Author: آمنه غلامی 
Cousinia kotschyi Boiss.
Parvin Salehi Shanjani, Bahare Afsharnezhad, Mohammad Mahmoodi and Yusof Ajani
Natural Resources Gene Bank, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran.
Uploaded at July 2024
Scientific editor: Mohammad Dadmand
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 have non-deep dormancy. 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: Slightly cuneiform, curved at one side, compressed, apex truncate, base narrowed to hilum, pappus deciduous. Surface, glabrous, with incident reticulate, lusterless, greyish brown with black patterns
Fruit size: Length 4.40 to 5.19 mm, width 1.37 to 2.36 mm in an accession from Kabudarahang, Hamedan, with 1000 seed/fruit weight 4.10 g, which was collected and identified in 2019 by Mohammad Mahmoodi and Yusof Ajani and is stored in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran with the accession number 46628.
Average 1000 seed/fruit weight: 4 to 7 g
Biological features
Life form: Herbaceous, perennial, spiny. Stems erect, up to 50 cm height
Inflorescence, flower type, and pollination mechanism: Inflorescences solitary capitate, capitulum discoid, with 30-70 florets, 17-25 mm in long, color milky to pus-yellow, sometimes purple or pink, involucral bracts multiseriate. Plant monoecious, cross-pollinated. Pollination is carried out by insects and wind.
Time of flowering: April to August
Time of seed ripening: Summer
Seed dispersal methods: Seed weight
Geographical distribution: Endemic to Iran. Typus from hillsides of Dena Mountains, Iran
Distribution in Iran: Center, South and Southeast. Mostly in provinces Kohgiluyeh and Boyerahmad, Fars, Kerman and Yazd
Taxonomy
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Cousinia
Species: C. kotschyi
Persian name: Hezarkhar-e aspasi
References and Links
Assadi, M., Mehregan, I. 2017. Flora of Iran, No. 125: Asteraceae, Cousinia. Institute of Forests and Rangelands Press, Tehran, Iran, 396 pp.
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.
Sharma, O.P. 2009. Plant taxonomy 2E. Tata McGraw-Hill Education, New Delhi, 563 pp.
