Taraxacum splendens Štěpánek & Kirschner, 2022

Štěpánek, Jan & Kirschner, Jan, 2022, A hotspot of endemism: Oreophytic Taraxacum species (Compositae, Crepidinae) in the mountains of Bulgaria, Phytotaxa 569 (1), pp. 1-139 : 39-40

7. Taraxacum splendens Štěpánek & Kirschner , sp. nov.

Type:— Bulgaria, urbs Sofia, mons Vitoša : locis uliginosis prope locum “Aleko”, ca. 1800–1900 m, Jul 1985, D. Fišerová, cultivated as JŠ 2769, collected in 1988 ( PRA, no. det. 35772, holotype; isotypes: PRA, no. det. 26175, and duplicates) .

Etymology:—Superb, splendid, magnificent (from Latin: splendeo, splendere, to shine).

Exsiccates:— Taraxaca Exs., no. 1264, 1265, 1269.

Diagnosis:—Plantae insignes petiolis pallidis glabrescentibus alatis, foliis plerumque erectis pallide laete viridibus, scapis glaberrimis, phyllariis involucralibus exterioribus laxe adpressis apice erectis vel erecto-subrecurvis, marginibus angustissimis inconspicuis, acheniis pallide stramineo-brunneis corpore superne breviter spinuloso-squamulosis, in pyramidem basi conicam, superne subcylindricam 0.5–0.8 mm longam abrupte transeunte.

Plants medium-sized to tall, usually 12–22 cm, not robust, rather slender. Plant base without tunic, with brownish hairs among petiole bases. Petioles broadly winged to very broadly winged, pale green, ± glabrous, ca. 2–3.5 cm long. Leaves erect to erect-patent, light vivid green, not spotted, shining, glabrous, usually narrowly oblanceolate or narrowly oblong in outline, usually 5–12 × 1.5–3 cm, pinnatipartite to shallowly pinnatisect; terminal segment narrowly triangular to triangular or oblong helmet-shaped, then often subpentagonal, usually 1.5–3 × 1.5–2.5 cm, obtusely acute to acute, distal margin subsigmoid, often with shallow obtuse incisions, basal lobules recurved to ± patent, usually obtusely acute, proximal margin concave to ± straight, entire; lateral segments in 2–3 (4) pairs, often alternate, relatively short, triangular to deltoid-triangular, usually 6–17 mm long, 8–13 mm wide at base, most often recurved, usually acute (distal part often elongated in inner leaves), distal margin subsigmoid to ± subconvex or subconcave, entire or with a single tooth, proximal margin concave to straight, entire; interlobes broad, most often 4–8 × 4–8 mm, green, sometimes faintly darker bordered, entire, margin often raised; mid-vein pale green to pinkish. Scapes pale green, sometimes distally suffused purplish, glabrous, overtopping leaves. Capitulum deep yellow, 3–3.5 cm wide, ± flat. Involucre slightly pruinose, 9–10 mm wide and broadly obconical at base. Outer phyllaries relatively narrow, not numerous, 11–14, loosely appressed, apex erect to subrecurved, ± lanceolate, usually 5–7 × 2–3 mm, reaching 1/3–2/5 of the inner, very light green to medium olivaceous-green, ± evenly coloured, apically ± darker, border not distinct, scarious, 0.05–0.15 mm wide, margin irregularly minutely ciliate, apex flat; inner phyllaries 12–13 mm long, width not variable. Outer ligules ± flat, striped purplish grey-olivaceous, later olivaceous-purple, ligule teeth grey to purplish, inner ligules canaliculate, their teeth dark yellow. Stigmas long, very light discoloured (yellow to greenish yellow, with hyaline and apically darker hairs outside). Pollen abundantly present, pollen grains irregular in size. Achenes stramineous-brown, 3.6–4.8 × 1.1–1.4 mm, body with distinct lateral ridges, less distinct dorsiventral ones, ± densely shortly spinulose and squamulose in upper 1/3–1/4, relatively abruptly narrowing into a basally conical, otherwise subcylindrical cone 0.5–0.8 mm long (distal part of the cone often not coloured, pale or whitish); beak 6.5–7.5 mm long; pappus 5.5–6.5 mm long. – Agamosperm. – Fig. 15B, 16, 17.

Relationships and diagnostic notes:— Taraxacum splendens and T. pseudosplendens represent core sectional species, most similar to the northern membres of T. sect. Crocea. In many respects, they approach the Swedish T. assimulans Haglund (1983: 245) ; the latter most conspicuously differs in purplish mid-vein, darker stigmas and larger achenes. Taraxacum splendens differs from T. pseudosplendens in having a thicker cone with a more abrupt transition into the achene body, more numerous and generally broader outer phyllaries.

Distribution and habitat:—The material of T. splendens comes from the Vitosha Mts., and the species probably is confined to that mountain range. It grows in wet to marshy, often mossy, grasslands, along paths, in the alpine mountain belt. Its IUCN conservation status is estimated as VU.

Specimens examined:— BULGARIA, the Vitosha Mts., along a path between Černi vrach (2290 m) and Goljam Rezen (2277 m), ca. 2100 m, 27 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, cultivated as TaB 42 ( B 42 ) ( PRA, no. det. 26181). – Vitosha, Mt. Černi vrach (2290 m), D. Fišerová, cultivated as JŠ 2209 ( PRA, no. det. 26178). – Vitosha, between Mt. Samaro (2108 m) and Mt. Selimica (2041 m), ca. 1900 m, 27 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, cultivated as TaB 53 ( B 53 ) ( PRA, no. det. 26177). – Vitosha, between Goljam Rezen (2277 m) and Malak Rezen (2191 m), ca. 2100 m, 27 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, cultivated as TaB 46 ( B 46 ) ( PRA, no. det. 26176). – Vitosha, marshy places near Aleko , ca. 1800–1900 m, Jul 1985, D. Fišerová, cultivated as JŠ 2769 ( PRA, no. det. 26175) ; Ibidem, JŠ 1561/2 ( PRA, no. det. 26174). – Vitosha, a peat-bog on southern slopes below Černi vrach, 1900 m, 2 Jul 2012, D. Dimitrov ( SOM, no. det. 35871). – Vitosha, between Kumeta and Buerica, 4 Jul 1984, A. Chrtková ( PRA, no. det. 36000). – Vitoša: Mt. Černi vrach (2290 m), below the observatory, ca. 2200 m, 27 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, cultivated as TaB 39 ( B 39 ) ( PRA, no. det. 36164) .