Author: آمنه غلامی 
Centaurea nemecii Nab.
Parvin Salehi Shanjani, Leila Rasoulzadeh and Hossein Maroufi
Natural Resources Gene Bank, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran.
Uploaded at October 2025
Scientific editor: Masoumeh Izadpanah
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: Sub-cylindrical or slightly obconic, slightly compressed laterally, apex truncate, pappus cream-colored, slightly shorter than the achene, hilum sub-lateral. Surface glabrous, lustrous, pale brown, with cream-colered longitudinal faint striate
Fruit size: Length 4.60 to 6.24 mm, width 2.63 to 3.61 mm in an accession from Marivan, Kurdistan, with 1000 seed/fruit weight 25.2 g, which was collected and identified in 2017 by Hossein Maroufi, and is stored in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran with the accession number 45475.
1000 seed/fruit weight: 20 to 43 g
Biological features
Life form: Herbaceous, biennial or perennial, root tuberous, pubescent. Stem erect, 60 to 150 cm long
Inflorescence, flower type, and pollination mechanism: Inflorescences spike-like or raceme-like capitate, capitulum discoid; florets pale yellow to pinkish white; involucre sub-globose to ovoid, involucral bracts multiseriate, involucral bracts arrangement free. Plant monoecious, cross-pollinated. Pollination is carried out by insects.
Time of flowering: Early to late spring
Time of fruit/seed ripening: Early to late spring
Fruit/seed dispersal methods: The agent of seed distribution is animals and seed weight.
Geographical distribution: Turkiye and Iran. Typus from Turkiye.
Distribution in Iran: West. Province Kurdistan
Taxonomy
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Centaurea
Species: C. nemecii
Persian name: Golegandom–e sonbolei
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.
