Cephalaria chaldoranensis Ranjbar & Z. Ranjbar, 2017

Ranjbar, Massoud & Ranjbar, Zahra, 2017, A taxonomic revision of Cephalaria subgen. Cephalaria sect. Atrocephalae (Caprifoliaceae) from Iran, Phytotaxa 311 (2), pp. 101-138 : 104-108

3. Cephalaria chaldoranensis Ranjbar & Z. Ranjbar , sp. nov.

Type:— IRAN. Prov. Azerbaijan-e Gharbi [West Azerbaijan]: NW of province, Chaldoran to Avajiq, 39º 04 ʹ N, 44º 23 ʹ E, 2000–3000 m, 7 June 2013, Ranjbar 35583 ( BASU, holotype). Figs 1–3 .

Perennial, erect, robust. Stem up to 200 cm, single, few-branched, consisting of 1–2 racemes, glabrous, sulcate, thinly white and green striate. Leaves slightly coriaceous, opposite, blades rather symmetrical, leaves green when dried, glabrous on both surface but hairy at margins (1–1.5 mm). Lower cauline leaves petiolate (ca. 17 cm); pinnatisect-pinnatipartite, oblong-elliptic in outline, ca. 23 × 12–15 cm, round at apex, with 7–8 decurrent segments; lateral segments oblong-lanceolate, 3.5–7 × 2–2.5 cm, glaber, acute or acuminate at apex, serrate, 10–22 teeth (apical side straight, basal side flexuous), angle of teeth with reference to the midrib 30º–45º, teeth 1–1.5 mm long, terminal segment ca. 13 × 3.5 cm; serrate to dentate (serrate), ca. 40 teeth (apical side straight, basal side straight), angle of teeth with reference to the midrib 45º–60º, teeth 1.5–2 mm long, midvein impressed adaxially, rounded abaxially, secondary veins pinnate, tertiary veins reticulate. Middle cauline leaves petiolate (3–5 cm); pinnatisect-pinnatipartite, oblong to ovate-lanceolate in outline, 20–35 × 8–12 cm, with 8–12 decurrent lateral segments; lateral segments oblong-lanceolate, 1–8 × 0.5–3 cm, hairy at margins (ca. 1 mm), acute to acuminate at apex, serrate, 6–24 teeth (apical side straight, basal side flexsus to straight), angle of teeth with reference to the midrib 30º–45º, teeth 0.5–1 mm long, acute at apex; terminal segment larger than lateral ones, lanceolate or oblong to lanceolate, 7.5–8 × 2–2.5 cm, acute at apex, dentate, 15–35 teeth (apical side straight, basal side flexuous to concave), angle of teeth ca. 30º–50º, teeth 1–5 mm long, midvein impressed to flat adaxially, flat abaxially, secondary veins pinnate, tertiary veins reticulate. Upper cauline leaves pinnatisect-pinnatipartite, oblong to oblanceolate in outline, 5.5–10 × 1.5–2.5 cm, with 4–6 decurrent lateral segments; lateral segments oblong-lanceolate, 0.5–2 × 0.5–0.7 cm, hairy at margins (ca. 1 mm), acute to acuminate at apex, entire; terminal segment larger than lateral ones, lanceolate or oblong to lanceolate, 4.5–5 × 0.5–0.7 cm, acute at apex, dentate, 2–8 teeth (apical side straight, basal side flexuous), angle of teeth ca. 45º–70º, teeth 1–2 mm long, midvein flat adaxially, rounded abaxially, secondary veins pinnate, tertiary veins reticulate. Peduncle 20–37 cm long, glabrous. Capitula globose, 2–3.5 × 1.5–3 cm in diameter in flower, subradiant, solitary. Involucral bracts in one series, ovate-subrhomboid, 6–6.5 × ca. 6 mm, blackish-coloured dorsally, villous hairs up to 2–3 mm long, obtuse at apex. Receptacular bracts in 7–9 series, sublanceolate-acuminate 10–13 × 2.5–5.5 mm, spine 1–1.5 mm long, whitish with brown strips, blackish and abruptly acute or acuminate and recurved at apex, pilose or sericeous, ciliate at margins, recurved distally in fruit. Calyx cupuliform, 1.5–2 × 1.5 mm, dark green, pubescent, with irregular teeth 1–2 mm long. Corolla 10–10.5 mm long, yellow, densely covered with appressed hairs outside, stamens slightly longer than corolla, anthers deeply yellow. Involucel ca. 4.5–5 × 1.5 mm in flower, 4-angled, hairy (hairs up to 0.2 mm long), 4 long and 4 short teeth at apex; longer teeth ca. 2.5 mm long, shorter teeth ca. 1.5 mm long.

Additional specimens examined:—Only known from the type collection.

Distribution and habitat: — Cephalaria chaldoranensis occurs in Chaldoran(near Avajiq),which is a mountainous region located on the north-facing slopes of Zagros Mts. in Azerbaijan-e Gharbi province, NW Iran. The species grows in sub-humid forests at elevations of 2000–3000 m. It is phytogeographically an Irano-Turanian element.

Taxonomic notes: — Cephalaria chaldoranensis is similar to C. procera in leaf shape and dissection, colour and shape of involucral and receptacular bracts, but can be distinguished by its height (200 vs. 60–100 cm), petiole length in lower cauline leaves (ca. 17 vs. ca. 4 cm long), lower cauline leaves length (ca. 23 vs. 28–32 cm long), segment number (7–8 vs. 4–5), middle cauline leaves glabrous (vs. villous), segments (8–12 vs. ca. 6), peduncle length (20–37 vs. 4–13 cm), capitula size (2–4 × 1.5–3 vs. 2–3.5 × 1.2–1.5 cm) and receptacular bracts series (7–9 vs. 5). In addition, C. chaldoranensis differs from other related species of C. sect. Atrocephalae by height up to 200 cm, segments in lower and middle cauline leaves 7–12, middle cauline leaves glabrous and capitula length 4 cm (see Table 2).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Holotype of Cephalaria chaldoranensis Ranjbar & Z. Ranjbar (Ranjbar 35583, BASU), sheet 1. A. Upper part of plant. B. Corolla. C. Calyx. D. Involucel. E. Involucral bracts. F. Receptacular bracts.

FIGURE 2. Holotype of Cephalaria chaldoranensis Ranjbar & Z. Ranjbar (Ranjbar 35583, BASU), sheet 2.

FIGURE 3. Holotype of Cephalaria chaldoranensis Ranjbar & Z. Ranjbar (Ranjbar 35583, BASU), sheet 3.