Author: آمنه غلامی 
Cousinia shahvarica Rech. f.
Parvin Salehi Shanjani, Bahare Afsharnezhad and Kazem Taherian
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 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: Obovoid, dorsal side slightly convex, ventral side flat, base narrowed to hilum, pappus deciduous. Surface glabrous, wav-like reticulate, lusterless, brown with yellowish pale brown patterns
Fruit size: Length 5 to 5.54 mm, width 2.24 to 2.57 mm in an accession from Mehdishahr, Semnan, with 1000 seed/fruit weight 10.4 g, which was collected and identified in 2019 by Kazem Taherian and is stored in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran with the accession number 48717.
Average 1000 seed/fruit weight: 10.4 g
Biological features
Life form: Subshrub, perennial, spiny, pubescent, monocarpic. Stems erect, 30 to 87 cm long
Inflorescence, flower type, and pollination mechanism: Capitula arranged as raceme-like inflorescence, capitulum discoid, with 80 to 100 florets, florets 11 to 14 mm long, color purple; involucre obtuse spherical, long 2.5 to 3 cm, width 3 to 3.5 cm, color dark purple, involucral bracts multiseriate. Plant monoecious, cross-pollinated. Pollination is carried out by insects and wind.
Time of flowering: Early summer
Time of seed ripening: Mid-summer
Seed dispersal methods: Seed weight
Geographical distribution: Exclusive Iran, Mountain Shahvar, Shahroud
Distribution in Iran: Center and North. Mostly in Golestan, Mazandaran, Semnan and Tehran provinces
Taxonomy
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Cousinia
Species: C. shahvarica
Persian name: Hezarkhar-e kharshahvari
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.
