Sideritis royoi (Lamiaceae): A New Orophilous Species from Northeastern Spain^†

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

This is a well written, clear, concise and nicely illustrated description of a new species.  The literature is adequately cited and the agrument for recognition is robust.   I only have a few minor comments.

1. line 31- 'later' would be a better word than 'posterior'

2.  Carpostegium is an unusual descriptive term in the Lamiaceae though it is frequently used in Sideritis.  Given it is the first couplet in the key, I would suggest  putting  'ring of hairs within calyx'  in parentheses following the terms first use.  

The Key couplet 1 is problematic in that  the carpostegium of the new species is described as  discontinuous to more or less continuous  so the reader is uncertain what lead to follow. In this species it can be either state.  The new species should be resolvable under both leads of couplet 1 if the description is accurate. 

3. Conservation assessment.  Can the authors add any information about potential threat or decline to the species?  Even for VU D2 there should be a plausible future threat that could drive the taxon to CR or EX in a very short time  . The AOO and EOO measurement would suggest the species meets the threshold for CR   (under 10 or 100 km2 respectively).  Do the authors have any information on location number? If there is likelihood of decline in AOO and EOO, area, population and localities  then i think the species could be assessed under Criterion B as EN or CR.  if there is no decline plausible then it should be Least Concern.  If nothing is known about decline this should be stated as the reason as to why VU D2 is used. 

one small point noted above

Author Response

Dear Reviewer 1,

Many thanks for your time and all your interesting comments that we have accepted - they indeed improve the final text. The description has been completed with all data you suggested, including a short definition of "carpostegium" in the description itself. Also, quantitative data have been added to justify a more accurate (though still inconclusive) assessment as "Endangered" for the new species. This is maybe more realistic. Regarding the identification key, no significative changes were included since identification of taxa according to the carpostegium is quite usable (also in the existing keys for the genus in the Iberian floras), therefore to allow identification of S. royoi through two different couplets is not a major problem, according to pur experience in the genus.

Thanks again for your help. We hope the new version of the Ms fits your suggested comments/additions.

Reviewer 2 Report

Though a molecular analysis is missing, the new species, Sideritis royoi, is obviously supported by morphological investigations, in my opinion. Finding and confirming those new taxa deposited in herbaria is sometimes challenging. The authors paid attention to an uncertain collection dating back more than 40 years and made efforts to clarify its identity, which is worthy of encouragement. Based on my experiences, this work is cool. The manuscript was well prepared and all contents are clear enough. I have two suggestions for the authors' consideration:

1. A picture to show the habitat or the mountain is necessary since the authors emphasized that the new species is orophilous and grows in limestone rocks. The left picture of Fig. 2 is not enough to show the habitat in a whole view.

2. A map is needed to show the distribution of Sideritis royoi and its related species.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer 2,

Many thanks for your time and all your interesting comments that we have accepted - they indeed improve the final text. Two new figures (Fig. 3: distribution map; and Fig. 4: habitat picture) have now been included in the new version of the Ms. Regarding your suggestion for molecular data, we were not able to generate it in time for the description. However, as we outlined in the text, molecular work is ongoing to elucidade true phylogenetic relationships among Iberian members of S. subsect. Hyssopifoliae and to check reliability of morphological character for taxon separation in this group.

Thanks again for your help. We hope the new version of the Ms fits your suggested comments/additions.

Reviewer 3 Report

Dear Editor-in-Chief Taxonomy

Prof. Aniya Wu

The manuscript entitled" Sideritis royoi (Lamiaceae), a New Orophilous Species from Northeastern Spain" has been reviewed. Some comments have been cited in the text. Overall, it needs minor revision.

Sincerely Yours

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Dear Reviewer 3,

Many thanks for your time and all your comments that we have mostly accepted - they indeed improve the final text. The characters in Table 1 are shown to compare the new species, S. royoi, with its closest relatives. Although some of the characteres mentioned overlap in some cases, they indeed illustrate about the true relationships among taxa in S. subsect. Hyssopifoliae, and we believe it is better (since informative) to retain them. Also, we maintain the use of italics for all scientific names, according to the Shenzhen Code (i.e. Lamiaceae) in the title.

In any case, thanks again for your help. We hope the new version of the Ms fits your suggested comments/additions.

Reviewer 4 Report

The manuscript documents a new species of Sideritis from Spain.

It meets the standards of new species descriptions.

I recommend a few improvements in the description:

Leaves: are they ascending or patent?

Leaf base: please indicate its shape (cuneate? attenuate?)

Lamina shape: seems obovate-oblanceolate based on the drawing;

Petiole length?

Lamina margin: is it recurved, revolute, flat?

How many secondary veins?

Inflorescence width (corolla excluded)?

Bract teeth are narrowly triangular to subulate; give teeth length;

Calyx: give tube length;

Corolla: give tube length and shape;

What are “main surfaces” of a leaf?

In the key, are “glands” the same as “glandular hairs”?

Carpostegium is not a very common word; please define it.

Author Response

Dear Reviewer 4,

Many thanks for your time and all your interesting comments that we have accepted - they indeed improve the final text. The description has been completed with all data you suggested, including a short definition of "carpostegium" in the description itself.

Thanks again for your help. We hope the new version of the Ms fits your suggested comments/additions.