84. Centaurea kofinasii Kit Tan, sp. nov. (Fig. 17 ).

[Centaurea sect. Acrolophus (Cass.) DC.]

Gr Nomos & Eparchia Kozanis: Stena Porta, N

of the village of Polirrahon on road to Servia, vertical

limestone rocks by roadside, 512 m, 40°09’N,

21°57’E, 25.06.2022, Kofinas s.n. (holotype ATH,

isotype C); loc. ibid., 509‒512 m, 06.08.2019,

20.08.2020, 16.07.2021, 20.08.2021 & 09.07.2022,

Kofinas obs. (several photos).

Non-spiny perennial herb, slightly woody at base.

Stem erect-ascending, moderately branched, 30‒40

cm tall. Sterile leaf rosettes greyish-green. Lower

cauline leaves 1‒2-pinnatisect, 5‒10 cm long, midgreen,

whitish-tomentose and arachnoid-lanate on

both surfaces; terminal segment scarcely longer than

the laterals; segments linear, ca. 1 mm wide, mucronulate-

apiculate. Capitula solitary. Involucre ovoid,

13‒15 × 5‒8 mm at anthesis excluding spines. Middle

involucral bracts with distinct brown or brownish-

black, pectinate-fimbriate appendage decurrent

on the bract; apical spine erect, 1‒1.25 mm, slightly

shorter than the 1‒1.5 mm lateral fimbriae. Fimbriae

6‒7-paired, white, without hyaline auricles at base.

Outer florets pinkish-purple. Achenes } compressed,

body ca. 3 mm long, smooth, blackish-green. Pappus

persistent; setae smooth, glabrous, white, 2‒2.5 mm,

mostly shorter than, rarely equalling, body of achene.

Flowering and fruiting June to July.

Unusual in its combination of very narrowly linear,

white-tomentose and arachnoid-lanate leaf segments,

small ovoid capitula, morphology of involucral bracts

and achenes. The slender leaf segments are reminiscent

of the endemic C. kalambakensis Freyn & Sint.

described from Theopetra, southeast of Kalambaka

(Nomos Trikalon, Eparchia Kalambakas) which has

however, paler brown appendages with ca. 3 mm apical spine,
pappus 3.5‒4.5 mm, longer than the ca. 2.5

mm body of achene, and pinkish-purple or white florets

(Fig. 18). The population size was noted to be rather

small, comprising 15‒20 individuals, both in juvenile

and mature flowering state, inhabiting calcareous rock

crevices at a height of one to three metres up the vertical

slope. Some rare and interesting plants found in the

vicinity include the Greek endemic Dianthus stamatiadae

and the Balkan endemics Achillea ageratifolia subsp.ageratifolia,
Campanula formanekiana and Stachys horvaticii
(syn. S. iva auct. fl. graec. non S. iva Griseb.).
Named after its collector, Giannis Kofinas, an intrepid

and active explorer of nature, mountain climber,

expert abseiler and speleologist, who has sent to Kit

Tan many plants for identification including some

surprising novelties.