Centaurea triumfetti, All.

Tutin, T. G., Heywood, V. H., Burges, N. A., Moore, D. M., Valentine, D. H., Walters, S. M. & Webb, D. A., 1976, Flora Europaea. Volume 4. Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae), Cambridge University Press : 298-299

216. C. triumfetti All. , Auct. Syn. Stirp. Horti Taur. 16 (1773)

( C. axillaris Willd. ).

Perennial, often with short rhizome. Stems up to 70(-100) cm, rarely very short, erect or ascending, simple or sparingly branched in upper half. Leaves oblong to lanceolate, usually tomentose or lanate, often glabrescent, the lower petiolate. Involucre 7-25 mm in diameter, ovoid to ovoid-globose or cylindrical; appendages decurrent, brown or black; fimbriae 1-3 times as long as the width of the margin, pale brown, white or silvery at apex. Inner florets violet; outer blue. Achenes (3-)4-5 mm; pappus 0-5-3 mm, rarely absent. 2л = 22, 44. S. & C. Europe. Al Au Bu Cz Ga Ge Gr He Hs Hu It Ju Lu Po Rm Rs (W, K, E) Si Tu.

The following subspecies are mostly readily distinguishable morphologically as well as in their distributions and ecological preferences, and their characters remain constant in cultivation; intermediates occur, however, and the key is best used on populations rather than on individual specimens.

1 Lower leaves broadly elliptical to ovate or obovate, the cauline oblong or oblong-lanceolate; fimbriae with pale brown or white but not silvery apex

2 Stems (0-5-)2-20 cm, simple; leaves densely white-lanate

3 Basal leaves broadly elliptical; cauline leaves lanceolate, long-decurrent (c) subsp. pirinensis 3 Basal leaves oblong-lanceolate, lyrately sinuately lobed or entire; cauline leaves linear-lanceolate, long-acuminate, shortly decurrent (1) subsp. сапа 2 Stems 2(L-70(-100) cm, sparingly branched; leaves grey- to white-tomentose, glabrescent, the cauline oblong to oblonglanceolate

4 Cauline leaves obtuse; involucre 7-10 mm in diameter, cylindrical; appendages reddish-brown; fimbriae pale brown, the terminal one spinuliform (f) subsp. novakii 4Cauline leaves acute; stems broadly winged; appendages black or brown; fimbriae brown, with white but not silvery apex

5 Cauline leaves not mucronate or spinulose at apex; involucre 15-20 mm in diameter; fimbriae twice as long as width of the margin of the appendage (a) subsp. aligera 5 Cauline leaves with spinulose, mucronate apex; involucre 10-15 mm in diameter; fimbriae less than twice as long as the width of the margin of the appendage (b) subsp. tanaitica 1 Lower leaves linear or oblong-lanceolate to Ungulate; fimbriae with brown, white or silvery apex

6 Fimbriae silvery and shining at apex

7 Lower leaves ± linear-lingulate, the cauline broadly linear, entire; all leaves abruptly acuminate at the apex; involucre

c. 13 mm in diameter; appendages narrowly decurrent

(m) subsp. Ungulata 7Lower leaves linear-lanceolate, entire, rarely remotely dentate, the cauline linear or narrowly lanceolate, erect, acute, long-decurrent with narrow wings

8 Leaves green or grey-green beneath; bracts numerous

(k) subsp. triumfetti 8 Leaves white-tomentose beneath; bracts few (1) subsp. сапа 6 Fimbriae brown, the apex sometimes white but not silvery

9Fimbriae as long as, or scarcely longer than the width of the margin of the appendage; leaves erect, glabrous and green, entire; stem shortly and broadly winged

(d) subsp. semidecurrens 9 Fimbriae 2-3 times as long as the width of the margin of the appendage; leaves erect or patent; stem angled or narrowly winged

10 Stems angled, not winged; leaves patent, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate; involucre 7-10 mm in diameter,

cylindrical (e) subsp. dominii 10 Stems with long, narrow wings; leaves erect; involucre

10-25 mm in diameter, ovoid-cylindrical

11 Involucre 18-25 mm in diameter; bracts numerous, in

6-8 rows; fimbriae dark brown, with white apex

(g) subsp. stricta 11 Involucre 10-15 mm in diameter; bracts numerous or few, in 4-7 rows; fimbriae pale brown

12 Stems with a few long branches above; lower leaves oblong-lanceolate, sparsely glandular, long-decurrent;

bracts few, in 4-5 rows (h) subsp. angelescui 12 Stems simple, rarely sparingly branched above; lower leaves narrowly lanceolate, eglandular, very narrowly decurrent

13 Leaves subglabrous and green above, grey-tomentose beneath; bracts few, in 4-5 rows; appendages with decurrent margin c. 0-3 mm wide; fimbriae 3 times as long as the width of the margin of the appendage (i) subsp. adscendens

13 Leaves glabrous, green on both surfaces, the cauline lanceolate, acute; bracts numerous, in 6-7 rows; appendages with decurrent margin c. 1 mm wide; fimbriae twice as long as the width of the margin of the appendage (j) subsp. lugdunensis