Centaurea nemecii Nábělek (1925: 44)

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

24. Centaurea nemecii Nábělek (1925: 44) . Type:— TURKEY. C9 Hakkari: in Kurdistaniae Turcicae distrbution Hakkiari in monte Maidanoke supra pagum Hašitha , dit. Ğulamerik (Çölemerik), latere septentrionali, in humosis subhumidis, 1600–1700 m, 20 June 1910, Nábělek 3655 (lectotype BRA! designated here by Negaresh, isolectotypes BRA!: four sheets (comprising two specimens). ( Figs. 52 and 53 )

Biennial plants, usually pale green all over, with napiform root, 50–150 cm tall; collar of fibrous petiolar remains present at stem base. Stem erect, stout, almost simple, whitish or yellowish, cylindrical, 2–5 mm in diam. at base, lower part sparsely to densely cover with hirsute-articulate hairs, median part covered with hirsute and tomentose hairs. Leaves rigid, with prominent veins, sometimes becoming reddish or purplish when anthesis, sparsely covered with short hirsute-articulate hairs, denser along midrib and veins, or scabrous (± glabrous). Basal leaves large, sometimes withered at anthesis, with a long petiole, broadly ovate to subcordate, 20–30 × 10–25 cm, sometimes with 1–2 lobes at base of lamina, margin denticulate or entire. Lower cauline leaves petiolate, sometimes withered at anthesis, lyrate; terminal segment very large, (10–)15–18(–20) cm wide, oblong or ovate; lateral segments 1–3 pairs, very minor, lanceolate; sometimes simple, subacute at apex. Median cauline leaves sessile, simple, obovate, oblong or oblanceolate, 7–18 × 4–8 cm, decurrent, up to 20(–30) mm along stem, denticulate or entire, acute at apex. Upper cauline leaves increasingly smaller, sessile, simple, lanceolate or lanceolate-linear, 2–6 × 0.3–4 cm, narrowly decurrent, acute or short acuminate at apex. Capitula several, 4 to 15(–25), arranged in a spike or raceme, entirely sessile or lower capitula pedunculate, sometimes lowest ones with peduncles up to 10 cm long; peduncles densely covered with yellow-tomentose hairs. Involucres ovoid-subglobose, 22–26(–30) × 20–25(–28) mm. Phyllaries mutliseriate, coriaceous, imbricate, acute at apex, densely covered with fine yellow tomentum easily wiped off, appendages lacking. Outer phyllaries ovate, 5–7 × 5–7 mm; median phyllaries ovate or ovate-triangular, 13–18 × 10–12 mm; inner phyllaries lanceolate-linear or linear, 20–25 × 5–8 mm. Flowers white in vivo, pale sulphur in sicco; central florets hermaphroditic, up to 30 mm long, corolla ca. 13–14 mm long, with orange nerves, anther tube whitish; peripheral florets sterile, shorter than central ones, very few (1–3 in each capitulum) and very inconspicuous, finely dissected, not radiant. Achenes ovate-oblong, 5–7 mm long, 3–3.5 mm wide, smooth and shiny, whitish or brownish, rounded at apex, glabrescent; insertion areole lateral, up to 1 mm long, glabrous. Pappus double, persistent, multiseriate, scabrous, whitish or brownish, 7–10 mm long, bristles of inner rows much shorter than others, 1.5–3 mm long.

