Cephalaria sublanata (Bornmüller) Szabó (1940: 232)

Ranjbar, Massoud & Ranjbar, Zahra, 2017, A taxonomic revision of Cephalaria subgen. Cephalaria sect. Atrocephalae (Caprifoliaceae) from Iran, Phytotaxa 311 (2), pp. 101-138 : 130-132

15. Cephalaria sublanata (Bornmüller) Szabó (1940: 232) . Cephalaria microcephala var. sublanata Bornmüller

(1906: 269).

Type:— TURKMENISTAN. Aschgabat, Suluklu (Saratowka), 2 August 1900, P. Sintenis 1044 (LD! [LD1777635!], lectotype designated here). Fig. 17 .

Perennial, erect, slender. Stems up to 90 cm high, many, consisting of one sterile shoot, racemes many-branched, pilose to rather glabrous, thinly white to purple-striate. Leaves slightly coriaceous, opposite, blades symmetrical, leaves grey-greenish when dried, surface pubescent to tomentose and hairy only along the midvein and margins. Lower cauline leaves petiolate (3–4.5 cm); undivided, oblanceolate to oblong-spathulate in outline, 8–18 × 0.8–2 cm, acute to obtuse at apex, serrate to dentate (crenate), 30–48 teeth (apical side straight, basal side concave), angle of teeth with reference to the midrib 45º–70º, teeth 1–2 mm long, midvein flat adaxially, rounded abaxially, tertiary veins reticulate, oblique. Middle cauline leaves undivided to lyrate to pinnatilobed, oblanceolate to oblong-lanceolate in outline, 6–13.5 × 1–2 cm, with 0–4 lateral segments; lateral segments linear-lanceolate, 1–3 × 0.5–1 cm, entire, acute at apex; terminal segment larger than lateral ones, lanceolate or oblong to lanceolate, 6–12.5 × 1–2 cm, acute at apex, dentate, 15–60 teeth (apical side straight, basal side concave to straight), angle of teeth ca. 45º–80º, teeth 0.5–2 mm long, midvein flat adaxially, rounded abaxially, tertiary veins reticulate, oblique. Upper cauline leaves undivided, oblong lanceolate to spathulate and linear in outline, 2–10 × 0.5–2 cm, acute at apex, entire to weakly dentate, 10–18 teeth (apical side straight, basal side straight to concave or flexuous), angle of teeth with reference to the midrib none or 30º–70º, teeth 0.8–2 mm long, midvein impressed to flat adaxially, round-keeled abaxially, tertiary veins close together to reticulate. Peduncle 4–24 cm long, glabrous. Capitula globose or ovoid in flower, 1.5–2.2 × 1–1.5 cm in diameter in flower, subradiant, solitary. Involucral bracts in 1–2 series, ovate, 4–5 × 3–4 mm, brown and blackish at apex, tomentose hairs up to 1.5 mm long, obtuse at apex. Receptacular bracts in six series, rhombic to narrowly ovate to lanceolate and acuminate 6–10 × 3–4 mm, spine 1–1.5 mm long, straw-brownish dorsally at base, blackish at apex, abruptly acute or acuminate at apex, pilose or sericeous, ciliate at margins. Calyx cupuliform, 1–1.5 × 1.5 mm, dark green, pubescent, with irregular teeth 1–1.5 mm long. Corolla 10–11 mm long, yellow, densely covered with appressed hairs outside, stamens slightly longer than corolla, anthers deeply yellow. Involucel 2–2.5 × 1.5 mm in flower, 4-angled, hairy (hairs up to 0.2 mm long), 4 long and 4 short teeth at apex; longer teeth ca. 2 mm long, shorter teeth ca. 0.5 mm long.

Chromosome numbers: — Cephalaria sublanata was reported as a diploid species with the base chromosome number of 2 n = 2 x = 38 (Verlaqe 1980: 47). It seems that this species is actually tetraploid, with 2 n = 4 x = 38 (the base chromosome numbers in Cephalaria are x = 5, 7 and 9).

Additional specimens examined:— IRAN. Semnan provience, 90 km from Semnan to Sari, Parvar Protected area , 1320–2800 m, Termeh et al. 29465-E ( IRAN) ; IRAN. Prov. Semnan: between Foladmahaleh and Shahmirzad, 2200 m, Iranshahr & Zargani 34691-E ( IRAN) .

Distribution and habitat: — Cephalaria sublanata is endemic to the Transcaspian region in NE Iran and Turkmenistan. The Kopet-Dag Mts. is about 25 km to the south, and Ashgabat’s northern boundary touches the Kara- Kum desert. Because of this Ashgabat has an arid climate with hot, dry summers and cool, short winters. The average high temperature in July is 38.3 °C. Night times in the summer are warm, with an average minimum temperature in July 23.8 °C. Annual precipitation is only 201 mm; and March and April are the wettest months. Shirvan city (in Northern Khorasan) is the nearest town of Iran to Ashgabat and is only 22 km away from the capital of Turkmenistan.

Taxonomic notes: —There is a little knowledge about Cephalaria sublanata . However, it is related to C. microcephala in leaf venation, shape of middle leaf teeth, size of capitula, shape and margin of involucral bracts, flower and involucel colour, shape and size, from which it differs as sindicated in Table 4. Howewer, C. sublanata differs from other related species of C. sect. Atrocephalae by teeth in lower and middle cauline leaves up to 48, involucral bracts brown and blackish at apex and receptacular bracts straw-brownish.

Nomenclatural notes: —The original description of C. microcephala var. sublanata was written by Bornmüller in 1906. Then Szabó (1940) elevated it to the species rank as Cephalaria sublanata . Lack (1991) considered C. sublanata (Bornm.) Szabó as a synonym of C. microcephala . But Jamzad (1993) in Flora of Iran accepted C. sublanata and recorded it from Iran. We accept Szabó’s treatment and retain C. sublanata as a distinct species.

Bornmüller (1906: 269) characterized Cephalaria microcephala var. sublanata based on collections (number 1044) made by P. Sintenis in Aschabad, around Suluklu, in August 1900. Szabó (1940) elevated this variety to the species rank but did not designate a type. The original material of this taxon is present today in G, K, JE, LD, E and B (G00360034, G00360034-a, K000779009, JE00013770, LD1763826, LD1777635, E00690718 & B100244792). The LD specimens had been examined and labels had been written on them by Szabó. One of LD specimen (LD1777635) is perfect and matches with details of the protologue. Therefore, we selected it as the lectotype of C. sublanata .

Figures

FIGURE 17. Lectotype of Cephalaria sublanata (Bornmüller) Szabó (Sintenis 1044, LD! [LD1777635]).