| Asteraceae |
|---|
 Centaurea behen L . |
 Centaurea behen L |
Centaurea L. |
| C. behen L., Sp. Pl. 914 (1753). Syn: Centaurea alata Lam., Encycl. 1:665 (1785); Serratula behen (L.) Lam., Tabl. Encycl. 3:242 (1823) quoad typ. excl. descr.; Piptoceras behen (L.) Cass., Dict. Sci. Nat. 54:482 (1829); Centaurium behen (L.) C.Koch in Linnaea 24:418 (1851); Microlophus behen (L.) Takht. in Takht. & Fed., Fl. Erevana, ed. 1:326 (1945). Ic: Takhtajan & Fedorov, Atlas Fl. Erevana t. 117 (1946) as Microlophus behen. Perennial with erect glabrous stem, c. 60-150 cm, branched above with numerous capitula, branches overtopping their relative main-axis. Leaves firm, with elevated nerves, appearing glabrous (very short hairs usually present); lower petiolate, very large (up to 18 cm broad), usually lyrate with 1 -3 pairs of retrorse lanceolate segments or lobes (or entire), stem-leaves oblong or broadly lanceolate, sometimes pinnatilobate, decurrent; leaves of branches much smaller, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, decurrent or merely stem-embracing. Involucre 18-28 x 10-20 mm, contracted towards top. Appendages consisting of a minute ± persisting tip up to 0.8 mm, sometimes altogether absent. Flowers yellow. Achenes c. 5 mm; pappus 5-8 mm. Fl. 6-8. Rocky slopes, fallow fields, 340-1730 m. Described from Asia Minor and Lebanon. Mainly E. Anatolia. B/C6 Maraş: d. Çardak, Yaylapinari, Eldaş 27024! B7 Elaziğ: 30km S.W. of Elaziğ, 900 m, 3 vii 1963, M.Zohary! B8 Muş: Alparslan D.Ü.Ç., Birand 359! B(C?)8 Siirt: Baykan to Siirt, D. 22129! B9 Van: Göllü 31 kmN. ofVan, 173O m, Hub.-Mor. 10867! C6 Gaziantep: nr Aintab(Gaziantep), 650 m, 22 vi 1865, Hausskn.! C7 Urfa: d. Viranşehir, 10 km N. W. of Ceylanpinar, 340 m, Hub.-Mor. 14632! C8 Mardin: Mardin, Sinibil, Sint. 1888:1147! C9 Siirt: E. of Siirt, c. 900 m, Nábělek 3705. C1O Van: Zab valley 32 km S. of Başkale, D. 23806! Palestine, Lebanon, N. Iraq, Transcaucasia, N.W. & N. Iran. Ir.-Tur. element. There is considerable variation in the size of the capitula and the development of the wings of the upper leaves. Plants with smaller capitula and short-winged upper leaves described from Syria as var. brachyptera (DC.) Boiss. (Fl. Or. 3:683, 1875) have also been found in Iraq and Turkey. Their taxonomic status remains to be clarified. |