Author: آمنه غلامی 
Centaurea gilanica Bornm.
Parvin Salehi Shanjani, Leila Rasoulzadeh, Mohammad Mahmoodi and Amene Gholami
Natural Resources Gene Bank, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran.
Uploaded at December 2023
Scientific editor: Hamideh Javadi
This Seed ID was supported by the Headquarters of Science and Technology of Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine
Seed Storage
The storage behavior of this species is orthodox (desiccation-tolerant seeds), dry to 15-20% eRH, and store at -20°C.
Germination requirements
The seeds of this species are not dormant. Sterilize seeds before placing them on wet germination paper. Place seeds for two weeks at 4 ºC to germinate uniformly. Then germinate under an alternating temperature regime of 15/20 ºC (the higher temperature for 16 hours in light and the lower one for eight hours in dark).
Morphology
Fruit type: Achene
Fruit shape: Subcylindric, weakly compressed laterally, apex truncate, pappus rough, brown with golden tips, longer than the achene, outer bristles shorter than interior, innermost bristles short and scaly, cearm-colored; hilum sub-lateral. Surface glabrous, with some longitudinal faint striate, slightly lustrous, pale straw-colored
Fruit size: Length 5.16 to 6.01 mm, width 2.56 to 3.11 mm in an accession from Zanjan, with 1000 seed/ fruit weight 16.8 g, which was collected and identified in 2016 by Mohammad Mahmoodi, and is stored in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran with the accession number 46161.
1000 seed/ fruit weight: 14 to 16 g
Biological features
Life form: Subshrub, perennial. Stem erect, 25 to 45 cm height, tumentoluse
Inflorescence, flower type, and pollination mechanism: Inflorescences solitary capitate, capitulum discoid; florets red-purple; outer florets sterile, corollas ray-like; inner florets, fertile, corollas actinomorphic; involucre ovoid, involucral bracts multiseriate. Plant monoecious, cross-pollinated. Pollination is carried out by insects and wind.
Time of flowering: Early to mid-summer
Time of fruit/seed ripening: Early to mid-summer
Fruit/seed dispersal methods: The agent of seed distribution is seed weight and animals.
Geographical distribution: Endemic to Iran. Typus from Tochal Mountain
Distribution in Iran: West, Northwest and Center. Mostly in provinces Gilan, Azerbaijan, Hamedan and Tehran
Taxonomy
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Centaurea
Species: C. gilanica
Persian name: Golegandom-e Gilani
References and Links
Black, M. and Bewley, J.D. 2000. Seed technology and its biological basis. Sheffield Academic Press, 1-419 pp.
Bojňanský, V. and Fargašová, A. 2007. Atlas of seeds and fruits of central and East-European flora: the Carpathian Mountains region. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1046 pp.
Ghahraman, A. Flore of Iran. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands with University of Tehran Publication. https://floraofiran.net/index.php.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 1998. Dictionary of Iranian plants names. Farhange Moaser Publisher, Tehran, 671 pp.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 2012. A Pictorial dictionary of botany. Farhange Moaser Publisher, Tehran, 1088 pp.
Mozaffarian, V., Ghahremaninejad, F., Narimisa, S., Kazempour-Osaloo, Sh., Jafari, E., Lotfi, E. Assadi, M. 2018. Flora of Iran, Asteraceae. Institute of Forests and Rangelands Press, Tehran, Iran, Publication No. 144, 1023 pp.
Ranjbar, M. and Negaresh, K. 2014. The genus Centaurea (Asteraceae, cardueae) in Iran: Two new species and a lectotypification. Edinburgh Journal of Botany, 71: 51-56.
Sharma, O.P. 2009. Plant taxonomy 2E. Tata McGraw-Hill Education, New Delhi, 563 pp.
