A New Enigmatic Species, Cota phitosiana (Asteraceae) from East Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract

Cota J. Gay is belongs to Compositae (Asteraceae) family. Cota genus is represented by about 63 taxa in the world and is mainly distributed in Europe (excluding northern Europe), North Africa, Caucasia and Central Asia. In Turkey, the Cota genus include about 22 taxa, nine of which are endemic.Taxa of the Cota are mainly distributed and common in the Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian phytogeographic regions of Turkey. Cota was earlier classified as a section in the Anthemis L. genus in Flora of Turkey. After than the generic and infrageneric concepts of Anthemis were changed and Cota was accepted as another genus. Cota phitosiana Yıld. & Kılıç, a new species from Elazığ province, Karakoçan district, East Turkey, is described and photographed. Cota phitosiana is compared with the closest related species Cota tinctoria (L.) J.Gay. var. tinctoria. The speciation features of the new species is briefly discussed. Cota nigellifolia (Boiss.) Álv. Fern. and Vitales subsp. orientalis (Grierson) Yıld. is made a new combination.