NEW REPORTS OF THREE ENDANGERED SPECIES OF CENTAUREA (SECT. CYNAROIDEAE, ASTERACEAE) FROM

A. Ghahreman & F. Attar

Ghahreman, A. & Attar, F., 2000 08 01: New reports of three endangered species of Centaurea (Sect. Cynaroideae, Asteraceae) from Iran. -Iran. Journ; Bot. 8 (2): 299-302. Tehran.

Centaurea gigantea is a new to the flora of Iran. Discription of Centaurea phlomoides is completed. Also Centaurea regia and C. phlomoides is reported as rare plants from West of Iran. Geographical distribution of species are shown.

Ahmad Ghahreman & Fariden Attar, Central Herbarium of Tehran University, Department of Botany, Faculty of Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Key words. Centaurea, Asteraceae, Iran. jl (Centaurea, sect. Cynaroideae ~) r.;;! J!~J"-'jl "';.J':I ~I.J!, I

jl ~~ ~;I:;.5wl'p ~ Cynaroideae ~ jl Centaurea gigantea .;;} Centaurea rLi"-! ~ ~I jl i.SA~.;;~ c:~ J .}.;A-" wl.Ji,1~~ ~~ ~ ~:r; C. regia .;;} J ~I.;;} .~~J...,.~ (wl.Ji,1~,),jl) phlomoides

\,),j16-w' i.S.JJi~ iJ"JI~1 J ~JL..J.....y '-:'"'J) ~ (~';;~).J~.l.U J J:.:-.A wl,ri,1.J~LiwL.L? jl \6-W.}"J .;;} "-' /' .,),j~...,..j;l} \6-W. ~~j4 ..:-..1~~ ~ ~ J ~ ~ .J~~J~ If'ly ~ ~ L"ii~I~ 300 Ghahreman & Attar IRAN. JOURN. BOT. 8 (2), 2000

Introduction species in in Based on Wagenitz (1975) research work province in 1998, but failed to collect it on Flora Iranica, genus Centaurea consists again in 1999. It is very likely that this 86 species (including 23 sections) of which species is being seriously threatened by 76 are found in Iran. Of this number 32 are extinction. endemic species in Iran. In the course of our research and recent Centaurea gigante a Schultz-Bip. ex collecting activities in West and Southwest Boiss., Fl. Or. 3: 672 (1875). of Iran, we identified 3 interesting Lorestan: between Khorramabad and Centaurea species from the Cynaroides Sepid-Dasht, 50 km to Sepid-Dasht, 1500 section. The first one is C. gigantea which m, Ghahreman & Attar 21840 (TUH). has been reported from Iraq (Mousel, Habitat. Dry stony plains and margin of Arbil, Suleimanieh, Karkuk and fields. Gharadagh) and Turkey (Hakari region). A new record to Iran. Its general Our collection of this species in Lorestan distribution is in Iraq, SW Anatoli and province extends its distribution. Iran. The other species is C. phlomoides with

the geographic distribution confined to a Centaurea phlomoides Boiss. & small area around . It is an endemic Hausskn. in Boiss., Fl. Or. 3: 673 (1875), of Iran and very likely an endangered descr. compl. species. The description in Flora Iranica Flores lutei, vix radiantes, laciniis filiformis. (Wagenitz 1980) was based on immature Achaenia 9 mm longa, 4-4.5 mm lata, capitulum, and therefore it is completed straminea, pilosa; hila lateralia; pappus here. usque ad 2.5 mm longus, e setis scabris, C. regia is another species with a wider series intima et externa a ceteris brevior. geographic distribution extending from Endemic to Iran. West of Iran to Iraq (region of Musel, Kermanshah: Paveh, road of , Arbil, Karkuk and Soleymanieh) and 1350 m, Ghahreman & Attar 22588 Turkey. The distribution of this species in (TUH); Kermanshah: Paveh, road of Iran is very limited. We collected the Bayangan, 1350m, Attar & Mirtazodini New Centaurea from Iran 301 IRAN. JOURN. BOT. 8 (2), 2000

Fig 1. Centaurea phlomoides (xO.6). 302 Ghahreman &: Attar IRAN. JOURN. BOT. 8 (2), 2000

Map. 1. Distribution of Centaurea species. C. phlomoides Ill; C. regia • ; C. gieguntea •

19857 (TUH). () in Iran. General Habitat. stony hills. distribuition of species is in West of Iran This species was gathered once by and Iraq. Haussknecht about 130 years ago on the mountains in West of Iran. Acknowledgment Thanks are due to Mr. M. Mirtazodini for Centaurea regia Boiss., Diagn. Pl. Or. preparing the illustration. Nov. Ser. 1, 6: 135 (1845). subsp, regia References Kermanshah: between Kermanshah and Wagenitz, G. 1975: Centaurea in P. H. Ravansar, 5 km to Ravansar, 1700 m, Davis Flora of Turkey and the East Ghahreman and Attar, 20565 (TUH). Aegean Islands, vol. 5. -Edinburgh. Habitat. margin of fields. - 1980: Centaurea in K. H. Rechinger, Fl. This species was once collected by Iranica, no. 139B. -Graz, Strausse on the Shahu mountains