Negaresh, Ranjbar & Negaresh, 2013

Ranjbar, Massoud & Negaresh, Kazem, 2013, A revision of Centaurea sect. Phaeopappus (Asteraceae, Cardueae), Phytotaxa 123 (1), pp. 1-40 : 6-9

2. Centaurea assadii Ranjbar & Negaresh , nom. & stat. nov. Fig. 3 .

Replaced synonym: Centaurea aucheri subsp. elbursensis Wagenitz (1980: 360) . Type: N IRAN. Prov. Mazandaran: Lar valley , 2450–2550 m, 2 July 1974, Wendelbo & Assadi 13337 (holotype WU!, isotypes E!, GOET!, photo BASU!) .

Perennial with woody rhizome, usually completely grayish or green, 20–28 cm tall; collum covered with abundant brown fibrous remains of petioles of previous year. Stem erect, sometimes ascending, branched often at the base or near base, or branched in median part, thinly white striate, rigid, densely leafy throughout. Leaves and stem densely floccose-tomentose. Basal leaves distinctly large, 13–17 cm long, pinnatipartite to pinnatisect, sometimes interrupted or lyrate, rarely undivided, segments in (2–)10–14 pairs, narrowly lanceolate or lanceolate-elliptic, rarely segments pinnatifid, sometimes terminal segment distinctly longer, acuminate at apex. Lower cauline leaves large, 10–12 cm long, pinnatisect or interrupted, segments in ca. 10 pairs, narrowly lanceolate or elliptic, acuminate or mucronate at apex. Median and upper cauline leaves sessile, 2.5–6 cm long, pinnatifid or lyrate, segments in 2–3 pairs, sometimes undivided or with coarse teeth, elongated into a mucro in the apex, uppermost shorter than capitula. Capitula 4–5 on 5–20 mm peduncles, solitary at end of branches; involucres oblong, 20–23 × 20(–25) mm. Phyllaries multiseriate, imbricate, coriaceous, yellowish, glabrous and smooth. Outer phyllaries ovate, 3.5–5 × 3.5–6 mm; appendages 8–12 × 5–9 mm (cilia and spine included). Median phyllaries ovate-oblong, 7–8 × 7–9 mm; appendages 11–12 × 10– 11 mm (cilia and spine included). Inner phyllaries lanceolate or lanceolate-linear, 12–17 × 7–9 mm; appendages 4–9 × 3–8 mm (cilia and spine included). Appendages concealing a major part of phyllaries, ovate or broadly ovate, brown or deep brown to blackish in central part, sometimes shortly decurrent on crenate margins; cilia whitish, distinct, numerous, 5–9 on each side, 3–5 mm long; spine 3–5 mm long, equal to the nearest cilia. Flowers purple; central florets hermaphrodite, ca. 33 mm long, corolla ca. 16 mm long, 5-lobed, lobes equal; peripheral florets sterile, finely dissected, 3-lobed, limb lobes linear, ca. 7 mm long. Achenes oblong, 5–7 mm long, glabrous. Pappus multiseriate, scabrous, persistent, brown or purple, 12–14 mm long.

Etymology: —The specific epithet honours Prof. Dr. Mostafa Assadi who collected the species.

Nomenclatural notes: —The epithet “elbursensis” is a parahomonym of Centaurea elbrusensis Boissier & Buhse (1860: 131) ; for this reason the name C. aucheri subsp. elbursensis is replaced with the new binomial C. assadii .

Taxonomic and distributional remarks: — Centaurea assadii is endemic to Azerbaijan, Mazandaran, Qazvin and Tehran Provinces, N and NW Iran ( Fig. 2 ). It seems that the assignment of the taxon as a subspecies of C. aucheri is incorrect, because there are many clear differences between C. assadii and C. aucheri (see Table 2).