Taxonomic and distribution remarks: — Centaurea nemecii generally occurs in Hakkari Province of southeast Anatolia and W Iran ( Fig. 51 ). It is an Irano-Turanian element, and grows on stony slopes, among scattered shrubs or forest steppe, Quercus brantii forest, dry open places in mid-montane zone, at elevations of 1600–2500 m ( Figs. 3C and 53D ). Centaurea nemecii is similar to C. amadanensis subsp. gymnoclada in its appendages lacking or indistinct, flowers white, peripheral florets very few (1–3 in each capitulum) and very inconspicuous. However, it differs from C. amadanensis subsp. gymnoclada by its capitula arranged in a spike or raceme, entirely sessile or lower capitula pedunculate, sometimes lowest ones with peduncles up to 10 cm (vs. usually arranged in a raceme but sometimes in a raceme or dichasium, or upper capitula arranged in a raceme and lowest ones arranged in a dichasium, upper capitula sessile or shortly pedunculate, gradually longer towards base, up to 20(–30) cm long, lowest ones sometimes with 2–5 heads), involucres ovoid-subglobose, 22–26(–30) mm long (vs. ovoid or obconical, 25–35(–40) mm long), phyllaries acute at apex, densely covered with fine yellow tomentum easily wiped off (vs. acute at apex or with short mucro (0.5–3 mm long), densely floccose-tomentose hairs), flowers up to 30 mm (vs. 38–40 mm) long, anther tube color white (vs. pink), and also pappus 7–10 mm, bristles of inner rows much shorter than others, 1.5–3 mm long (vs. 10–15 mm long, bristles of inner rows slightly longer than others).

Chromosome numbers: — Centaurea nemecii is a diploid species with the chromosome number of 2 n = 2 x = 18 ( Fig. 9C and Table 1). Our result agrees with report by Garcia-Jacas et al. (1998) who reported the chromosome number 2 n = 2 x = 18 for C. nemecii collected from Iran, Kurdistan, Sanandaj, neck Salavat Abad to Dehgolan.

Selected specimens examined:— IRAN. Prov. Kurdistan: 40 km to Divandarreh , 1987 m, 21 June 2009, Ranjbar & Negaresh 22493 ( BASU!) ; Marivan to Saqqez, Kani-Kan , 1970 m, 21 June 2012, Ranjbar & Negaresh 31745 ( BASU!) ; Ranjbar & Negaresh 31748 ( BASU!) ; Ranjbar & Negaresh 31749 ( BASU!) ; Dehgolan toward Sanandaj, after Salavat Abad neck, 24 June 2014, Rahiminejad & Negaresh 20142 ( HUI!) ; Rahiminejad & Negaresh 159 (herb. Negaresh!); 33 km NW Divandarreh toward Saqqez, 2100 m, Rechinger 48589 ( W!) ; near Hossein Abad 50–60 km N Sanandaj , 2000 m, Rechinger 42731 ( W!) ; 2 July 1971, Lamond 4456 ( E!) ; 1890, Sawyer 13019 ( E!) ; Sanandaj , 1800 m, 35° 56’ N, 47° 1’ E, 18 June 1963, Jacobs 6961 ( E!) ; 15 km NE of Baneh, Khan neck, 2450 m, 1 June 1989, Fattahi et al. 2480 ( HKK!) . TURKEY. C9 Hakkari: Morinos De., 20 km from bridge across Zab river , 1900 m, 21 June 1966, Davis 45322 ( E!) . C10 Hakkari: 19 km from Yüksekova to Şemdinli , 1950 m, 15 June 1966, Davis 45138 ( E!) ; near Talana , S of Cilo Da., 1830 m, 10 June 1970, Trelawny 1704 ( E!: three sheets) ; a Bajirjeh 22 km toward Yüksekova, 1900 m, 23 Juy 1974, Rechinger 49874 ( E!) .

Figures

FIGURE 3. Different habitats on the Centaurea sect. Cynaroides. A. C. imperialis. B. C. regia. C. C. nemecii. D. C. alfonsoi. E and F. C. amadanensis.

FIGURE 9. Somatic metaphases of Centaurea spp. A. Centaurea amadanensis subsp. amadanensis (2n = 18). B. C. amadanensis subsp. gymnoclada (2n = 18). C. C. nemecii (2n = 18). D. C. regia var. regia (2n = 18). E. C. regia var. purpurea. Scale A˗E = 2 μm.

FIGURE 51. Distribution of Centaurea mozaffarianii (circles) and C. nemecii (squares).

FIGURE 52. Centaurea nemecii Nábělek (Nábělek 3655, BRA). Scale 2 cm.

FIGURE 53. Centaurea nemecii Nábělek (Ranjbar & Negaresh 31745, BASU). A. close up of capitule. B. inflorescence. C. leaves. D. habit and habitat. Scale A = 1 cm, B = 3 cm, C = 8 cm, D = 10 cm.