Cyanus pichleri (Boiss.) Holub (1973: 144)

Negaresh, Kazem, 2022, A checklist of the genus Cyanus (Asteraceae, Cardueae) in Turkey, with notes on taxonomy and distribution, Phytotaxa 531 (1), pp. 18-40 : 27-28

11. Cyanus pichleri (Boiss.) Holub (1973: 144) .

Centaurea pichleri Boissier (1875: 638) . Centaurea lanigera subsp. pichleri (Boiss.) Dostál (1931: 67) . Type:— TURKEY. Felsige Abhänge der südseites des Mte. Olymp. bei Bursa, July 1874, Pichler 62 (holotype G-BOIS! (G00150032)).

Centaurea pichleri var. ancyrensis Bornmüller (1944: 376) , syn. nova.

Type:— TURKEY. Ankara: ad Angora Galatiae, 1892, Bornmüller 3170 (lectotype JE 00022012! designated here, isolectotypes E00476656!, K000794260!, P00703808!) .

Taxonomic notes: — Cyanus pichleri is represented by two subspecies in Turkey ( Wagenitz 1975, Greuter 2003): subspecies pichleri has involucers in 15–20 × (8–)9–13(–15) mm size, cilia in (l.5–) 2–3 mm length, peripheral florets strongly radiant and ca. 15–20 mm longer than the involucre; and subspecies extrarosularis has involucres in 11–15 × 7–8(–9) mm size, cilia in 1–1.5(–2) mm length, peripheral florets slightly radiant and ca. 10 mm longer than the involucre.

Bornmüller (1944) described his new variety (i.e. var. ancyrensis ) on the basis of lyrate basal leaves of the type specimen. My extensive examinations of specimens at different herbaria revealed the presence of a continuous range of the basal leaves from undivided to lyrate. Therefore this variety should be considered as a synonym of C. pichleri .

Distribution: — Cyanus pichleri is mainly distributed in Turkey and there are also a few populations in Bulgaria and Greece