heterophyllus Dufour . . . . . . 4
Juncus pygmaeus Rich. ex Thuill. . . + + 1 . .
Juncus capitatus Weigel . . . . 1 . .
Juncus tenageia Ehrh. ex L. f. . . + . . . .
Linum usitatissimum L. . . . . 1 . .
Lolium rigidum Gaudin . . . 2.3 . . .
Lotus hispidus Desf. ex DC. + . + 2 . . 1
Lythrum borysthenicum (Schrank) Litv. . . . 1 4 . 1
Lythrum hyssopifolia L. + . . 2 2 . 1
Lythrum tribracteatum Salzm. ex Spreng. + . 1 + . 1 +
Melilotus indicus (L.) All. . . . . . 1 .
Mentha pulegium L. + . + . . 1 1
Myosotis sicula Guss. 1.2 2.3 3 3 3.4 3 3
Oenanthe fistulosa L. 1 1 . . . . .
Oenanthe silaifolia M. Bieb. 3 2 1 + . 1 3
Oenanthe virgata Poir. . . . . 1 . .
Pilularia minuta Durieu . . + . 2 . .
Plantago lanceolata L. . . . . 1 1 .
Poa annua L. . . . . . 1 .
Polypogon monspeliensis (L.) Desf. . . . + . . .
Ranunculus baudotii Godr. 1 . . . . . 1
Ranunculus ophioglossifolius Vill. 1 . 1 . 1 . .
Ranunculus sardous Crantz. 1 2 1 2.3 2.3 3 .
Rumex conglomeratus Murray . 1 . . . 2 1
Rumex pulcher L. + . . . 1 . .
Rumex tunetanus Barratte & Murb. 2 3 1 1 1 1 2
...Continued on next page

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TABLE 1. (Continued)
Site GS1 GS2 GS3 GS4 GS5 GS6
Solenopsis laurentia (L.) C. Presl. . . . . 1 . .
Trifolium filiforme L. . . + . 1 4 .
Trifolium nigrescens Viv. 5 . . 3 . 2 .
Trifolium resupinatum L. 1 . 1 + 1 2 .
Total 22 11 25 19 30 21 21
FIGURE 4. Correspondence analysis (CA) performed on the 176 species and 52 relevés, including 45 relevés from 36 regional wetlands
(Ferchichi-Ben Jamaa et al. 2010) and 7 samples carried out between 2009 and 2014 in populations of Rumex tunetanus. Axes 1 and 2
represent respectively 7.92% and 6.96% of the total variability.
Conservation status:—Any assessment appears to be defined at present. The conservation of Rumex tunetanus
requires the protection of its habitat and the continuity of current traditional agro-pastoral practices that appear to be
compatible with its preservation. The most urgent measures include: 1) the legal protection of the species by adding
it to the national list of protected species, 2) the survey of existing populations, 3) the acquisition of all or parts of the
fields where the species grows (state property) or setting up management conventions with owners, 4) the preservation
of traditional agro-pastoral activities that are compatible with the species conservation, 5) raising the awareness of
local inhabitants about the importance of safeguarding wetlands, and their involvement in and contribution to their
conservation, and 6) the implementation of ex-situ conservation measures of the species (Genes Bank) by preserving
ripe fruit picked during the summer before mowing and species cultivation in suitable wet areas.
On the basis of the distribution of Rumex tunetanus, which is limited to a few hectares, and the threats to its
habitat,this Tunisiansteno-endemic islistedasCritically Endangered(B1ab(ii,iii)+2ab(ii,iii),IUCN 2008; seealso
García et al. 2010, Rhazi et al. 2010). The Garâa Sejenane has recently been designated as the first Important Plant
Area in Tunisia (Radford et al. 2011).
Specimen examined:—TUNISIA. Garâa Sejenane, “mission botanique de Tunisie, bords du lac Cejnan,
Kroumirie orientale”, 23 June 1888, Cosson, Barratte & Duval s.n.(P-05338611!);GarâaSejenane,“missionbotanique
de Tunisie, bords du lac Cejnan, Kroumirie orientale”, 23 June 1888, Cosson, Barratte & Duval s.n.(P-05338612!);
Garâa Sejenane, Tunisia, 26 May 2009, Ghrabi-Gammar, Daoud-Bouattour & Muller (INAT!);GarâaSejenane, 02

