Psephellus karduchorum (Boiss.) Wagenitz

Yousefi, Zohreh, Negaresh, Kazem & Kaya, Yusuf, 2021, A taxonomic study on Psephellus sect. Amblyopogon (Asteraceae, Cardueae- Centaureinae), Phytotaxa 494 (3), pp. 273-288 : 283-286

4. Psephellus karduchorum (Boiss.) Wagenitz in Wagenitz & Hellwig (2000: 37). ( Fig. 8 )

Centaurea karduchorum Boissier (1875: 633) . Type :— TURKEY. B9 Van / Siirt: ad hospitium Chana Putkie ditionis Müküs Karduchiae ad lacum Van, 2130 m, October 1859, Kotschy , Suppl. 619 (holotype G-BOIS! ( G00759527 ), isotypes G00223033 !, S10-5525 !, W0044963 !) .

Centaurea poikilolepis Rechinger (1950: 256) . Type :— TURKEY. B9 Siirt: 7 km N . of Müküs, 2100 m, 23 July 1939, Frödin 88 (holotype UPS: V-085250!, isotypes G00000063 !, W19510010285 !) .

Perennial herbs, with branched woody rootstock, whole plant usually grayish, remains of leaf bases of the previous year present. Stems numerous, always arising from the base of the rosette, decumbent, 8–15(–20) cm tall, densely leafy in lower part, ca. 1.5 mm in diam. at the base, cylindrical, densely covered with grayish-tomentose hairs. Leaves coriaceous, densely covered with appressed-grayish-tomentose hairs on both sides. Basal and lower cauline leaves petiolate, sometimes withered at anthesis, almost lyrate; terminal segment much larger than lateral ones, broadly lanceolate to ovate or nearly orbicular, 7–20 mm wide, smooth or denticulate at margins; lateral segments in 1–6 pairs, variable form, smaller, 4–5 mm wide, rarely with intermixed small lobes, acute at apex. Median and upper cauline leaves increasingly reduced, pinnatifid or undivided, lanceolate or oblong or ovate, 1.5–2.5 cm long, smooth at margins, acute at apex. Capitula several, 2–12-cephalous, solitary on short peduncles; involucres ovoid, 13–19 × 10–15 mm. Phyllaries multiseriate, coriaceous, imbricate, green, glabrous. Appendages medium-sized, membranous, totally concealing the phyllaries, brown, lanceolate, 4–6 × 2–4.5 mm (excluding cilia), not decurrent, regularly ciliate, never with a spine; cilia whitish, numerous, 10–18 on each side, 1.5–2.5 mm long; mucro shorter than the adjacent cilia. Flowers pink-purple; central florets hermaphroditic, numerous, 12–14 mm long, corolla 7–8 mm long, 5-lobed, lobes ca. 5 mm long, stigma exserted from corolla up to 2 mm; peripheral florets longer than central ones, 16–18 mm long, scarcely radiant, with staminodes, 4-lobed, limb lobes narrowly lanceolate to linear, 8–9 mm long. Achenes elongate oblong or oblong-elliptic, 5–5.5 × 1.3–1.5 mm, smooth and shiny, yellowish or silver-bronze, rounded at apex, glabrous. Pappus multiseriate, persistent, brownish, scabrous, 1 / 4 – 1 / 3 as long as achenes, 1–1.5 mm long, bristles of inner rows slightly shorter than outer.

Distribution: — Psephellus karduchorum is endemic to Bitlis, Siirt and Van Provinces, SE Turkey ( Fig. 7 ). Its distribution is wider in comparison with the other species of P. sect. Amblyopogon .

Ecology: — Psephellus karduchorum is an Irano-Turanian element, and grows on rocky and scree slopes, in the high-montane zone, at elevations of 1900–3000 m.

Taxonomic notes: — Psephellus karduchorum is similar to P. poluninii in the indumentum of plant, size of appendages and color of flowers, but differs by its habit with branched woody rootstock and numerous decumbent stems (vs. with stout woody rootstock forming a small cushion, stemless or nearly so), leaves usually lyrate, segments in 1–6 pairs, terminal segment 7–20 mm wide (vs. pinnatisect, segments in 5–10 pairs, terminal segment 5–12 mm wide), capitula solitary at end of stems (vs. hidden between leaves), appendages brown, lanceolate (vs. whitish, light brown in central part, broadly elliptic), and also pappus 1–1.5 mm long, bristles of inner rows slightly shorter than outer (vs. lacking or very short (0.2–0.3 mm long)).

Selected specimens examined:— TURKEY. Bitlis: Pelli Da. above Pelli , 2600–3000 m, 7 July 1954, Davis 22449 ( E!) . Van: Toprak Kale above Van, 1900 m, 30 June 1949, Huber-Morath 9008 ( E!, Hb. Hub. - Mor.!) ; Artos Da., 2900 m, 16 July 1954, Davis 22770 ( E!) ; Pelli Dag , 54 km WSW of Van, 2500 m, 9 July 1971, Edmondson 620 ( E!) ; valley of E Yukhari Narlica towards Bahcesaray , 2200 m, 2 July 1986, Archibald 7618 ( E!) .

Figures

FIGURE 7. Distribution of Psephellus integrifolius (circles) and P. karduchorum (squares).

FIGURE 8. Psephellus karduchorum (Boiss.) Wagenitz (Kotschy Suppl. 619, G-BOIS).