"The Miracle of Štitar" - the new plant Petrolamium crnojevicii could become a symbol of the national flora of the 21st century

After two centuries, Montenegro has gained a botanical sensation - a new plant, Petrolamium crnojevicii, which could not only become a symbol of the national flora of the 21st century, but also position the country at the top of the European and world botanical scene.

This was announced at a press conference on the occasion of the discovery of a new genus (Petrolamium Dragićević, Vuksanović & Surina) and a new species for science (Petrolamium crnojevicii Dragićević, Vuksanović & Surina) in the flora of Montenegro, organized by the Public Institution of the Natural History Museum of Montenegro.

The Director of the Natural History Museum, Natalija Čađenović, reminded that the institution keeps holotypes and paratypes of several newly discovered species from the territory of Montenegro in its depot, explaining that these are certain species of cave coleopteran insects and ants.

"This is an opportunity for the safe in which we store holo and paratypes to be richer for a herbarium sheet with the holotype of the new genus Petrolamium. Our botanists will know better when the last time a new plant species from the territory of Montenegro was described, but it certainly wasn't recently. So the question is when the Natural History Museum will be richer for the holotype of a new plant species, let alone a new genus," said Čađenović.

She reminded that there is a legal obligation in the Law on Nature Protection that researchers, scientists, deposit in the Natural History Museum of Montenegro the holotype of a newly discovered species that they have collected on the territory of Montenegro.

"Unfortunately, since there are no sanctions for failure to comply with this obligation, only a small number of them have contacted us and submitted holotypes. We know that in the last three decades, mainly foreign researchers have discovered new species, most often invertebrates, and described them in foreign scientific journals. Even not all domestic researchers, when discovering new species, adhere to this legal obligation," said Čađenović.

She appealed to the Nature Protection Agency of Montenegro not to issue permits to such individuals and teams to work and collect material on the territory of Montenegro, and to educate customs officers and border police regarding the problem of illegal export of natural history material.

Čađenović pointed out that the Natural History Museum, which does not have adequate working conditions and limits the number and scope of its activities due to lack of space, strives to collect as many species as possible that inhabit the territory of our country in its collections.

"Scientific data on collected species are used in cooperation with other institutions in and outside Montenegro, and also serve as the basis for the presentation and promotion of our biodiversity through exhibitions and events organized by the Natural History Museum," said Čađenović.

She said that the exhibitions of the Natural History Museum of Montenegro are in demand and that they are touring the region, thus spreading knowledge about our natural wealth.

"This information about the discovery of a new genus, which can fit into one line of text, can be the basis for a completely new exhibition, which can also tour the entire region and beyond. All of this together makes the Natural History Museum a cultural, educational and scientific institution significant for Montenegrin society, with its employees, with their dedicated work, enabling the Museum to grow as an institution and become recognizable throughout the region," Čađenović pointed out.

Independent advisor at the ENEKO Center of CANU, Snežana Dragićević, said that this plant is so special and unique that it seriously competes with endemic species such as the Lovćen bellflower in terms of taking the throne - the botanical symbol of Montenegro.

"Like every story with a happy ending, ours began on a beautiful May day in 2019. Then, as a curator at the Natural History Museum of Montenegro, together with my colleague Marko Karaman, I headed towards Štitari. The reason was a cave that our fellow biologists and speleologists from the University of Ljubljana wanted to visit for the purpose of scientific research work within the framework of a joint bilateral project between our institutions, funded by the Ministries of Science of Montenegro and Slovenia," Dragićević stated.

She said that, although she has been involved in natural history research since 1997, this area was completely unknown to her.

"During the expedition, they encountered characteristic plants of the Montenegrin karst along the way, but the real surprise came only on the way back. We sat in the shade of old linden trees, and the rock in front of us, almost bare, had only a small tuft of green plant. It drew me to stand up. At first glance, I realized that I had never seen anything like it before. I took several photos and sent them to Dr. Snežana Vuksanović, who also confirmed that the plant looked unusual. That's how it all started," said Dragićević.

She said that after initial analyses, together with Professor Boštjan Surin from the Natural History Museum in Rijeka and Peter Glasnović from the University of Koper, it was confirmed that the plant does not belong to any previously known genus.

"Professor Boštjan was confused, as were we. He looked at the photos and said: 'It could be this genus, but it's not because of this, it could be that one, but it can't be because of that... Sneže, this is something new and unusual, this is a miracle!' That's what we initially called the plant - 'the miracle from Štitar'," said Dragićević.

