Negaresh, Ranjbar & Negaresh, 2013

Ranjbar, Massoud & Negaresh, Kazem, 2013, A revision of Centaurea sect. Phaeopappus (Asteraceae, Cardueae), Phytotaxa 123 (1), pp. 1-40 : 15-17

6. Centaurea handelii Wagenitz (1963: 184) . Fig. 7 .

Replaced synonym: Phaeopappus haussknechtii Boissier (1875: 599) . Tomanthea haussknechtii (Boiss.) Takhtajan (1939: 243) . Type: IRAQ. In deserto ad pedem montes Singarae Mesopotamiae, 6 May 1867, Haussknecht 595 (lectotype G!, designated by Wagenitz 1963: 184, isolectotypes BM!, G!: two sheets, JE!: two sheets, K!, W!, photo BASU!).

Perennial plants, usually totally grayish, 20–55 cm tall. Stem erect, often branched in lower part, sometimes above, branches unequal, 5–7 mm in diam. at the base, cylindrical, densely tomentose. Leaves plane, ± densely covered with floccose-tomentose and sessile glandular hairs. Basal and lower leaves distinctly large, 20–30 cm long, pinnatisect or pinnatipartite, segments in 6–10 pairs, lanceolate or nearly sword-like to oblong, petiole up to 8 cm long, acuminate at apex. Median cauline leaves sessile, 14–20 cm long, undivided or in upper part pinnatisect (toward apex), lanceolate or broadly lanceolate, acute or acuminate at apex, broadly decurrent up to 33 mm long. Upper cauline leaves sessile, undivided, 4–13 × 0.6–3.6 cm, lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate or nearly sword-like to oblong, elongated into a mucro in the apex, almost longer than capitula, broadly decurrent. Capitula 2–3 on sessile peduncles, solitary at end of branches; involucres subglobose, truncate at base, 20–25 × 25–30 mm. Phyllaries multiseriate, coriaceous-scarious, imbricate, brownish, glabrous and smooth or sparsely covered with arachnoid hairs. Outer phyllaries oblong, 3–5 × ca. 5 mm; appendages ca. 4 × ca. 9 mm (cilia and spine included). Median phyllaries oblong or rectangular, 8–11 × 8–10 mm; appendages ca. 4 × 7–8 mm (cilia and spine included). Inner phyllaries oblong or oblonglanceolate, 10–11 × 8–10 mm; appendages 4–5 × 6–7 mm (cilia and spine included). Appendages small, only partly concealing basal part of phyllaries, broadly triangular, not decurrent, brown to dark brown; cilia narrowly triangular or sublunar, brownish, numerous, 3–7 on each side, 1.5–4 mm long; spine 2–3 mm long, usually shorter than the nearest cilia. Flowers purple; central florets hermaphrodite; peripheral florets sterile. Mature achenes unknown; pappus multiseriate, persistent, 14–19 mm long, scabrous, sordid-white, innermost series not shorter than others.

Taxonomic and distributional remarks: — Centaurea handelii makes a new record to Iran. It is occurs in clayey mountains, among scattered Quercus trees or along roadsides in W Azerbaijan Province, NW Iran, at elevations of 1500–1700 m ( Figs. 2 ). Centaurea handelii may grow on limestone slopes and serpentine rocks. According to Wagenitz (1975), it is an Irano-Turanian element. This species is little known but related to C. spectabilis ( Fischer & Meyer 1837: 43) Schultz Bipontinus (1847: 326) in the shape of involucres and appendages. However, it differs by its height being 20–55 cm (vs. 30–80 cm), median and upper cauline leaves broadly decurrent (vs. not decurrent), upper cauline leaves longer than capitula (vs. shorter than capitula), cilia 3–7 on each side (vs. 4–12 on each side), flowers purple (vs. yellow), and also pappus sordidwhite (vs. violet or brown). It is also distributed in N Iraq and E Turkey.

Chromosome numbers: —Unknown.

Selected specimens examined:— IRAN. Prov. W Azerbaijan: Mahabad toward Sardasht , 25 km to Sardasht , 1580 m, 18 June 2011, Ranjbar & Negaresh 25507 ( BASU!) . IRAQ. Prov. Sulaymaniyah: near Penjwin , 1600 m, Rechinger 12255 ( W!) ; 1800 m, Rawi 12234 (K!); Kajan mountains near Penjwin, 1590 m, Rawi 22667 (K!). Rashid in Jabal Sinjar , Anders 2682 ( W!) ; Jabal Sinjar, Omar, Khayat & Qaisi 52563 (K!); Jabal Sinjar, Thesiger 538 ( BM!) , 540 ( BM!); Tschil Miran on Jabal Sinjar, Hand.-Mazz. 1512 ( W!, WU!); Jabal Sinjar , in deserto ad pedem montes Singarae Mesopotamiae , 6 May 1867, Haussknecht 595 (BM!, G!, JE!, K!, W!) . TURKEY. C10 Hakkari: Sat Da., at Varegöz , 1850 m, 26 June 1966, Davis 45661 (E!) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Distribution of Centaurea albonitens (1), C. spectabilis (2), C. aucheri (3), C. phaeopappa (4), C. assadii (5), C. indistincta (6), C. farsistanica (7), C. phaeopappa subsp. jiroftensis (8), and C. handelii (9) in Iran.

FIGURE 7. Centaurea handelii Wagenitz (Haussknecht 595, G).