COUSINIA (SECT. HAUSSKNECHTIANAE) KARKASENSIS, A NEW SPECIES FROM KARKAS MTS. IN CENTRAL IRAN

Cousinia karkasensis a narrow endemic from central Iran is described as a new species to science. The new species belongs to Cousinia sect. Haussknechtianae. Relatioships between the new species and other species is discussed. The new species is however more resembles to C. gatchsaranica based on the morphological characters, it is found to be more related to C. raphiocephala another member of the section Haussknechtianae, based on the molecular results.Iraj Mehregan (correspondence iraj@daad-alumni.de), Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran. -Seyedeh Bahereh Djavadi (sb_djavadi@hotmail.com) and Amir Hossein Pahlevani, Department of Botany, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, P. O. Box 1454, Tehran, 19395, Iran.