Centaurea sect. Cynaroides (Boiss.) Dostal, 1976

Negaresh, Kazem & Rahiminejad, Mohammad Reza, 2018, A revision of Centaurea sect. Cynaroides (Asteraceae, Cardueae-Centaureinae), Phytotaxa 363 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

Key to the species of Centaurea sect. Cynaroides

1 Peripheral florets very few (1–3(–5) in each capitulum), very inconspicuous, shorter than central ones ....................................... 2

- Peripheral florets numerous (15–25 in each capitulum), conspicuous, equal to or slightly shorter than central ones .................... 5

2 Anther tube white ............................................................................................................................................................................. 3

- Anther tube pink ............................................................................................................................................................................... 4

3 Involucres globose, 35–40 × 35–45 mm; indumentum of phyllaries densely lanate-tomentose; appendages distinct; central florets ca. 55 mm long; achenes 8.5–9 mm long; pappus ca. 13 mm long ..................................................................... 21. C. karamianiae

- Involucres ovoid-subglobose, 22–26(–30) × 20–25(–28) mm; indumentum of phyllaries densely fine yellow tomentum easily wiped off; appendages lacking; central florets up to 30 mm long; achenes 5–7 mm long; pappus 7–10 mm long .... 24. C. nemecii

4 Capitula with ± equal peduncles, 10–17 cm long; phyllaries with distinct and ciliate appendages .................. 23. C. mozaffarianii

- Capitula with unequal peduncles, upper capitula sessile or shortly pedunculate, gradually longer towards the base, up to 20(–30) cm long; phyllaries exappendiculate, with a mucro (1–3 mm), or with a 5–20 mm long spine .......................... 3. C. amadanensis

5 Flowers yellow ................................................................................................................................................................................. 6

- Flowers not yellow ......................................................................................................................................................................... 12

6 Capitula few, solitary at end of stem and branches, or arranged in a subraceme, peduncles very long, up to 40 cm long; involucres globose, 30–40 × 30–50(–55) mm; appendages very large, orbicular; spine lacking; cilia (15–)20–25 on each side ... 10. C. fenzlii

- Capitula numerous, usually arranged in dichasium or corymbose dichasium, sessile or subsessile; involucres ovoid or ovoid-oblong, 15–30 × 10–30 mm; appendages small to large, triangular to ovate, or lanceolate; spine 3–7(–15) mm long; cilia 3–15 on each side ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

7 Appenadges totally concealing phyllaries ........................................................................................................................................ 8

- Appendages concealing part of phyllaries only .............................................................................................................................. 10

8 Stem branched from median to upper parts; appendages rigid-coriaceous; cilia 7–12 on each side, (1–) 1.5–2 mm long; spine 5–7 mm long; achenes 7–7.5 mm long; pappus 3.5–4 mm long ..................................................................................... 11. C. geluensis

- Stem only branched above; appendages chartaceous; cilia (8–)12–15 on each side, 2–4 mm long; spines 3–5(–6) mm long; achenes 4.5–6 mm long; pappus 5–8 mm long .............................................................................................................................................. 9

9 Stem 50–70 cm tall; basal and lower cauline leaves undivided; capitula 5 to 10(–15), arranged in a corymb; appendages 3–5 mm wide at base ................................................................................................................................................................. 8. C. charrelii

- Stem 100–150 cm tall; basal and lower cauline leaves with 1–2 pairs of ± falcate or triangular lobes (4–8 cm long); capitula in 2–3 nearly congested (subsessile) at end of stem and short branches, arranged in a subraceme or racemose dichasium; appendages 2–3 mm wide at base ........................................................................................................................................................... 36. C. zaferii

10 Stem almost simple; capitula arranged in a densely congested corymb; involucres 20–25 mm wide; appendages with digitate spinules; achenes 8.5–9 mm long, 4–4.5 mm wide; pappus ca. 2.5 mm long ....................................................... 25. C. phlomoides

