Centaurea kamalnejadii Negaresh, 2018

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

19. Centaurea kamalnejadii Negaresh , sp. nov. ( Fig. 44 )

Centaureae kabirkuhense affinis , a qua foliis basalibus et inferioribus caulinis ovatis vel lanceolatis, integris, ca. 24 × 8–10 cm (nec late cordatis ad late ovatis, basi lobis 1–2 minoribus vel integris, 20–32 × 12–16 cm), involucro 45–50 mm (nec 35–40 mm) lato, appendicibus exterioribus elongatis triangularibus, 10–23 mm longis, albidis, spinulis utrinque 2–3, 1.5–3 mm longis (nec elongatis lanceolatis vel oblongo-lanceolatis, 7–12 mm longis, brunneis ad atrobrunneis, integris), appendicibus phyllorum mediorum elongatis triangularibus ad spiniformibus, 25–30 × 2–3 mm, purpureis ad stramineis, spinulis utrinque 1–2 et 3–5 mm longis (nec elongatis lanceolatis vel oblongo-lanceolatis, 15–30 × 3–5 mm, brunneis ad atrobrunneis, integris), appendicibus interioribus spiniformibus, 13–25 × 1–2 mm, purpureis ad brunneis (nec elongatis lanceolatis vel oblongo-lanceolatis, 15–30 × 3–5 mm), pappo non doublo, 15–16 mm longo (nec doublo, 7–9 mm longo) differt.

Type:— IRAN. Prov. Kermanshah: Ravansar toward Kamyaran , fallow field, 1375–1400 m, 29 May 2014, Negaresh & Kamalnejad 130 (holotype herb. Negaresh!, isotype FUMH!, RUH!) .

Biennial herbs, with a thick freshly taproot, whole plant usually green, up to 45 cm tall; collum neck with fibrous remnants of petioles from previous year. Stem stout, erect, almost simple, yellowish, ca. 10 mm in diam. at base, cylindrical, finely white-striate, densely leafy in median part, lower part reddish and subglabrous, or sparsely covered with deciduous hirsute-articulate hairs (up to 3 mm long), median part loosely covered with arachnoid hairs mixed with hirsute-articulate hairs, upper part densely covered with arachnoid hairs. Leaves rigid, papyraceous (on drying), undivided, covered with hirsute-articulate hairs, denser along midrib and veins, veins prominent on both sides. Basal and lower cauline leaves petiolate, withered at anthesis, ovate or lanceolate, ca. 24 × 8–10 cm, acute at apex. Median cauline leaves sessile, lanceolate or oblanceolate, narrowed toward base, 14–20 × 6.5–8.5 cm, broadly decurrent, up to 45 mm along stem, scabrous or remotely denticulate, acute or subacuminate at apex. Upper cauline leaves increasingly smaller, sessile, lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, (5–)8–15 × (0.5–) 1.3–4.5 cm, loosely covered with arachnoid hairs, decurrent, up to 30 mm along stem, entire, acuminate or cuspidate at apex. Capitula numerous, 7 to 10, arranged in raceme, upper capitula on peduncles (3–) 10–12 cm long, sometimes with bracts similar to phyllaries with small stramineous and chaffy appendages. Involucres ovoid to subglobose, convex at base, ca. 50 × 45–50 mm. Phyllaries multiseriate, green in vivo, green-yellowish in sicco, imbricate, coriaceous-scarious, densely floccose-tomentose; appendages partially concealing phyllaries, rigid or chartaceous, not decurrent. Outer phyllaries oblong, 7–8 × ca. 6 mm; appendages elongate triangular, 10–23 × ca. 4–5 mm, with 2–3 (1.5–3 mm) spinules on each side, gradually narrowed into a 5–10 mm spine, white. Median phyllaries lanceolate, 12–25 × ca. 11–12 mm; appendages elongate triangular to spiniform, 25–30 × 2–3 mm, with 1–2 (3–5 mm) spinules on each side, gradually narrowed into a 10–15 mm spine, purple to straw-coloured. Inner phyllaries lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, 5–9 × 10–12 mm; appendages spiniform, 13–25 × 1–2 mm, entire, purple to brown. Flowers purple; central florets hermaphroditic, 57–60 mm long, corolla ± 22 mm long, 5-lobed, lobes 8–10 mm long, with deep purple nerves, anthers pale purple, shorter than or equal to corolla, with apical appendages acute, stigma exserted from corolla up to 10 mm; peripheral florets sterile, nearly equal to central ones, numerous (15–20 in each capitulum) and conspicuous, finely dissected, slightly radiant, 5-lobed, limb lobe filiform, ca. 10 mm long. Achenes oblong, 6.5–7 mm long, ca. 3 m wide, pale brown, glabrous; insertion areole lateral, yellow, ca. 1 mm long. Pappus persistent, multiseriate, scabrous, pale brown, 15–16 mm long, bristles of inner rows slightly longer than others.

