Cousinia knorringiae
Classified as NC (Near Threatened) on the basis of its restricted distribution area but rather stable populations (Sennikov 2010). Protected in the Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve.
Loss of habitats.
From all species of Cousinia section Subappendiculatae clearly differs in its totally glabrous involucre and very indistinctly contracted phyllaries.
Stems 40-50 cm high, very finely tomentose, branched from the base and above. Leaves coriaceous, tomentose slightly above and abundantly below, their nerves ending with spines up to 1 cm long; basal up to 25 cm long, ca. 6 cm wide, lyrate with lanceolate-ovate upper lobe and up to 5 pairs of oblong-ovate lateral lobes; lower cauline lyrate; middle cauline 3.5-4.5 cm wide, oblong-ovate or obovate, incised at the lower half, round and amplexicaul at the base, with the auricles adnate to 0.2-0.5 cm, not decurrent; upper cauline ovate, amplexicaul with free auricles, long spiny at the apex; uppermost not reduced. Capitula 1.5-2 cm broad (without appendages), its green part ca. 2 cm high. Phyllaries 25-35, dark-green, glabrous, hard-coriaceous, narrowly attenuated; outer spreading horizontally or slightly downwards, some with 1-3 pairs of spines at the base, reflected part 6-12 mm long, 2 mm broad at the base, straight, narrowly triangular; middle spreading obliquely upwards, reflected part 15-23 mm long, 5-7 mm wide at the base, folded and indistinctly contracted at the base, narrowly triangular, prominently fluted; inner appressed; innermost with purple glabrous deltoid-lanceolate appendages 15-20 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, overtopping the green part of the involucre in 5-10 mm. Receptacular bristles rough. Corolla light-purple, prominently overtopping the involucre. Anthers yellowish, long and very narrowly attenuated at the apex. Achenes 4-4.5 mm long.
Endemic to Kirghizia: Chatkal Range (S slopes, Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve), At-Oinok Mts., Bozbu-Too. Total area ca. 40 km in diameter.
Semishaded rocks in lower mountain belt (1200-1500 m a.s.l.).
Individuals form small populations. Never seen abundant. Flowering observed every year.
Flowers June to the beginning of August.