Extremely rare Cistus ladanifer var. supermaculatus var. nov. (Cistaceae)

Abstract

Cistus ladanifer L. is a shrub which presents a typical flower consisting in five white petals provided or not with a basal deep purple blotch, covering less than 10% of the petal’s surface. The new variety here proposed is characterized by the large dark dots that cover often an 80% of the petal’s surface, hence the epithet adopted “supermaculatus”. Because the dot is superb in dimensions and is visible both on the adaxial, but also on the abaxial faces of the petal. Cistus ladanifer var. supermaculatus var. nov. is endemic to the Ciudad Real Province of Spain.