Etymology:—The specific epithet is given in honour of Mr. Jamal Al. Kamalnejad who collected the species.

Taxonomic and distribution remarks: — Centaurea kamalnejadii is a rare endemic of Kermanshah Province, W Iran ( Fig. 43 ). It is an Irano-Turanian element, and grows on fallow fields and roadsides, at elevations of 1300–1400 m ( Figs. 44A and 44B ). Centaurea kamalnejadii only found in Shahu Mountains; these mountains can be considered as a local diversity centre because many new species were described from it (Ranjbar et al. 2013, Ranjbar & Negaresh 2014a, 2014b, Negaresh et al. 2014, Negaresh & Rahiminejad 2014, 2016). It resembles C. kabirkuhensis in the shape of inflorescence, indumentum of leaves and color of flowers, although it differs from the latter in some pronounced features (see Table 2).

In addition, C. kamalnejadii shares some characters such as shape of inflorescence, indumentum of stem and leaves, size and color of flowers with C. shahuensis . However, it markedly differs from the latter in stem up to 45 cm (vs. 90–100 cm) tall, stem indumentum in lower part subglabrous or with sparse deciduous hirsute-articulate hairs (up to 3 mm long), median part loosely arachnoid with hirsute-articulate hairs, upper part densely arachnoid (vs. lower part glabrescent, median part with sparse hirsute-articulate hairs and sessile glands to subglabrous, upper part with scattered sessile glands sometimes mixed with a few arachnoid hairs), basal leaves ca. 24 × 8–10 cm (vs. 30–35 × 12–14.5 cm), involucres ovoid to subglobose, ca. 50 × 45–50 mm (vs. globose-conical, abruptly contracted at apex and angustate (in flowering state), 35–40 × 32–42(–45) mm), outer appendages elongate triangular, 10–23 × ca. 4–5 mm, with 2–3 (1.5–3 mm) spinules on each side, gradually narrowed into a 5–10 mm spine, white (vs. ovate-triangular, 7–9 × ca. 6–7 mm, margins entire or fringed in upper part, gradually narrowed into a 2–8 mm spine, straw-coloured to pale purple), median appendages elongate triangular to spiniform, 25–30 × 2–3 mm, with 1–2 (3–5 mm) spinules on each side, gradually narrowed into a 10–15 mm spine, purple to straw-coloured (vs. triangular, ca. 15 × 5–7 mm, margin entire or sometimes with 1–2 cilia (1.2–3 mm) on each side, irregular, gradually narrowed into a ca. 8 mm spine), inner appendages spiniform, 13–25 × 1–2 mm, entire, purple to brown (vs. narrowly triangular or subspiniform, 14–17 × 2–3.2 mm, margin entire or sometimes with up to 1 cilium (1.2–3 mm) on each side, irregular, deep purple), and also pappus 15–16 mm (vs. ca. 14 mm) long. This new species and its close relative ( C. shahuensis ) are occurring sympatrically in Shahu Mountains, W Iran.

Paratypes:— IRAN. Prov. Kermanshah: Ravansar, 2 km from Ravansar toward Kamyaran , 34° 43′ 55.7″ N, 46° 40′ 32″ E, 1345 m, 15 June 2017, Negaresh 178 (herb. Negaresh!, RUH!) . Ravansar toward Sardem village , 34° 43′ 4.4″ N, 46° 40′ 38.6″ E, 1370 m, 16 June 2017, Negaresh 179 (herb. Negaresh!, RUH!) .

Chromosome numbers: —Unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 43. Distribution of Centaurea kabirkuhensis (circles), C. kamalnejadii (squares), and C. kamyaranensis (triangles).

FIGURE 44. Centaurea kamalnejadii Negaresh (Negaresh & Kamalnejad 130, herb. Negaresh). A. close up of capitule. B. capitule (with above view). C. habit and habitat. D. inflorescence. Scale A = 2 cm, B = 5 cm, D = 4 cm.