Cousinia joharchii Assadi & Mehregan, 2016

Mehregan, Iraj & Assadi, Mostafa, 2016, A synopsis of Cousinia sect. Pseudactinia (Cardueae, Asteraceae) including a new species from NE Iran, Phytotaxa 257 (3), pp. 271-279 : 276

5. Cousinia joharchii Assadi & Mehregan , sp. nov.

Type:— IRAN. Semnan: Shahroud, N. slopes of Kuh-e Shahvar, from Mighan and Turne to Panarvan, 1600–2900 m, 13 July 1998, Mozaffarian 78116 (holotype TARI!).

Key characters and affinities: Related to C. oreodoxa as the closest affinity but with basal leaves orbicular-elliptic, up to 5 cm long and 4 cm broad (not long lanceolate, up to 15 cm long and 4 cm broad), ± glabrous on the lower side (not densely arachnoid), branches with a single capitulum (not with up to 5 capitula) ( Fig. 4 ).

Life form perennial to ca. 40 cm high, branched at the base. Stems woody brown and covered with the remnants of old withered petioles at the base, ended up to current year stems. Current year stems pubescent to glabrous, yellowish, branched above, branches terminate to a single capitulum. Basal leaves petiolate, petioles up to 2 cm long; blades 3–5 cm long and 3–4 cm broad, nearly orbicular or broadly ovate, rounded at the base, hairy below, glabrous above, lobed up to 1/4 at the margin, distinctly nerved; lobes terminate to ca. 3 mm long spines, with 0–4 subsidiary lobes; stem leaves up to 5 cm long and 3.5 cm broad, sessile, or amplexicaule at the base, gradually diminish in size toward the capitulum. Synflorescence paniculate-corymbose. Capitulum solitary. Involucre 20–30 mm long, ca. 10 mm broad, cylindrical-ovate, arachnoid; involucral bracts ca. 70, spiny at apex, without lateral teeth, outer and middle bracts up to 20 mm long, subulate-lanceolate; inner bracts oblanceolate. Flowers ca. 70; corolla ca. 17 mm long, pale purple in age; tube ca. 6 mm long; limb ca. 11 mm; teeth ca. 4 mm long; anther tube glabrous. Receptacular bristles ca. 15 mm long, smooth. Achene ca. 6 mm long, 2 mm broad, obpyramidate, brownish, compressed, edentate at the apex; papus slightly shorter than the achene, scabrous.

Distribution: Endemic to NE Iran, Semnan, N slopes of mt. Shahvar ( Fig. 3 ).

Eponymy: The species is named in honour of M. Joharchi, senior botanist at FUMH herbarium, Mashad, Iran.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Distribution of species belonging to C. sect. Pseudactinia (illustrated by I. Mehregan).

FIGURE 4. Holotype of C. joharchii at TARI (Mozaffarian 78116; photographed by I. Mehregan).