- Stem branched from lower to upper parts; capitula arranged in a dichasium or loose panicle; involucres 12–15 mm wide; appendages with erect cilia; achenes 4–6 mm long, 1.8–2.6 mm wide; pappus 4–9 mm long ......................................................................... 11

11 Stem 25–50 cm tall; basal leaves pinnatipartite or sublyrate, 20–30 × 4–5 cm; lower and median cauline leaves pinnatisect or pinnatipartite, sometimes sublyrate; involucres 15–20 mm long; median appendages 8–13 mm long; cilia 3–4 on each side, 2–3 mm long; pappus 4–6 mm long ........................................................................................................................... 13. C. gudrunensis

- Stem 50–150 cm tall; basal leaves undivided, sometimes lyrate, 35–70 × 8–20 cm; lower and median cauline leaves undivided; involucres (20–) 25–30 mm long; median appendages (10–)12–20(–22) mm long; cilia 4–6 on each side, 2–5 mm long; pappus 7–9 mm long ................................................................................................................................................................. 17. C. iranshahrii

12 Flowers white ................................................................................................................................................................................. 13

- Flowers pink or purple, rarely wine-red ......................................................................................................................................... 14

13 Involucres ovoid to subglobose, (25–)35–40 × 35–40 mm; appendages erect, straw-coloured or pale brown-reddish, sometimes brownish; outer appendages triangular-ovate, 8–10 mm long, with 8–12 cilia on each side, 0.3–1.5 mm long, sometimes denticulate, gradually narrowing into a 1–2 mm spine; median appendages triangular, 11–13 mm long, gradually narrowing into a 5–7 mm spine .................................................................................................................................................................................. C. alfonsoi

- Involucres globose or globose to conical, 40–50 × 40–50 mm; appendages subreflexed, pale purple to purple; outer appendages elongate-triangular, 12–16 mm long, with 2–7(–9) cilia on each side, 2–5(–6) mm long, gradually narrowing into a 3–5 mm spine; median appendages narrowly triangular, 17–21 mm long, gradually narrowing into a 7–10 mm spine ........ 20. C. kamyaranensis

14 Appendages totally concealing phyllaries ...................................................................................................................................... 15

- Appendages concealing part of phyllaries only .............................................................................................................................. 25

15 Involucres 40–55 × 40–60 mm; pappus 10–13(–15) mm long ...................................................................................................... 16

- Involucres 25–40 × 20–35 mm; pappus 6–10 mm long ................................................................................................................. 17

16 Capitula arranged in a raceme, upper peduncles 10–15 cm long; appendages distinctly ciliate, white, brown or purple, sometimes straw-coloured; median appendages 20–25 mm wide; central florets ca. 45 mm long .................................................. 28. C. regia

- Capitula arranged in a raceme or spike, upper peduncles 2–7 cm long or subsessile, sometimes lowest ones up to 25 cm; appendages usually entire or rarely laciniate in upper part, almost white; median appendages 14–18 mm wide; central florets ca. 32–36 mm long .............................................................................................................................................................................. 22. C. kurdica

17 Basal and lower cauline leaves lyrate, terminal segments much larger than lateral ones .............................................................. 18

- Basal and lower cauline leaves undivided ...................................................................................................................................... 20

18 Stem 50–120 cm tall; appendages entire or rarely fringed in upper part, chartaceous, white; pappus 8–10 mm long ....................... ................................................................................................................................................................................. 29. C. sclerolepis

- Stem 30–50(–60) cm tall; appendages distinctly ciliate, rigid or rigid-chartaceous, straw-coloured or straw-coloured mottled with brown; pappus 6–7.5 mm long ....................................................................................................................................................... 19

19 Capitula arranged in a raceme; involucres ovoid-subglobose; appendages broadly ovate to ovate, 5–8 mm wide at base, almost erect; cilia (8–)10–13 on each side; spine (2–) 4–10 mm long, slightly longer than nearest cilia ............................. 7. C. cataonica

- Capitula arranged in a spike or raceme; involucres ovoid; appendages lanceolate, 3–4(–4.5) mm wide at base, sometimes squarrose

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