A New Variety of Salvia sericeotomentosa (Lamiaceae) from South Anatolia, Turkey

Salvia sericeotomentosa Rechinger f. (Lamiaceae) was First collected by A. Eig and M. Zohary in 1932 and was described in 1952 by K. H. Rechinger, but since that time it has not been collected again from its type locality. Among specimens collected from the Amanos Mountains near Hatay Province, Turkey, in 2006, the taxon was rediscovered oil the basis of two different populations growing at low altitudes. These populations provide the type for the new variety S. sericeotomentosa var. hatayica Celep & Dogan, which differs from the typical variety by having densely sericeous-tomentose and short glandular-pi lose inflorescences. A full description of the new variety is also provided, as well as its conservation assessment.