Cephalaria hirsuta Stapf (1885: 55)

Ranjbar, Massoud & Ranjbar, Zahra, 2017, A taxonomic revision of Cephalaria subgen. Cephalaria sect. Atrocephalae (Caprifoliaceae) from Iran, Phytotaxa 311 (2), pp. 101-138 : 110-113

5. Cephalaria hirsuta Stapf (1885: 55) .

Type:— IRAN. Prov. Hamedan: Around Hamedan, Pichler s.n. ( WU!, holotype; isotypes K!, B!, E!). Fig. 5 .

Perennial, erect, slender herbs, plant indumentum straw-coloured. Stem up to ca. 40 cm high, simple, unbranched, hirsute below, and sparsely pilose above. Leaves slightly coriaceous, hirsute or pilose on both surfaces. Lower cauline leaves nearly entire, oblong-elliptic, 8.5–9.5 × 2.8–3 cm, acute to subacute at apex; midrib of adaxial leaf lamina prominently raised, impressed adaxially, rounded abaxially, secondary nerves prominently raised reticulate, tertiary veins reticulate, oblique. Middle cauline leaves lyrate to pinnatilobed, oblong-lanceolate to rhombic, 3–4 × 0.7–1 cm, with 2–6 lateral segments; lateral segments linear-oblong, 1–4.5 × 0.2–0.7 cm, entire, acute at apex; terminal segment larger than lateral ones, oblong-lanceolate to rhombic, 2–4 cm, acute at apex, midrib of adaxial leaf lamina impressed adaxially, rounded abaxially, prominently raised but unclear at end; secondary nerves not raised. Upper cauline leaves reduced, linear, simple, entire, 1–2 × 0.2–0.3 cm, midrib impressed adaxially, rounded abaxially, secondary and tertiary nerves unclear. Peduncle 10–30 cm long, sparsely hirsute. Capitula globose or ovoid, 1.5–2 × 1–2 cm in diameter in flower, subradiant, 1.5–2.5 × 1–2 cm in diameter in fruit. Involucral bracts in two series, ovate, 4–5 × 4–5 mm, obtuse at apex, green in the middle, white along margins, black at apex, silky-pilose; hairs up to 2 mm long. Receptacular bracts in 4–5 series, oblong-triangular, 9–10 × 3–4 mm, straw-whitish, red or black at apex, pubescent, otherwise glabrous, apex acute. Calyx cupuliform, 1–1.2 × 1.5 mm, pubescent, with irregular teeth 1–1.5 mm long. Corolla 10–12 mm long, yellow, densely covered with appressed hairs outside; stamens slightly longer than corolla; anthers deeply yellow. Involucel 2.5–3 × 1.5 mm in flower, 4-angled, hairy, with 4 long and 4 short teeth at apex; longer teeth 2–2.5 mm long, shorter teeth 0.5–1 mm long.

Chromosome numbers: — Cephalaria hirsuta is a diploid species with the base chromosome number of 2 n = 2 x = 18 ( Verlaque 1980: 46).

Additional specimens examined:— IRAN. Prov. Hamedan: 137 km from Hamedan to Ghazvin, 2170 m, Assadi & Amini 13617 ( TARI).

Distribution and habitat:— Cephalaria hirsuta distributed in W Iran, Azerbaijan, Hamedan and Lorestan Provinces. It is known only from the mountain meadows in Irano-Turanian region at elevations of 2000–2800 m.

Taxonomic notes: — Cephalaria hirsuta is similar to C. microcephala but differs in its indumentum straw-coloured, leaves appressed pilose and hirsute, dentate at margins, involucral and receptacular bracts brown-blakish at apex, involucel 9–10 mm long and white hairy ( Table 3).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Holotype of Cephalaria hirsuta Stapf (Pichler s.n., WU!).