Novelty in Centaurea sect. Acrocentron (Asteraceae,Cardueae) from Iran

A new species, Centaurera bojnordensis Ranjbar, Negaresh & Joharchi (Asteraceae), endemic to Khorasan Province in northeastern Iran and belonging to Centaurea sect. Acrocentron, is described and illustrated. This species is mainly distinguished from C. sintenisiana of C. sect. Acrocentron by its indumentum of stem, shape and size of involucres, cilia and spine length. In addition, geographical distribution of the two species is presented and shown. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A new species of Centaurea L. (Cardueae: Asteraceae) from Turkey

A new species of Centaurea L., C. kizildaghensis (Cardueae: Asteraceae), is described and illustrated from south Anatolia. It is restricted to the serpentine rocky slopes of Kızıl Dağ (C3 Konya–Derebucak, Çamlık), and is closely related to C. pseudokotschyi Wagenitz and C. drabifolioides Hub.-Mor., from which it differs in stem, leaf, and phyllary appendage characters. The diagnostic morphological characters are discussed. A new key is produced for Group G species for the flora of Turkey.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 153 , 61–66.     

Contribution to the systematics of the genus Centaurea section Acrocentron (Asteraceae) in Greece

The section Acrocentron of the genus Centaurea in Greece is studied under the light of numerical taxonomy. The method used is the factor analysis of the correspondences. The taxonomic value of 68 morphological characters is examined. The section is divided into three subsections and one of them is further divided into smaller groups. C. spruneri is considered as a variable species within which no subspecies can be distinguished. C. achaia is classified as a synonym to C. sibthorpii C. redempta ssp. cytherea C. rupestris ssp. parnonia and C. rupestris ssp. kozanii are new combinations, which were formally made in Routsi (1993). Also, some recent views on the systematics of this section are confirmed.     

A new species of Centaurea (Asteraceae) from Sicily

A new species of Centaurea, Centaurea sicana , endemic to Sicily, is described. This new taxon is close to Centaurea parlatoris and Centaurea giardinae (Sect. Dissectae), the former occurring at Palermo and in the Madonie Mountains, while the latter occurs on the Etna volcano. The new species has so far been found only on the Sicani Mountains, a limestone mountain range in western Sicily, while the related species occur in the surrounding mountains. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 157 , 785–788.     

Cleistogamous capitulum in Centaurea melitensis (Asteraceae): heterochronic origin

Cleistogamous capitula formed by Centaurea melitensis display a number of morphological and functional changes with respect to chasmogamous capitula that ensure self-fertilization. Because no studies have hitherto addressed the evolution of cleistogamy in Asteraceae, it was considered useful to ascertain whether these changes are attributable to one or more of the heterochronic processes reported in the literature. Bivariate allometric analyses were performed, and changes were represented graphically using Gould's clock models for size, shape, and age of several capitulum and floret structures. Results suggest that the partially paedomorphic appearance of cleistogamous with respect to chasmogamous capitula is attributable to three processes: (1) early onset of floral development (predisplacement), (2) decreased growth rate of the whorls studied (except gynoecium width) and (3) early offset time (progenesis). The latter appears to play the most significant role in the origin of the cleistogamous capitulum.     

Elucidative studies on the generic concept of Senecio (Asteraceae)

VINCENT, P. L. D. & GETLIFFE, F. M., 1992. Elucidative studies on the generic concept of Senecio (Asteraceae) . This paper presents the results of studies of the generic concept of Senecio sensu stricto. The sample of taxa studied consisted of 93 Natal senecios (including seven varieties and two forms), five Cape heterochromous senecios and nine non-southern African senecios, including the type of the genus, S. vulgaris L. Also included in the study were six species from taxonomically closely related genera in the tribe Senecioneae and one Senecio of uncertain taxonomic position. The phenotype of these taxa was investigated with respect to a large number (122) of morphological and micromorphological characters. Six characters were selected as being taxonomically important with respect to elucidating the generic concept of Senecio sensu stricto. The generic concept of Senecio has been provisionally re-circumscribed and the generic status of each of the senecios and non-senecios studied has been tested according to this concept of Senecio sensu stricto sensu Vincent. In the light of this concept of Senecio , the following species are recommended for exclusion from Senecio sensu stricto sensu Vincent: S. cissampelinus, S. transvaalensis, S. syringifolius and S. hockii. The following species are considered to be peripheral to Senecio sensu stricto sensu Vincent: S. tanacetopsis, S. seminiveus, S. medley-woodii, S. tamoides, S. helminthioides, S. barbertonicus, S. brevilorus, S. viminalis, S. radicans and S.fulgens. Before any taxonomic changes are made to the current composition of Senecio , the concept of Senecio sensu stricto sensu Vincent, is being tested on a worldwide sample of the genus.     

