Author: آمنه غلامی 
Echinops aucheri Boiss.
Masoumeh Izadpanah, Amene Gholami and Ahmad Pourmirzaei
Natural Resources Gene Bank, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran.
Uploaded at february 2026
Scientific editor: Parvin Salehi Shanjani
Seed Storage
The storage behavior of this species is orthodox (desiccation-tolerant seeds), dry to 15 to 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, dry, indehiscent.
Fruit shape: Cylindric-obconic, almost 4-angled, apex and bace truncate, pappus scaly, hilum big, basal. Surface with longitudinal faint striate, brown, pappus cream-colored
Fruit size: Length 8.87 to 9.89 mm, width 2.64 to 3.48 mm in an accession Bafgh, Kerman, from with 1000 seed/fruit weight 7.4 g, which was collected and identified in 2017 by Ahmad Pourmirzaei, and is stored in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran with the accession number 46722.
Average 1000 seed/ fruit weight: 7.4 to 15 g
Biological features
Life form: Perennial, often caespitose, crown diameter up to 100 cm, height 50 to 90 cm, pubescent, spiny. With different basal and cauline leaves. Stems erect or ascending, thickened at the base or sometimes woody, often thin at the tip
Inflorescence, flower type, and pollination mechanism: Inflorescences solitary capitate, spherical, terminal, many-flowered, capitulum discoid, up to 4 cm in diameter, receptacle spherical, 3 to 4 mm in diameter, with white scars; florlts discoid, calyx in the form of a pappus of scales, hairs, and modified thorns; corolla tubular, regular, color pale blue; flower located among overlapping multiseriate bracts, the outermost row of bracts modified to form a a tuft of brush-like hairs. Plant monoecious, cross-pollinated. Pollination is carried out by insects.
Time of flowering: Late spring to early summer
Time of seed ripening: Early to mid-summer
Seed dispersal methods: The agent of seed distribution is animals and seed weight.
Geographical distribution: Endemic to Iran. Typus from South of Iran.
Distribution in Iran: Center and South. Mostly in provinces Yazd, Fars, Kerman and Hormozgan
Taxonomy
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Echinops
Species: E. aucheri
Persian name: Shekartighal-e botei, Shekartighal-e anboh
References and Links
Mozafarian, V., Asadi, M., Moassemi, A.A. 2008. Flora of Iran, No. 59: Compositae (Anthemideae and Echinopeae). Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands Press, Tehran, Iran, 443 pp.
Black, M. and Bewley, J.D. 2000. Seed technology and its biological basis. Sheffield Academic Press, 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.
