Cephalaria golestanica Ranjbar & Z. Ranjbar, 2017

Ranjbar, Massoud & Ranjbar, Zahra, 2017, A taxonomic revision of Cephalaria subgen. Cephalaria sect. Atrocephalae (Caprifoliaceae) from Iran, Phytotaxa 311 (2), pp. 101-138 : 108-110

4. Cephalaria golestanica Ranjbar & Z. Ranjbar , sp. nov.

Type:— IRAN. Prov. Golestan: Almeh, near Golestan National Park in Golestan Province NE Iran, 37º 23 ʹ N, 55º 38 ʹ E, 1700 m, 15 July 1984, Ayatollahi & Zangooei 11616 ( FUMH, holotype). Fig. 4 .

Perennial plants, slightly stout, erect, with greyish indumentum. Stem up to 35 cm tall, simple, slightly branched (consisting of 2–3 racemes), rather densely pilose. Leaves coriaceous, verticillate (with 6 leaves in each node), blades symmetrical, leaves greyish-green when dried, pilose on both surfaces, with distinct vagina. Lower cauline leaves simple, oblanceolate in outline, 6–7 × 0.7–0.9 cm, acute to subacute at apex, serrate, 6–9 teeth (apical side straight, basal side flexuous), angle of teeth with reference to the midvein 20º–45º, teeth 0.3–0.6 mm long, midvein impressed to flat adaxially and sharply keeled abaxially, tertiary veins weakly percurrent, widely spaced, oblique. Middle cauline leaves lyrate oblanceolate-obovate to spathulate in outline, 2.5–6.5 × 0.5–2 cm, with 4–6 lateral segments, lateral segments linear-lanceolate, 0.5–1.5 × 0.2–0.5 cm, entire, acute at apex, terminal segment larger than lateral ones, obovate to elliptic, 2–5.5 × 0.5–2 cm, obtuse and round at apex, serrate, 3–4 teeth (apical side flexuous, basal side concave), angle of teeth with reference to the midvein 45º–80º, teeth 0.5–1.5 mm long, midvein flat adaxially and sharply keeled abaxially, tertiary veins reticulate, oblique. Upper cauline leaves simple, lanceolate to linear in outline, 0.4–1 × 0.1–0.3 cm, entire, acute at apex, midvein flat adaxially and rounded abaxially, tertiary veins close together, oblique. Peduncle 8–12 cm long, pubescent. Capitula globose or ovoid, 1–1.2 cm in diameter in flower, subradiant. Involucral bracts in two series, ovate, ca. 3.5–4 × 2.5–3 mm, straw-greenish and very slightly blackish at apex, tomentose (hairs up to 2 mm), obtuse at apex. Receptacular bracts in five series, oblong to narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 5–7 × 2–3 mm, spineless, straw-coloured dorsally at base, blackish and attenuate 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 to light brown. Involucel 2–2.5 × 1.5 mm in flower, 4-angled, hairy (hairs up to 0.2 mm), 4 long and 4 short teeth at apex; long teeth ca. 2 mm long, short teeth ca. 0.5 mm long.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes):— IRAN. Prov. Golestan: Almeh, near Golestan National Park , 1720 m, Roshan 6978 ( TARI!) ; Golestan: Golestan forest, between Sharlogh and Cheshme Khan, Zahzad 82261 ( TARI) ; Prov. Khorasan-e Shomali: W Bojnurd, Almeh , 1700 m, Rafeie & Zangooie 29607 ( FUMH) .

Distribution and habitat: — Cephalaria golestanica is a rare endemic to NE Iran, an Irano-Turanian element, and is considered threatened. It is known only from mountain meadows with grasses, thorn-cushions and Quercus macranthera forest around Almeh, Golestan National Park in Golestan province, within the boundary of Khorasan and Golestan provinces. This area is a transitional zone between two completely different climates, i.e. temperate sub-humid and cold-arid ( Akhani 1998). Cephalaria golestanica grows on agricultural land as weed, at elevations of 1700–2200 m.

Taxonomic notes: —The species is similar to Cephalaria microcephala in the shape of lower leaf teeth, middle leaf teeth angle with reference to midvein, upper leaf margin, involucral bracts shape and shape and size of involucel, but it differs by its height (35 vs. 120 cm), leaves pilose to hairy on both surfaces (vs. glabrous to pubescent), peduncle length (up to 12 vs. up to 32 cm long) and receptacular bracts in 5 series (vs. 6), straw-coloured dorsally at base, blackish and attenuate at apex (vs. straw), pilose or sericeous (vs. velvety-hairy). Furthermore, C. golestanica differs from other related species by greyish indumentum, leaves coriaceous, verticillate (with 6 leaves in each node), greyish-green, pilose on both surfaces, with distinct vagina (see Table 4).

Figures

FIGURE 4. A. Cephalaria golestanica Ranjbar & Z. Ranjbar (Ayatollahi & Zangooei 11616, FUMH). B. Capitula. C. & D. Corolla. E. Calyx. F. Involucel. G. Involucral bracts. H. Receptacular bracts.