Centaurea zarrei Negaresh 2018, sp. nov.

37. Centaurea zarrei Negaresh, sp. nov. (Fig. 78)

Centaureae doddsii affinis, a qua plantis ca. 50 cm (nec 75–90 cm) altis, foliis rigidis, laminis ± suffulsitis, phlomoides (nec in sicco papyraceis), foliis caulinis inferioribus 14–18 × 5–7 cm (nec 20–34 × 10–12 cm), foliis caulinis mediis ca. 12–13 × 3.4–3.6 cm (nec (10–)17–30 × 5–8 cm), capitulis pauciis, 5–6, in racemo dispositis, pedunculis brevibus, ± equalis, 2.5–3(–7) cm longis (nec pluribus, 10–12, in spica vel racemo dispositis, inferioribus sessilibus, superioribus subsessilibus vel pedunculis ad 2 cm longis), appendicibus phyllorum triangularibus vel elongatis triangularibus, brunneis vel pallide brunneis, erectis (nec lanceolatis, stramineis vel pallide brunneis, saepe reflexis vel squarrosis), ciliis rigidis, 2–5 mm longis (nec membranaceis, (2–) 4–8 mm longis), spinis terminalibus appendicum 6–12 mm (nec 8–17 mm) longis differt.

Type:— TURKEY. B6 Kayseri: 3 km to Tufanbeyli from Saimbeyli, margin of field, 1500 m, 9 August 1997, Zarre 63 (holotype E!, photo herb. Negaresh).

Biennial plants, with thick fleshy taproot, whole plant usually green, ca. 50 cm tall; collar of fibrous petiolar remains present at stem base. Stem erect, always simple, greenish, ca. 3 mm in diam. at base, cylindrical, with thick greenish-yellow striations, loosely leafy throughout, lower part purplish, lower to median parts densely covered with hirsute-articulate hairs, upper part ± loosely covered with arachnoid hairs. Leaves rigid, consistent, blade ± propped, similar to leaves of Phlomis, loosely covered with short hirsute-articulate hairs, especially along midrib and veins. Basal leaves petiolate, undivided, sometimes basally with two small segments, lanceolate, 26–28 × 6–8 cm, acute at apex, entire or remotely denticulate at margins. Lower cauline leaves simple, with a 3–7 cm petiole, lanceolate, 14–18 × 5–7 cm, entire or denticulate at margins, acute at apex. Median cauline leaves sessile, elongate-lanceolate or lanceolate-oblong, ca. 12–13 × 3.4–3.6 cm, narrowly decurrent, up to 7 mm along stem, entire, acute at apex. Upper cauline leaves successively smaller, simple, sessile, narrowly lanceolate or lanceolate-linear, (4–)8–10 × (0.8–) 1.2–2 cm, not decurrent, entire, acuminate or mucronate at apex. Capitula few, 5 to 6, arranged in a raceme, peduncles short, ± equal, 2.5–3(–7) cm long. Involucres oblong or oblong-ovoid, 32–35 × 22–25(–27) mm. Phyllaries multiseriate, greenish-yellow, imbricate, coriaceous. Appendages large, totally concealing phyllaries, rigid, not decurrent, brown or pale brown, triangular or elongate triangular, 2–3.8 mm wide at base (excluding cilia); cilia straw-coloured, rigid, ± patent, numerous, (4–)5–7(–8) on each side, 2–5 mm long; spines narrowly triangular, 6–12 mm long, longer than adjacent cilia. Flowers purple in sicco; central florets hermaphroditic, 25–28 mm long, corolla 14–16 mm long, 5-lobed, lobes 6–7 mm long; peripheral florets sterile, slightly longer than central ones, numerous (ca. 15 in each capitulum) and conspicuous, finely dissected, slightly radiant, 5-lobed, limb lobes linear, 6–7 mm long. Achenes oblong, ca. 5.5–6 mm long, glabrescent. Pappus persistent, multiseriate, scabrous, whitish, 10–12 mm long, bristles of inner rows much shorter than others.

Etymology:—The specific epithet is given in honour of Dr. Shahin Zarre who collected the species.

Taxonomic and distribution remarks: — Centaurea zarrei is a very rare endemic to Kayseri Province, S Turkey (Fig. 76). It is an Irano-Turanian element, and grows on rocky slopes and fallow fields, at elevations of ca. 1500 m. Centaurea zarrei is similar to C. doddsii in some characters such as indumentum of stem, size of involucres, color of flowers and appendages totally concealing phyllaries. There are however clear differences between both species (see Table 4). This species is also related to C. haradjianii, especially because of the indumentum of leaves, number of cilia, length of spine and color of flowers (Fig. 31), but there are several differences (see Table 4). In addition, C. zarrei shares some characters such as appendages totally concealing phyllaries and flowers purple with C. haussknechtii (Fig. 32), although by some pronounced features (see Table 4) it differs from the latter. In addition, C. zarrei prefers higher elevations than C. doddsii, C. haradjianii and C. haussknechtii.

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Chromosome numbers: —Unknown.

Excluded Taxa

Centaurea sect. Cardueae Negaresh, sect. nov. — Type: Centaurea onopordifolia Boiss.

Centaureae sect. Cynaroides affinis, sed caulis multis, spinosis, alatis (nec plerumque simplex, numquam spinosis), foliis omnibus pinnatifidis, pinnatisectis vel pinnatilobis, margine spinosis (nec integris, interdum basalis et inferiorbus lyratis, non spinosis) differt.

Biennial plants, thistle-like, whole plant densely covered with adpressed white arachnoid-tomentose hairs. Stem spiny-winged, with minor and undulate triangular spiny-margined lobes, several, branched at base. Leaves spiny at margin, sometimes bicolor, pinnatifid or pinnatisect, uppermost smaller. Capitula numerous, arranged in a racemose dichasium, loose panicle or corymb, rarely raceme, usually on subsessile peduncles, peduncles usually wingless above; involucres ovoid-oblong. Appendages rigid, triangular to elongate triangular, yellow or pale brown, not decurrent, spinulate, innermost pectinate or rounded, with 3–4 (2–) 4–10 mm spinules on each side; spine robust, 5–25 mm long. Flowers yellow, central florets hermaphroditic, peripheral florets not radiant and usually shorter than central ones. Achenes lanceolate or oblong, 5–5.5 mm long, dark brown to blackish; pappus twice as long as achenes, persistent, bristles of inner rows much shorter than others.

Taxonomic notes: —This new section is described here including only one species, C. onopordifolia. Centaurea onopordifolia was first introduced by Boissier (1849) who assigned it to C. sect. Cynaroides; later on, this position was accepted by Boissier (1875) and Wagenitz (1960). Our study showed that there are diagnostic morphological characters such as: thistle-like habit, stem spiny-winged, with minor and undulate triangular spiny-margined lobes, and also leaves spiny-margined (that are unique in the genus Centaurea) in C. sect. Cardueae. By these characters, it is easily distinguished from C. sect. Cynaroides (see Figs. 61 and 62 as type of C. sect. Cynaroides). Furhermore, C. sect. Cardueae differs from C. sect. Cynaroides by its stems several, branched at base (vs. usually simple), and also all leaves pinnatisect and pinnatifid, or pinnatilobed (vs. usually undivided, sometimes basal and lower cauline leaves lyrate).

Etymology: —The sectional epithet means ‘thistle-like habit’.