Centaurea assadii shares some characters such as appendages concealing a major part of phyllaries with C. farsistanica , but differs from it by having its leaves pinnatisect, sometimes interrupted or lyrate (vs. almost lyrate), upper cauline leaves shorter than capitula (vs. almost longer than capitula), synflorescence 4–5- cephalous (vs. often 1-cephalous), involucres oblong and 20(–25) mm wide (vs. subglobose and 25–35 mm wide), appendages ovate or broadly ovate, brown or deep brown to blackish in central part (vs. broadly triangular or orbicular, completely dark brown); appendages (cilia excluded) 6–8 mm (vs. 8–12 mm) wide, cilia distinct, whitish, 3–5 mm long (vs. indistinct, dark brown, 1–3 mm long), and flowers purple (vs. purple or white (in dry state) or yellow). Both species have different geographical ranges in Iran. Centaurea assadii is distributed mainly in N and NW Iran, whereas C. farsistanica occurs only in SE Iran (see Fig. 2 ).

This species is also related to C. phaeopappa , especially because of the involucres oblong and 20(–25) mm wide and the cilia distinct. However, it differs from C. phaeopappa in its stem 20–28 cm (vs. 25–45 cm) tall, leaves pinnatisect, sometimes interrupted or lyrate (vs. almost pinnatipartite or pinnatisect), peduncle 5– 20 mm (vs. 7–10 mm or sessile), appendages ovate or broadly ovate, brown or deep brown to blackish in central part (vs. triangular or elongate triangular, brown or dark brown in central part or completely brown), median appendages (cilia and spine included) 11–12 × 10–11 mm (vs. 12–20 × 10–15 mm), spine 3–5 mm (vs. 4–11 mm) long, cilia whitish and 5–9 on each side (vs. whitish or brownish and 5–20 on each side), and also flowers purple (vs. yellow). Both species were observed together in field.

In addition, C. assadii shares some characters such as appendages concealing a major part of phyllaries and color of cilia with C. daralagoezica ( Fomin 1908: 282) Greuter (2003a: 54) , but differs from it by its stem 20–28 cm (vs. 30–40 cm) tall, leaves and stem floccose-tomentose (vs. pubescent), involucres oblong, 20–23 mm long (vs. ovoid, 27–32 mm long), inner phyllaries entirely green (vs. usually median to uppet part reddish), appendages brown or deep brown to blackish in central part (vs. blackish in central part), median appendages (including spine) 11–12 mm (vs. 9–17 mm) long, cilia 5–9 on each side, erect (vs. 7–15 on each side, subreflexed), spine 3–5 mm long, brownish or whitish (vs. (3–) 4–8 mm long, dark brown to blackish), flowers purple, ca. 33 mm long (vs. dark wine-red, 26–28 mm long), stigma purple (vs. yellowish), and also pappus 12–14 mm (vs. 18–20 mm) long.

Chromosome numbers: — Ghaffari (1988) reported the chromosome number 2 n = 2 x = 18 for C. aucheri subsp. elbursensis collected from Iran, Tehran Province, Ab Ali. This is the only count for this taxon.

Selected specimens examined:— IRAN. Prov. Qazvin: 50 km to Moallem Kaloyeh , 2176 m, 10 July 2012, Ranjbar & Negaresh 28922 ( BASU!) ; 30096 (BASU!). Prov. Mazandaran: Lar valley , 2450–2550 m, Wendelbo & Assadi 13337 ( WU!) . Prov. Azerbaijan: 34 km from Mianeh toward Amir Abad, 1550 m, Rechinger 43260 ( W!) . Prov. Tehran: Ab Ali , 1350–2550 m, Babakhanlou & Amin 4985 ( TARI!) ; 26 km Firozkuh , 2000 m, Amin & Bazargan 4994 ( TARI!) ; 20–25 km E Tehran, 1550 m, Dini & Arazm 3876 ( TARI!) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Distribution of Centaurea albonitens (1), C. spectabilis (2), C. aucheri (3), C. phaeopappa (4), C. assadii (5), C. indistincta (6), C. farsistanica (7), C. phaeopappa subsp. jiroftensis (8), and C. handelii (9) in Iran.

FIGURE 3. Centaurea assadii Ranjbar & Negaresh (A and C: Wendelbo & Assadi 13337, WU). A and B. close up of capitula. C. habit. Scale A and C = 2 cm.