Taxonomic notes on the genus Echinops (Compositae, Cardueae–Echinopsinae) in Iran

A new species, Echinops barezicus is described and compared with its closely related taxa. This species is endemic to the southeast of Iran. Morphological evidence confirms its position in E. sect. Oligolepis. Some new synonymizations are proposed: at sectional level, E. sect. Pleiacme is synonymised into E. sect. Oligolepis, and at species and subspecies level, E. ilicifolius var. glanduliger into E. ilicifolius; and E. lalesarensis var. glanduliger into E. lalesarensis. Echinops erioceras is a synonym of E. elymaiticus, E. cervicornis is a synonym of E. lasiolepis, E. farsicus is a synonym of E. ceratophorus. Echinops ghoranus is excluded from the flora of Iran.