Centaurea karamianiae Negaresh (2014: 230)

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

21. Centaurea karamianiae Negaresh (2014: 230) . Type:— IRAN. Prov. Kermanshah: Kamyaran , 1300–1450 m, 31 June 2012, Ranjbar & Negaresh 28690 (holotype BASU!, photo herb. Negaresh). Fig. 46

Biennial plants, with thick fleshy taproot, whole plant usually green, 160–180 cm tall; collar of fibrous petiolar remains present at stem base. Stem erect, usually simple, stout, ca. 30 mm in diam. at base, cylindrical, with thick and white striations, loosely leafy throughout, lower part reddish and glabrescent, median part sparsely covered with hirsute-articulate and scattered arachnoid hairs, upper part sparsely covered with arachnoid hairs to subglabrous. Leaves stiff, papyraceous (on drying), loosely covered with hirsute-articulate hairs, especially on midrib and veins, up to 2 mm long, somewhat heteromorphic in length, and with minute gland hairs. Basal leaves very large, broadly cordate, 45–50 × 18–26 cm, with a 15–20 cm petiole, entire, obtuse to subacute at apex. Lower cauline leaves with a 15–20 cm petiole, broadly cordate-ovate or broadly cordate-lanceolate, 42–50 × 19–26 cm, with basal auricles, margin scabrous, rounded or obtuse at apex. Median cauline leaves sessile, broadly oblanceolate or pandurate, 24–38 × 13–22 cm, winged or broadly decurrent, up to 100 mm along stem, margins scabrous, obtuse to subacute at apex. Upper cauline leaves increasingly smaller, sessile, simple, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 6–13 × 1.5–4.5 cm, loosely covered with hirsute-articulate and sparsely arachnoid hairs, narrowly decurrent, up to 20 mm along stem, some of the leaves not decurrent, margin subscabrous, acuminate at apex. Capitula numerous, 24 to 26, arranged in a raceme, borne on long leafless peduncles, upper peduncles 15–23 cm long, median peduncles with 2–3 heads, sometimes with bracts similar to phyllaries with small stramineous and chaffy appendages. Involucres globose, convex at base, 35–40 × 35–45 mm. Phyllaries multiseriate, green in vivo, yellow-greenish in sicco, imbricate, coriaceous-scarious, densely lanate-tomentose, up to 0.3 mm long; appendages small, rigid, concealing a minor part of phyllaries, straw-coloured with pale brown nerves or dirty white, inner ones brownish, not decurrent. Outer phyllaries ovate, 6–9 × 7–8.5 mm; appendages triangular, 7.5–9 × 4–6 mm (including cilia and spine), with 4–5 (0.5–2.5 mm) cilia on each side, gradually narrowed into a 4–5 mm spine. Median phyllaries broadly ovate to oblong, 12–15 × 10–13 mm; appendages triangular, 10–12 × 5–6 mm (including cilia and spine), with 2–3 (1–2 mm) cilia on each side, or entire, gradually narrowed into a 4.5–6 mm spine. Inner phyllaries broadly lanceolate, 16–30 × 13–15 mm; appendages narrowly lanceolate, 12–15 × 1.5–3.5 mm, entire but sometimes fringed. Flowers white in vivo, sulphur in sicco; central florets hermaphroditic, ca. 55 mm long, corolla ca. 18 mm long, 5-lobed, lobes ca. 8 mm long, with orange nerves, anther tube white, style slightly shorter than corolla, stigma bifid, ca. 0.5 mm long, exserted part from corolla up to 3 mm; peripheral florets sterile, much shorter than central ones, very few (1–3 in each capitulum) and very inconspicuous, finely dissected, not radiant, 5- lobed, limb lobe linear to narrowly lanceolate, ca. 8 mm long. Achenes lanceolate-oblong, 8.5–9 mm long, 4–4.5 mm wide, smooth and shiny, whitish or yellowish, rounded at apex, glabrescent; insertion areole lateral, 0.8–1 mm long. Pappus persistent, multiseriate, scabrous, white and pale purple, pappus ca. 13 mm long, bristles of inner rows slightly longer than others.

Taxonomic and distribution remarks: — Centaurea karamianiae is a very rare endemic to Kermanshah Province, W Iran ( Fig. 47 ). It is an Irano-Turanian element, and grows on fallow fields and roadsides, at elevations of 1300– 1450 m ( Fig. 46C ) ( Negaresh & Rahiminejad 2014). Centaurea karamianiae is only known from the type locality (Kamyaran) in Shahu Mountains. It closely resembles C. alfonsoi in its habit.

In addition, C. karamianiae shares some characters such as indumentum of stem, color of flowers and appendages, number and status of peripheral florets with C. amadanensis subsp. amadanensis . However, it markedly differs from the latter in basal leaves broadly cordate, undivided, 45–50 × 18–26 cm (vs. ovate-triangular or cordate-ovate, sometimes lyrate, terminal segments very larger, 13–20 × (8–) 12–15 cm), median cauline leaves broadly oblanceolate or pandurate, 24–38 × 13–22 cm (vs. broadly lanceolate, oblong to oblong-subpandurate, (8–)10–14(–18) × 2–4 cm), capitula 24 to 26, arranged in a raceme, borne on long leafless peduncles, upper peduncles 15–23 cm long, median peduncles with 2–3 heads (vs. (2–)5 to 15(–50), usually arranged in a raceme but sometimes in a raceme-dichasium, or upper capitula arranged in a raceme and lowest ones arranged in a dichasium, upper capitula sessile or with short peduncule, gradually longer towards base, up to 20(–30) cm long, lowest sometimes with 2–5 heads), involucres globose, 35–40 × 35–45 mm (vs. ovoid or obconical, 25–35 × 22–30(–35) mm), phyllaries with distinct appendages, appendages usually ciliate and triangular or lanceolate (vs. only with 5–20 mm spine, entire, rarely fringed in above), flowers ca. 55 mm (vs. 38–40 mm) long, anther tube color white (vs. pink), and also achenes 8.5–9 mm long, 4–4.5 mm wide (vs. 6–8 mm long, 3–4 mm wide).

Chromosome numbers: —Unknown.

Figures

FIGURE 46. Centaurea karamianiae Negaresh (Ranjbar & Negaresh 28690, BASU). A. close up of capitule. B. inflorescence. C. habit and habitat. D. leaves. Scale A and B = 2 cm, C = 6 cm, D = 4 cm.

FIGURE 47. Distribution of Centaurea karamianiae (circles), C. kurdica subsp. kurdica (squares), and C. kurdica subsp. ciliata (triangles).