Centaurea saeidii

Negaresh, Kazem & Yousefi, Zohreh, 2025, A new species of Centaurea sect. Cynaroides (Asteraceae, Cardueae-Centaureinae) from Iran, Phytotaxa 690 (2), pp. 267-275 : 273

Key to Centaurea saeidii and closely related taxa

1. Flowers white; peripheral florets very few (1–3(–5) in each capitulum), very inconspicuous, shorter than central ones................... ................................................................................................................................................... C. amadanensis subsp. amadanensis

- Flowers pink or purple; peripheral florets numerous (15–20 in each capitulum), conspicuous, equal to or slightly shorter than central ones.........................................................................................................................................................................................2

2. Involucres subglobose, 35–40 × 35–40 mm; inner phyllaries 25–30 mm long; appendages spiniform or elongate triangular, sometimes with 1 to 3 cilia; median appendages 12–18 mm long; achenes 8.5–9 mm long; pappus 14–16 mm long, bristles of inner rows very slightly longer than others .......................................................................................................................... C. saeidii

- Involucres globose-ovoid, 40–50 × 30–35 mm; inner phyllaries 12–20 mm long; appendages elongate-lanceolate or oblonglanceolate, always entire; median appendages 20–30 mm long; achenes 7–8 mm long; pappus 7–9 mm long, bristles of inner rows much shorter than others, ca. 1.5–2 mm long............................................................................................................ C. kabirkuhensis