She explained that after years of research and confirmation at the subcellular level, the final results were brought by genetic analyses from state-of-the-art laboratories in China. The new genus and species were named Petrolamium crnojevicii, in honor of Ivan Crnojević, who defended the capital from enemies from Soko Grad," said Dragićević.

However, as Dragićević emphasized, the area where this plant grows is extremely sensitive.

"This is a unique space, with specific geological, morphological and climatic characteristics. The plant grows on a small area, which according to IUCN criteria classifies it as a critically endangered species. If we endanger its habitats, especially by deforestation, we risk losing it. That is why I call on everyone, especially the residents of Štitar, Bokovo, Kosijer and Đinovići, as well as relevant Montenegrin institutions, to come to an agreement together and protect this plant," Dragićević appealed.

She said we would have it if we kept it.

"This is our common treasure and pride for as long as the world and the ages. But also a great responsibility! If we are wise and smart, this area can become a world attraction, based on visits from tourists and researchers from all over the world," said Dragićević.

Snežana Vuksanović, curator at the Natural History Museum, explained that morphological, cytogenetic, molecular and ecological analyses were carried out to solve the enigma of the plant.

"The result is a new monotypic genus and species for science, Petrolamium crnojevicii. Petrolomium is a perennial plant that grows exclusively in the crevices of limestone rocks, which makes it unique in the large dicotyledonous family of the mint family. Molecular and phylogenetic analyses have shown that Petrolamium is a separate evolutionary lineage, sister to the tribe Lamieae, which has only a few genera, of which Lamium is widespread in the Old World, while the other three genera from the tribe are limited in their range exclusively to central and eastern Asia," Vuksanović stated.

She explained that this is how the enigmatic genus, after several different names, received its final name - Petrolamium, which is derived from the Latin word "petro" (rock) - indicating the habitat and Lamium (a sister genus).

"We knew the name of the species - crnojevicii - from the very beginning of the research and there was no dilemma," said Vuksanović.

She warned that forests were being cut down mercilessly, stating that all their efforts would now be focused on protecting the species and the wider locality.

"Petrolamium, as a narrowly endemic monotypic genus, is assessed as CR critically endangered, according to IUCN criteria," said Vuksanović.

She recalled that the plant world of Montenegro has been studied since the 19th century and is considered well-studied.

"Despite this, new plants are still being discovered for the flora of Montenegro, and neglected taxa are being isolated and described through laboratory work. But the discovery of a new genus and species in the recent flora of Europe is unthinkable, because that exclusivity is reserved for some tropical regions of Asia, Africa and South America. The discovery of Petrolamium crnojevicii is all the more significant and sensational! And the fact that the cosmos decided to show this miraculous plant right now and right to us, I see as a reward for love and sincerity in the work we do. It is a great satisfaction and honor," said Vuksanović.

She thanked all the authors of the paper, who, as she pointed out, made an immeasurable contribution to shedding light on the taxonomic and phylogenetic status of this miraculous plant.

Curator of the Natural History Museum in Rijeka and associate professor at the University of the Coast in Koper, Dr. Boštjan Surina, said that if we place this plant in a broader European or global context and look through botanical literature, we realize that there are not many plants in Europe that have proven to be such significant discoveries.

"In the botanical history of Europe, similar discoveries occurred mainly in the mid-18th century. At that time, many plants were recognized as monotypic, with a single species within a genus. However, later research showed that such species were not isolated evolutionary lines, but belonged to significantly more diverse genera," Surina said.

He pointed out that what gives this finding special value are two things.

"The first is the fact that the plant was found in Europe, and at a high taxonomic level – at the genus level. The second is that it was discovered precisely in Montenegro, a country that, although small, has a rich tradition of natural science research. However, after 200 years of studying the flora of Montenegro, such a discovery confirms that nature still hides its surprises," said Surina.

He believes that the additional significance of the discovery lies in the fact that it belongs to the Lamiaceae family, which includes plants such as sage and heather, a very well-researched plant group.

"When we find a new, evolutionarily highly isolated plant within such a well-studied family, it is clear how significant this discovery is. The closest related species, Petrolamium crnojevicii, lives in the most strictly isolated conditions, in the Himalayas, at altitudes of over 5000 meters. This leads us to the conclusion that the newly discovered species is something very special and probably carries a unique evolutionary story," said Surina.

Therefore, as he said, the next step in the research will be an attempt to precisely date the origin of the plant, which will provide better insight into its evolutionary history.

"We have not had a discovery of this significance in the last 200 years, not only in Montenegro, but also beyond. Now Montenegro is once again not only on the European botanical map, but also on the world map," Surina pointed out.