Centaurea doddsii Post (1888: 434)

Negaresh, Kazem & Rahiminejad, Mohammad Reza, 2018, A revision of Centaurea sect. Cynaroides (Asteraceae, Cardueae-Centaureinae), Phytotaxa 363 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

9. Centaurea doddsii Post (1888: 434) . Type :— TURKEY. C6 Hatay: in planitie Antiochiae ad radices montis el-Jebelel-Ahmar (Gebel el Achmar, Ghizil-Dagh) Amani, 12 June 1884, Post 11 (lectotype G!: three sheets (comprising a single specimen) designated here by Negaresh). ( Fig. 23 )

Biennial plants, with thick fleshy taproot, whole plant usually green, 75–90 cm tall; collar of fibrous petiolar remains present at stem base. Stem erect, almost simple, ca. 7 mm in diam. at base, densely leafy from lower to median parts of stem, cylindrical, with thin brownish striations, lower part purplish and loosely covered with hirsute-articulate hairs, others ± loosely covered with tomentose hairs. Leaves papyraceous (on drying), undivided, covered with hirsute-articulate hairs, denser along midrib and veins. Basal and lower cauline leaves petiolate, lanceolate or subcordate, 20–34 × 10–12 cm, entire, acute at apex. Median cauline leaves sessile, or with a short petiole, sometimes with auricles at base, oblanceolate or lanceolate, narrowed toward base, or broadly decurrent along petiole, (10–)17–30 × 5–8 cm, entire, acute at apex. Upper cauline leaves much smaller, sessile, simple, narrowly lanceolate to linear, 4–8 × 0.3–1.2 cm, very shortly decurrent, entire, cuspidate at apex. Capitula several, 10 to 12, arranged in a spike or raceme, lowest ones sessile, upper ones subsessile or with a peduncle up to 2 cm. Involucres ovoid, truncate at base, 30–35 × 28–30 mm. Phyllaries multiseriate, yellow-greenish, imbricate, coriaceous-scarious, subglabrous. Appendages rigid, totally concealing phyllaries, not decurrent, lanceolate, straw-coloured or pale brown, 3–5 mm wide at base (excluding cilia), almost squarrose or reflexed; cilia erect, numerous, 6–8(–10) on each side, (2–) 4–8 mm long; spines narrowly triangular, 8–17 mm long, strongly longer than nearest cilia. Flowers pink-purple; central florets hermaphroditic, ca. 28 mm long, limb ± 14 mm long, 5-lobed, lobes ca. 7 mm long; peripheral florets sterile, slightly shorter than central ones, conspicuous, finely dissected, not radiant, 5-lobed, limb lobes linear, ca. 6 mm long. Achenes and pappus unknown.

Nomenclatural notes: —In flora of Turkey (Wagenitz 1975), Centaurea doddsii cited with authorship “Post in Boiss.” and in IPNI cited with authorship “Post ex Boiss.”. However, C. doddsii first valid description was published in Post’s treatment ( Post 1888), Post himself stated that the epithet Centaurea polycephlala was written on the labels of Post’s plants sent to Boissier. According to current rules of nomenclature there is no doubt that the species name should be attributed to Post, with the following citation: “ Centaurea doddsii Post ”.

Taxonomic and distribution remarks: — Centaurea doddsii is narrowly distributed in S Turkey and NW Syria ( Fig. 22 ). It is an Irano-Turanian element and commonly found on the Amanus Mountains on the border between Turkey and Syria. Centaurea doddsii grows in Pinus forests. It is closely related to C. haussknechtii in its shape of inflorescence and involucres, shape of appendages and color of flowers. However, it differs from C. haussknechtii by its stem 75–90 cm (vs. 50–60 cm) tall, leaves papyraceous (vs. firm or rigid), basal and lower cauline leaves undivided, lanceolate or subcordate, 20–34 cm long (vs. lyrate, (7–) 12–30 cm long, terminal segments larger, oblong, triangular-ovate or lanceolate), involucres 30–35 × 28–30 mm (vs. (33–)35–40 × 30–35 mm), and also spines almost squarrose or reflexed (vs. erect, sometimes squarrose or reflexed).

Chromosome numbers: —Unknown.

Selected specimens examined:— TURKEY. C 6 Hatay: in planitie Antiochiae ad radices montis el-Jebel-el- Ahmar (Gebel el Achmar, Ghizil-Dagh) Amani, 12 June 1884, Post 153 ( BM!) (syntype of Centaurea doddsii ); Post 103 ( BEI!) (syntype of C. doddsii ). SYRIA. Amanus mountains , ascent from Akil to Karakisieh, Pinetum garigue, 30 June 1932, Eig & Zohary 5397 ( HUJ!).

Figures

FIGURE 22. Distribution of Centaurea charrelii (circles), C. doddsii (squares), and C. fenzlii (triangles).

FIGURE 23. Centaurea doddsii Post (Post 11, G). A. habit. B. close up of capitule. C. basal leaves. Scale B = 1 cm, C = 3 cm.