GHRABI-GAMMAR ET AL.
126 • Phytotaxa 296 (2) © 2017 Magnolia Press
November 2009, Ghrabi-Gammar, Daoud-Bouattour & Muller (Herb. SDM);GarâaSejenane,05May2014,Ghrabi-
Gammar, Daoud-Bouattour & Muller (INAT!).
FIGURE 5. Pictures from Murbeck (1899) and Maire (1961) illustrating Rumex tunetanus and R. algeriensis. A, stem leaf and fruit-
bearing valve of R. tunetanus (left), and R. algeriensis (right),accordingtoMurbeck(1899);B, R. tunetanus, accordingtoMaire(1961);
C, R. algeriensis, according to Maire (1961).
Discussion
Rumex algeriensis var. hipporegianus1 (Fig. 6), R. crispus, and R. tunetanus (Fig. 2) display a general resemblance in
habit and flowering shoots, while differences can be observed in leaf size and fruit-bearing valves (Table 2). The basal
leaves do not differ from the stem leaves for all these three species. R. crispus can be easily distinguished from the
other two species by its smaller size, the oblong-lanceoate leaves with a distinctive larger limb. The leaf length, number
of flowering stems, relative position of whorls and the shape of fruit-bearing valves allow to distinguish R. algeriensis
var. hipporegianus from R. tunetanus (Table 2).
Given the very similar ecological niches of Rumex crispus and the group R. algeriensis/R. tunetanus and the
fact that they can grow in the same habitats, we suspect that the separation between them is probably quite old and
involves incompatibility mechanisms. In contrast, the separation between R. algeriensis and R. tunetanus, whose
overall shape is more similar, may be attributed to the geographical barrier formed by the Kroumirie Mountains on the
Tunisian-Algerian border. R. algeriensis used to be present in a disjointed area between the region of Algiers (where
itisprobablyextincttoday;DeBélair 2010)andtheElKala NationalPark(DeBélair2005), whereasR. tunetanus
is endemic to the single Tunisian site of Garâa Sejenane, where its entire population occupies few hectares. Despite
1 The endemic Rumex algeriensis (N-Algeria) was described by Maire (1961) who reported just a translation of the Murbeck’s
diagnosis (Fig. 5), stating that he never probably observed the plant in the field; the accompanying figure is a clearly unmodified
reproduction of the Murbeck’s illustration. Maire (l.c.) also recognized two varieties under R. algeriensis: var. “genuinus” Maire & Weiller
(in Maire 1961: 289, nom. inval. according to the Art. 24.3 of ICN, McNeill & al. 2012) from wetlands of El Harrach (Maison-Carrée) and
Oued Smar, and var. hipporegianus, endemic to the Annaba region, where it was recently observed in ditches and in a wet lawn close to
the Annaba Airport and in the Lac des Oiseaux in the El Kala National Park (see De Bélair 2010).

RUMEX TUNETANUS Phytotaxa 296 (2) © 2017 Magnolia Press • 127
this strict endemism and extremely limited distribution, R. tunetanus remains relatively abundant locally, more than a
century after its discovery.
FIGURE 6. Rumex algeriensis: A, habitus; B, tuberous taproot; C, basal leaves; D, inflorescence; E, inflorescence whorl; F, fruit
surroundedbythreenon-serratedvalves;G, 3-angled achenes. Scales: A–D,1cm;E–G, 1 mm (drawings by Z. Ghrabi-Gammar).
TABLE 2. Morphological comparison among Rumex tunetanus, R. algeriensis and R. crispus.
R. tunetanus R. algeriensis R. crispus
Plant height 80–120 cm 80–120 cm 30–100 cm
Basal leaves linear, 0.8–1.4 × 40 cm sublinear, 2.5 × 70 cm oblong to lanceolate, 3.0 ×
10–12 cm
Fruiting valves heart-shaped, triangular
toothed: 5–8 pairs of teeth,
4.5–6.0 × 5.0–6.5 mm
heart-shaped, triangular
entire or briefly serrated at the
base
6.0 × 4.0–5.0 mm
orbiculary
entire or briefly serrated at the
base
3.0 × 3.5–5.0 mm
Flowering branches
(number)
4–5 > 10 7–9
Floral whorls distant contiguous contiguous
Acknowledgments
Financial support was provided by UR99/UR/02-04 Biogéographie, Climatologie Appliquée et Dynamique Erosive,
FLAHM, Université de la Manouba, Tunisia. The authors thanks to the Direction Générale des Forêts (Ministry
of Agriculture, Water Resources and Fishing of Tunisia) for fieldwork authorizations and facilities, to J. Ferrier
(Montpellier, France) for help for fieldwork, and to D. Glassman (Washington, USA) for editorial assistance.
This paper is the contribution ISEM 2017-026.

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128 • Phytotaxa 296 (2) © 2017 Magnolia Press
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