Taxonomic Study in the Centaurea langei Complex (Asteraceae)

The morphological variability of Centaurea langei Nyman (Centaurea sect. Centaurea), an endemic to the north-central and north-west Iberian Peninsula, was studied. Seven subspecies with reasonably well-defined areas are recognized, of which C. langei subsp. dominguezii E. López, Devesa & Arnelas is described as new, and for the others the following combinations are proposed: C. langei subsp. exilis (Arènes) E. López, Devesa & Arnelas, C. langei subsp. coutinhoi (Franco) E. López, Devesa & Arnelas, C. langei subsp. geresensis (Arènes) E. López, Devesa & Arnelas, C. langei subsp. kheilii (Pau) E. López, Devesa & Arnelas, and C. langei subsp. rothmalerana (Arènes) E. López, Devesa & Arnelas. Nomenclatural and taxonomic synonyms are provided for each taxon, most of which are typified. For C. langei subsp. dominguezii, the chromosome number was also studied (2n = 18).