Cyanus thirkei (Sch. Bip.) Holub (1973: 145)

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 : 32

17. Cyanus thirkei (Sch. Bip.) Holub (1973: 145) .

Centaurea thirkei Schultz Bipontinus (1847: 314) . Centaurea napulifera subsp. thirkei (Sch. Bip.) Stojanov & Achtarov (1935: 22) ; Dostál (1976: 210), isonym. Type:— TURKEY. Turquci J’Euroyc, May 1845, Thirke s.n. (lectotype G-BOIS! (G00759490) designated here).

Cyanus banchevae Kaya (2017: 7529) , syn. nova.

Type:— TURKEY. A3 Bolu: Mengen-Pazarköy, Arak village , in the mixed forest, 900 m, 23 June 2007, Kaya s.n. (holotype ISTE!, isotype SOM!) .

Taxonomic notes: — Schultz Bipontinus (1846) described Centaurea thirkei based on collections of Thirke , but did not mention any information about Thirke ’ collections nor the name of the herbarium where the specimens were housed. Pertaining to the type specification provided in the protologue, two specimens of Thirke from Turkey were found: “Bruta, 1843, Thirke s.n. (MO-797766)” and “Turquci J’Euroyc, May 1845, Thirke s.n. (G00759490)”. As there is no evidence that Schultz Bipontinus used only one specimen for describing the species, therefore they are considered to be syntypes. Of these, the sheet G00759490 is better preserved and more complete than another specimen and best represents the species description given in the protologue; hence it is designated here as the lectotype.

Kaya & Özel (2017) described Cyanus banchevae Kaya as a new species based on the gathering ‘ Kaya s.n. ’ from Arak village, Bolu Province, Turkey, and considered it very closely related to C. thirkei , from which it was said to be distinguished by its height being 21–38 cm (vs. 1.5–13 cm), lower cauline leaves 5.3–14 cm (vs. 2.5–5.5 cm) long, and capitula 16–20 × 10–15 mm (vs. 12–16 × 10–15 mm). However, Wagenitz (1975) stated that the length of capitula in C. thirkei is 16–20 mm, while Kaya & Özel (2017) wrongly considered the length of capitula to be 12–16 mm. My examination of both type and herbarium materials showed that other quantitative differences stated in the protologue, i.e. length of stem and lower cauline leaves, are variable within C. thirkei , so they are not sufficient to distinguish different taxa. Moreover, Kaya & Özel (2017) did not cite any qualitative differences between these species. Therefore, I conclude that C. banchevae should be reduced to a synonym of C. thirkei .

Distribution: — Cyanus thirkei generally occurs in Izmir, Kütahya, Uşak, Kirklareli, Tekirdağ, EskiŞehir, Manisa and Denizli Provinces, W and SW Turkey ( Fig. 8 ). There are also a few populations in Bulgaria.

Selected specimens examined:— TURKEY. Izmir: Kemalpasa, on top of Nif Dağ , 30 May 1966, Alava et al. 4913 (E!) . Kütahya: Simav, Kiçir to Akdag , slopes and summit of Akdag above the treeline, 1900–2100 m, 19 June 1965, Coode & Jones 2711 (E!) . Uşak: ad Yachamichlar Kioi prope Ouchak Phrygise in argilloso-calcareis, 1200 m, 1857, Blanche 1283 (G-BOIS!: two sheets); June 1857, Blanche 127 (G-BOIS!: two sheets) . Manisa: Manisa Da. , 4 April 1966, Regel & Zeybek 7167 ( EGE!). C2 Denizli: Honaz D. from SW, 1500–2250 m, Watson et al. 2549 (E!). Bruta, 1843, Thirke s.n. (MO!: photo) (syntype of Cyanus thirkei ) .

Figures

FIGURE 8. Distribution of Cyanus segetum (circles), C. tchihatcheffii (squares), and C. thirkei (triangles) in Turkey.