Centaurea spicata Boissier (1849: 113)

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

34. Centaurea spicata Boissier (1849: 113) . Type:— SYRIA. In pratis Syriae littoralis inter Laodiceam (Latakia) et

Djiblet, 1846, Boissier s.n. (lectotype G! designated by Wagenitz 1960: 487, isolectotypes G!: two sheets, P!). ( Fig.

74)

Centaurea spicata var. amanensis Gugler (1908: 252) . Type:— TURKEY. Hatay: Amanus occidentalis supra Arsus , ad pagum Ursusa frequens, ca. 60 m, 2 July 1862, Kotschy 114 (lectotype G! designated here by Negaresh, isolectotypes G!, E!, JE!: two sheets, P!: four sheets, W!, WU!).

Biennial plants, with thick fleshy taproot, whole plant usually deep green, sometimes yellowish-green, (20–) 50–110 cm tall; collar of fibrous petiolar remains present at stem base. Stem erect, simple, 7–12 mm in diam. at base, cylindrical, densely leafy throughout, lower to median parts loosely covered with hirsute-articulate hairs, upper part sparsely to densely cover with arachnoid hairs. Leaves thin, papyraceous (on drying), basal and lower ones sparsely covered with short hirsute-articulate hairs, more densely along midrib and veins, sometimes only loosely covered with arachnoid hairs, median and upper ones loosely covered with arachnoid hairs. Basal and lower cauline leaves very large, (20–) 30–60 cm long, petiolate, lyrate; terminal segment much larger than lateral ones, broadly triangular to lanceolate, 6–16 × 6–28 cm, loosely cartilaginously dentate or remotely denticulate, acute at apex; lateral segments (1–)2–3 pairs, lanceolate or triangular, sometimes very small (as lobes). Median cauline leaves sessile, lanceolate, 7–15 × 2–4 cm, decurrent, entire, acute at apex. Upper cauline leaves increasingly smaller, sessile, lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, 3–7(–10) × 1–3 cm, broadly decurrent or winged along stem, entire, sometimes denticulate, acuminate or mucronate at apex. Capitula several, (3–)5 to 12, arranged in a raceme, peduncles 2–4(–5) cm long. Involucres ovoid, truncate at base, 25–28(–32) × (17–) 20–25 mm. Phyllaries multiseriate, green in vivo, brownish-yellow in sicco, imbricate, coriaceous-scarious, loosely tomentose hairs. Appendages medium-sized, rigid, concealing a major part of phyllaries, not decurrent, ovate-lanceolate to narrowly triangular, sometimes lanceolate-triangular, brown, rarely straw-coloured, (3–) 4–6 mm wide at base (excluding cilia), gradually narrowed into a 5–8(–12) mm spine; cilia patent, numerous, brownish or whitish, 7–10 on each side, 2–4 mm long. Outer phyllaries oblong, 2–4 × 2–5 mm; appendages 8–12 × 6–11 mm (including cilia and spine), sometimes straw-coloured, spines slightly longer than nearest cilia. Median phyllaries broadly lanceolate, 8–15 × 3.5–8 mm; appendages 14–20 × 7–10 mm (including cilia and spine), spines much longer than nearest cilia. Inner phyllaries lanceolate-linear, 16–20 × 2–5 mm, membranous at margins; appendages ciliate or lacerate, gradually narrowed into a short spine. Flowers purple; central florets hermaphroditic, 28–32 mm long, corolla 12–13 mm long, 5-lobed, lobes ca. 7 mm long; peripheral florets sterile, equal to or slightly longer than central ones, numerous (15–20 in each capitulum) and conspicuous, finely dissected, not radiant, 4-lobed, limb lobes linear. Achenes oblong, 4–5 mm long, ca. 2–2.2 mm wide, smooth, pale brown or whitish, rounded at apex, glabrescent; insertion areole lateral, ca. 0.5 mm long. Pappus double, persistent, multiseriate, scabrous, brown to whitish, sometimes dark brown, (6–) 7–9 mm long, bristles of inner rows much shorter than others, ca. 1.5 mm long.

Taxonomic and distribution remarks: — Centaurea spicata generally occurs in Hatay and Içel(Mersin)Provinces, S Turkey and also NW Syria ( Fig. 72 ). It is an Irano-Turanian element, and grows on Pinus forests, devastated Pinetum Halepense and steppe forest, stony slopes and fallow fields, at elevations of 50– 750 m. Centaurea spicata is mainly distributed in Amanus Mountains of the border Turkey-Syria ( Fig. 72 ). It resembles C. gigantea subsp. gigantea in its habit.

Chromosome numbers: —Unknown.

Selected specimens examined:— TURKEY. Içel (Cilicien): 19 km from Mersin to Kuzucubelen, 500 m, Huber-Morath 9765 (Hb. Hub.-Mor.!); gorge du Guzel-dere, au nord de Mersin, June 1855, Balansa s.n. ( G!); village de Bouloukli, pres de Mersina, 11 June 1855, Balansa s.n. ( G!, P!); Caramanie, Bouloukli, 9 June 1896, Peyron s.n. ( G!). Hatay (İskenderun): Erzin-Dörtyol, 5 km to S of Erzin, 160 m, 1 July 1981, Nydegger 16560 ( P!); Env. of Jemele, between Marsine and Fundakpinar, mown winter fields in a semi devastated Pinetum, 500 m, 18 August 1931, Eig & Zohary s.n. ( HUJ!); Env. of Jemele, between Marsine and Fundakpinar, in a partly devastated Pinetum Halepense, 500 m, 27 August 1921, Eig & Zohary s.n. ( HUJ!). SYRIA. 1 July 1931, Bulan s.n. ( P!); de Beylar ä Qliq (Amanus), 1 July 1931, Bhielaut 5533 ( P!); Amanus mountains , western slopes of Amanus mountains , above Karagouz, Pinetum halepense, 700–750 m, 2 July 1932, Eig & Zohary 5385 ( HUJ!).

Figures

FIGURE 72. Distribution of Centaurea shehbazii (circles), C. solitaria (squares), and C. spicata (triangles).

FIGURE 74. Centaurea spicata Boissier (B: Boissier s.n., G). A. close up of capitule. B. habit. Scale A = 1 cm.