A revision of Centaurea sect. Cynaroides (Asteraceae, Cardueae-Centaureinae) Author Negaresh, Kazem Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Khuzestan Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Mollasani, Ahvaz, Iran. (* Corresponding author e-mail: negaresh @ ramin. ac. ir) negaresh@ramin.ac.ir Author Rahiminejad, Mohammad Reza Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Khuzestan Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Mollasani, Ahvaz, Iran. (* Corresponding author e-mail: negaresh @ ramin. ac. ir) & Department of Biology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan 81746 - 73441, Iran. & Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Khuzestan Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Mollasani, Ahvaz, Iran. (* Corresponding author e-mail: negaresh @ ramin. ac. ir) negaresh@ramin.ac.ir text Phytotaxa 2018 2018-08-02 363 1 448 450 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.363.1.1 journal article 10.11646/phytotaxa.363.1.1 1179-3163 13703414 7b. Centaurea cataonica subsp. syriaca Negaresh , subsp. nov. ( Fig. 20 ) Centaureae cataonicae subsp. cataonicae affinis , caulibus basi ad mediocre ramosis (nec simplicibus), capitulis 10–12-cephalis (nec 4–6- cephalis), pedunculis inferioribus 2–4-cephalis (nec solitaribus), involucro 25–28 mm (nec 32–48 mm ) longo, appendicibus valde brunneis ad nigris (nec stramineis vel paululum brunneis) differt. Type :— SYRIA . Syrie borealis, Marasch, 1865 , Haussknecht s.n. ( holotype P !) . Stem branched from near base to median part; capitula 10 to 12, arranged in a raceme, lowest peduncles with 3–4 heads; involucres 25–28 × 25–28 mm ; appendages dark brown to blackish; spine 2–6 mm long. Etymology :—The specific epithet refers to Syria , where the new subspecies was collected. Taxonomic and distribution remarks: — Centaurea cataonica subsp. syriaca is the first record of C. cataonica from Syria . The epithet ‘ Centaurea gigantea ’ was written on the label of Haussknecht’s plant determined by Ch. Haussknecht. But it is clearly different from C. gigantea by having a smaller habit, wider appendages ( 5–8 mm wide) totally concealing phyllaries, and is more consistent with C. cataonica . Chromosome numbers: —Unknown.