Scorzonera zorkunensis

Zorkun tekesakalı

Perennial herbs, subscapigerous to short caulescent, sometimes sub-caespitose, 9-16 cm tall. Rootstock thick, cylindrical , remains of old leaves scarcely persistent. Flowering stem weakly decumbent to erect, solid, densely greyish, adpressed or subadpressed, tomentose-lanate throughout, c. 2 mm diameter below, bearing a single capitulum. Basal leaves entire, mostly lanceolate, rarely linear-lanceolate, at least some leaves slightly recurved, 5-10 × 0.5- 0.8 cm, greyish, adpressed or subadpressed, tomentose-lanate, apex acute to acuminate, margins plane, gradually narrowed towards base, main vein indistinct; cauline leaves very similar to basal leaves, but smaller, decreasing towards capitula, upper bract-like. Capitula homogamous,  ligulate, 15-20 × 8-10 mm at fl owering; outer phyllaries 6-10 × 1-2 mm below, straight, lanceolate with a long narrowly acuminate apex, outer surface crisped-pubescent, margins slightly violet, inner surface glabrous; inner phyllaries 15-19 × 3-4 mm,  very similar to outer phyllaries both in shape and pubescence but with wider scarious margins. Ligues yellow and slightly longer than inner phyllaries, c. 12 mm long, 3 mm wide, tube 2 mm, 5-toothed, teeth c. 0.2 mm long; style branches fi liform, c. 3 mm long, obtuse, shorter than ligule. Achenes c. 7 mm long, cylindrical, yellowish to greenish, typically ridged, and smooth, glabrous; pappus violet at least at apex , light brownish when mature, c. 10 mm long, setae plumose below and barbellate above. Flowering in July, fruiting in July-August.

Endemic.