A new species, Centaurealovricii, is described and illustrated from the island of Vis (Dalmatia, Croatia). It occurs on northwest-facing calcareous cliffs near the sea, where it grows with several other rare endemic species. Centaurealovricii is morphologically similar to C.glaberrima and C.divergens of C.sect.Centaurea, from which it differs in having more succulent leaves with larger and less incised leaflets, bigger capitula, larger phyllaries with more developed appendages and denser and undulate fimbriae, larger florets, bigger achenes, and longer pappus. Its morphological features, distribution, ecology, conservation status and taxonomic affinities are examined. In addition, a new iconography and lectotypification for C.glaberrima and C.divergens is provided.
Keywords: Adriatic region; Balkan flora; Centaurea; Croatia; morphology; new species; taxonomy.
Sandro Bogdanović, Igor Boršić, Ivica Ljubičić, Salvatore Brullo, Gianpietro Giusso del Galdo.