Two new species of Centaurea sect. Microlophus (Asteraceae, Cardueae) from Iran Author Ranjbar, Massoud 0000-0003-0939-3878 Department of Biology, Herbarium Division, Bu-Ali Sina University, P. O. Box 65175 / 4111, Hamedan, Iran. & ranjbar @ basu. ac. ir; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 0939 - 3878 ranjbar@basu.ac.ir Author Askari, Ali 0000-0002-4043-6306 Department of Biology, Herbarium Division, Bu-Ali Sina University, P. O. Box 65175 / 4111, Hamedan, Iran. & aliiiiaskari 34 @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 4043 - 6306 aliiiiaskari34@gmail.com Author Mohammadi, Somayeh 0000-0001-8925-5824 Department of Biology, Herbarium Division, Bu-Ali Sina University, P. O. Box 65175 / 4111, Hamedan, Iran. & s. mohamadi 6868 @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 8925 - 5824 s.mohamadi6868@gmail.com text Phytotaxa 2021 2021-01-20 480 2 125 138 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.480.2.2 journal article 4488 10.11646/phytotaxa.480.2.2 702b3b1f-bd77-4ce5-a439-32b6d953cbac 1179-3163 5415987 Key to the closely related species of Centaurea sect. Microlophus 1. Plant covered with arachnoid indumentum; lower cauline leaves oblong to elliptic, entire; upper cauline leaves 1–4 cm long, decurrent for 2 to 10 mm ; involucres narrowly ovoid, 5–8 mm wide................................................................................................2 – Plant covered with sparsely hirsute-articulate indumentum or subglabrous; lower cauline leaves pinnatipartite or pinnatilobate, dentate; upper cauline leaves 5–9 cm long, sessile; involucres ovoid, 17–22 mm wide ...................................................................3 2. Basal cauline leaves oblong to lyrate or pinnatilobate, 15.5–17 cm long, terminal segment triangular; median cauline leaves lanceolate or lanceolate-oblong, sessile; involucres narrowly ovoid; central florets up to 20 mm long .......................... C. koeieana – Basal cauline leaves pinnatipartite, pinnatilobate or pinnatifid, 44–46 cm long, terminal segment lanceolate-linear; median cauline leaves pinnatipartite, pinnatilobate or pinnatifid, decurrent for 15–20 mm ; involucres conical, central florets up to 14 mm long .... ................................................................................................................................................................................... C. kuhdashtensis FIGURE 7. Centaurea kuhdashtensis ( M. Ranjbar 33645, BASU). Scale = 5 cm. FIGURE 8. Centaurea kuhdashtensis ( M. Ranjbar 33645, BASU). A1 , close up of capitula, B1–B3 , outer phyllaries, C1–C3 , median phyllaries, D1–D3 , inner phyllaries, E , leaf stomata, F and G , leaf indumentum. Scale A = 1 cm. FIGURE 9. Measured morphological characters in Centaurea kuhdashtensis ( M. Ranjbar 33645, BASU). A , middle stem leaf, B , central floret, C , involucre, D , involucral bract. For character explanations see Table 1. 3. Plant indumentum sparsely hirsute-articulate or subglabrous; basal cauline leaves lyrate, 10–17 × 1.5–3 cm , dentate or lobate; upper cauline leaves sessile; involucres ovoid, 12–18 mm long; achene 5–6 mm long ...................................................... C. pabotii – Plant indumentum densely hispid; basal cauline leaves pinnatipartite, pinnatilobate or pinnatifid, 23–26 × 6–10 cm , incised; upper cauline leaves decurrent for 2–3 mm ; involucres subconical, 20–23 mm long; achene 2–3 mm long............................. C. dezfulica