Centaurea kabirkuhensis Mozaffarian, F. Ghahremaninejad & Fereidounfar 2012

18. Centaurea kabirkuhensis Mozaffarian, F. Ghahremaninejad & Fereidounfar (2012: 133). (Fig. 42)

Centaurea procera Mozaffarian (2010: 204), nom. illeg., non Centaurea procera (Fischer & Ave-Lallemant in Fischer et al. 1841: 46) Heynhold (1846: 131). Type:— IRAN. Prov. Ilam: Abdanan, Dinar kuh, 1030 m, 6 May 2009, 32° 57′ 34″ N, 47° 22′ 20″ E, Mozaffarian 93165 (holotype TARI!).

Biennial plants, with a thick and stout fleshy taproot, whole plant usually green, 50–150 cm; collar of fibrous petiolar remains present at stem base. Stem erect, usually simple, 8–15 mm in diam. at base, cylindrical, with thick white striations, loosely leafy in median part, reddish in lower part, lower to median parts densely covered with hirsute-articulate hairs, others subglabrous or covered with sparsely arachnoid hairs. Leaves rigid, papyraceous (on drying), usually undivided, below prominently with elevated veins, nerves whitish, covered with hirsute-articulate hairs, denser along midrib and veins. Basal and lower cauline leaves large, sometimes withered at anthesis, with a long petiole, broadly cordate to broadly ovate, 20–32 × 12–16 cm, sometimes with 1–2 small lobes in base of lamina, serrulate, sometimes entire, acute or subacuminate at apex, lower ones sometimes with auricles at base. Median cauline leaves sessile, simple, ovate-lanceolate or oblanceolate, contracted into a narrower basal part, 15–22 × 6–10 cm, winged or broadly decurrent, up to 50 mm along stem, serrulate or cartilaginously denticulate, acuminate or cuspidate at apex. Upper cauline leaves increasingly smaller, sessile, lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate, 5–12 × 1–5 cm, decurrent, up to 30 mm along stem, sparsely covered with arachnoid hairs, serrulate or entire, caudate at apex. Capitula several, 5 to 10, arranged in a raceme, upper peduncles 10–20 cm long. Involucres globose-ovoid, truncate at base, 40–50 × 35–40 mm. Phyllaries multiseriate, green in vivo, coriaceous, imbricate, densely tomentose hairs, with hyaline margins. Appendages rigid, concealing part of phyllaries only, elongate-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, brown to dark brown, 3–5 mm wide, entire, sometimes inner ones shallowly fringed or denticulate, not decurent. Outer phyllaries ovate, 5–7 × 7–8 mm, appendages 7–12 mm long. Median and inner phyllaries lanceolate, 12–20 × 10–12 mm, appendages 15–30 mm long. Flowers pink; central florets hermaphroditic, 40–45 mm long, corolla tube thin, ca. 30 mm long, corolla ca. 20 mm long; anther tube rose or pale purple; peripheral florets sterile, nearly equal to central ones, numerous (15–20 in each capitulum) and conspicuous, finely dissected, not radiant, 4–5-lobed, limb lobes linear to filiform, ca. 5 mm long. Achenes oblong or lanceolate, 7–8 mm long, 3–4 mm wide, smooth and shiny, yellowish, rounded at apex, glabrous; insertion areole lateral, whitish, 0.5–1 mm long. Pappus double, persistent, multiseriate, pale brown, scabrous, 7–9 mm long, bristles of inner rows much shorter than others, ca. 1.5–2 mm long.

Taxonomic and distribution remarks: — Centaurea kabirkuhensis is a rare endemic to Ilam Province, W Iran (Fig. 43). It is an Irano-Turanian element, and grows on stony slopes, fallow fields and roadsides, and mid-montane zone, at elevations of 950–1300 m. Centaurea kabirkuhensis is only known from Kabirkuh Mountains (Dinar Kuh) and found together with C. iranshahrii in field. It is similar to C. shahuensis in the shape of inflorescence, number of capitula and color of flowers. However, it differs from C. shahuensis by its basal leaves broadly cordate to broadly ovate, 20–32 cm long, sometimes with 1–2 small lobes in base of lamina, serrulate, sometimes entire (vs. broadly cordate-oblong or broadly cordate-lanceolate, 30–35 cm long, undivided, entire), median cauline leaves serrulate or cartilaginously denticulate, acuminate or cuspidate at apex (vs. entire, acute at apex), upper cauline leaves serrulate or entire, caudate at apex (vs. entire, acute or acuminate at apex), involucres globose-ovoid, truncate at base, 40–50 mm long (vs. globose-conical, somewhat convex at base, abruptly contracted at apex and angustate (in flowering state), 35–40 mm long), outer appendages elongate-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, brown to dark brown, entire (vs. ovate-triangular, margins entire or fringed in upper part, gradually narrowed into a 2–8 mm spine, straw-coloured to pale purple), median appendages elongate-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, brown to dark brown, 15–30 mm long, entire (vs. appendages triangular, ca. 15 mm long, margin entire or sometimes with 1–2 cilia (1.2–3 mm) on each side, irregular, gradually narrowed into a ca. 8 mm spine, purple to straw-coloured), inner appendages elongate-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, brown to dark brown, 15–30 mm long, entire, sometimes shallowly fringed or denticulate (vs. narrowly triangular, subspiniform, 14–17 mm long, margin entire or sometimes with up to 1 cilium (1.2–3 mm) on each side, irregular, gradually narrowed into a 9–11 mm spine, deep purple), flowers 50–55 mm (vs. ca. 60 mm) long, and also pappus 7–9 mm long, bristles of inner rows much shorter than others, ca. 1.5–2 mm long. (vs. ca. 14 mm long, bristles of inner rows slightly shorter than others).

Chromosome numbers: —Unknown.

Selected specimens examined:— IRAN. Prov. Ilam: Abdanan, Dinar kuh, 1100–1300 m, 29 April 2013, Ranjbar & Negaresh 33988 (BASU!); Ranjbar & Negaresh 33989 (BASU!); Abdanan, 7 km from Abdanan toward Dinar Kuh, 950 m, 12 April 2014, Negaresh & Asadbegy 131 (herb. Negaresh!); Negaresh & Asadbegy 155 (herb. Negaresh!); Abdanan toward Dinar Kuh, 10 km to Dinar Kuh, roadsides and hills, 1150 m, 12 April 2014, Negaresh & Asadbegy 20139 (HUI!); Abdanan toward Dinar Kuh, 10–12 km to Dinar Kuh, 1250–1300 m, 29 May 2015, 32° 57′ 11.98″ N, 47° 20′ 40.002″ E, Negaresh & Asadbegy 132 (herb. Negaresh!).