A new hexaploid species of Centaurea section Acrolophus (Asteraceae) from Evvia Island,Greece

Centaurea carystea Trigas & Constantin., a new yellow‐flowered species of Centaurea from Mt. Ochi on Evvia Island (Greece), is described and illustrated. It is a member of the polymorphic C. section Acrolophus and allied to taxa of the C. attica aggregate, C. pelia and C. mantoudii. The new species appears to be a local and threatened endemic, with the total number of individuals known being less than 500. A karyological examination revealed that it is hexaploid, with 2n = 6x = 54, an unusual number in Centaurea, which may indicate a hybrid origin. To further clarify the taxonomic position of C. carystea , we used random amplification of polymorphic DNA markers of 25 plants belonging to nine species, subspecies and varieties morphologically related to the new species, together with two reference taxa. Clustering using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean indicated a discrete position for C. carystea , close to but distinct from the yellow‐flowered C. mantoudii. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 158 , 762–774.     

A new Centaurea species (Asteraceae) from Mt Sakar,South-eastern Bulgaria

A new species of Centaurea, C. sakarensis, known from a single locality north-east of the village of Lessovo on Mt Sakar, is described and illustrated. It belongs to C. sect. Acrolophus, and its morphologically closest relative is C. cariensis Boiss., a Turkish endemic from western and south-western Anatolia. The new species is currently known from a single population of about 1000 individuals, growing on open stony calcareous places, at 475 m a.s.l., and should be classified as Critically Endangered, (B1ab[i, ii, iii]+2ab [i, ii, iii]).     

A new species of Centaurea (Asteraceae) from Calabria (S Italy)

A new species is described here from the Presila in Calabria (S Italy) and named Centaurea calabra. It belongs to Centaurea sect. Phalolepis and is related to the C. deusta group, namely to C. sarfattiana. Taxonomical characteristics, distribution, and ecology of the new Centaurea are also provided.     

A revision of Arenaria section Plinthine (Caryophyllaceae)

GOYDER, D. J., 1987. A revision of Arenaria section Plinthine (Coryophyllaceae). The systematics of Arenaria section Plinthine are reviewed and a classification is presented, based on detailed field and herbarium studies. Members of the section are found on the mountains of SW Europe and N Africa. Seven taxa are recognized within five species: A. alfacarensis, A. tetraquetra subsp. tetraquetra, A. tetraquetra subsp. amabilis, A. armerina, A. aggregata subsp. aggregata, A. aggregata subsp. erinacea , and A. querioides. Arenaria armerina and A. aggregata subsp. erinacea are extremely polymorphic and include minor morphological variants which have been treated as separate species in previous systematic treatments of the group.     

Cremanthodium weixiense (Asteraceae,Senecioneae), a new species from northwestern Yunnan,China

Cremanthodium weixiense (Asteraceae, Senecioneae), a new species from northwestern Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated. The new species is referred to C. ser. Calcicola based on its palmately veined leaves, discoid capitula and leaflike, herbaceous phyllaries. However, it is unique in this series in having dissected leaves. It is somewhat similar to C. pinnatisectum in C. ser. Campanulata in the dissected leaves and the discoid capitula, but differs by the suborbicular (versus subreniform) basal leaves with deeply cordate (versus subtruncate) bases and very narrow (versus obviously divergent) sinuses, the presence (versus absence) of a conspicuously sheathed petiolar base of stem leaves, the broadly cylindrical (versus campanulate) involucres and the leaflike, herbaceous (versus petaloid, membranous) phyllaries.     

A new species of the Brazilian genus Chresta (Asteraceae, Vernonieae) from Bahia

A new species of the genus Chresta Vell. ex DC. (Vernonieae, Asteraceae) from the Brazilian state of Bahia is described and illustrated. The new species resembles Chresta pinnatifida (Philipson) H.Rob. but differs in having solitary glomerules, leaf bases clasping the stem and 35–40 capitula per glomerule. It can be distinguished from Chresta harleyii and Chresta martii , the other two species of the genus with pinnately lobed leaves, by the type of pubescence, leaf blade bases and florets number. In addition, a key to distinguish all the species of the genus is presented. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 157 , 587–590.     

Centaurea tchihatcheffii Fischer & C.A. Meyer (Asteraceae)

Centaurea tchihatcheffii is a steppic annual possessing some unique features absent in other Centaureas. The chromosome number is 2n = 20, differing from all other annual species of Centaurea sect. Cyanus. The type locality as published is erroneous and the correct provenance is provided.