Centaurea sect. Microlophus, , Compositae, 2018

Ranjbar, Massoud, Askari, Ali & Sw, Someh Mohammadi, 2018, A contribution to Centaurea sect. Microlophus (Asteraceae, Cardueae) in Iran, Phytotaxa 361 (2), pp. 151-167 : 152

Key to species of Centaurea sect. Microlophus

1. Capitula arranged in a spike-like inflorescence ............................................................................................................ C. babylonica

– Capitula solitary or arranged in a corymb..........................................................................................................................................2

2. Phyllaries without an appendage, or with a minute mucro up to 1.5 mm long..................................................................................3

– Phyllaries with a distinct appendage..................................................................................................................................................5

3. Stem and leaves with crisped hairs............................................................................................................................ C. polypodiifolia

– Stem and leaves nearly glabrous........................................................................................................................................................4

4. Basal leaves lyrate with very large terminal segment and few lateral segments; involucre 10–18 mm broad; inner row of pappus distinctly shorter than the preceding rows ............................................................................................................................ C. behen

– Basal leaves pinnatisect with several pairs of lateral lobes; involucre 5–8(–10) mm broad; inner row of pappus about as long as the preceding rows.................................................................................................................................................................... C. koeiana

5. Leaves broadly ovoid to triangular.....................................................................................................................................................6

– Leaves lanceolate, oblong or lanceolate-oblong or ovate-elliptic......................................................................................................8

6. Flowers up to 26 mm long, upper cauline leaves ovate, inner phyllaries pale purple.............................................. C. palanganensis

– Flowers 25–45 mm long, upper cauline leaves lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, inner phyllaries yellowish green..........................7

7. Involucres large, phyllaries with 4–8 mm long spine......................................................................................................... C. thracica

– Involucres medium, phyllaries with 5–7 palmately arranged spinules ....................................................................... C. hakkariensis

8. Phyllaries with 5–15 mm long spine..................................................................................................................................................9

– Phyllaries acute or with 0.2–2(–4) mm long spine...........................................................................................................................10

9. Flowers up to 40 mm long; pappus 8–9 mm long............................................................................................................ C. alveicola

– Flowers up to 20 mm long; pappus 4–5 mm long................................................................................................................. C. rigida

10. Median cauline leaves lanceolate, oblong or lanceolate-oblong, semiamplexicaul, decurrent for up to 10 mm, upper cauline leaves sessile, margin entire or repand-dentate ............................................................................................................................... C. pabotii

– Median cauline leaves pinnatipartite-pinnatilobate or pinnatifid, decurrent for 4–15 mm, margin incised ........................................ ....................................................................................................................................................................... C. masjedsoleymanensis