taxonID	type	description	language	source
D8559F0DFFA8FF8EFF63F8B7FE2BDCD7.taxon	materials_examined	Type: — INDIA. Arunachal Pradesh, Tawang District, Chuna Mago, ca. 4000 m a. s. l., 1 August 2023, Vikas Kumar 20889 (holotype: PLP; isotypes PLP, BSD).	en	Kumar, Vikas, Thakur, Kamini, Kirschner, Jan, Štěpánek, Jan (2025): A new species of Taraxacum (Compositae, Crepidinae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India: Sexual reproduction detected in the group of Taraxacum sikkimense. Phytotaxa 720 (3): 263-272, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.720.3.6, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.720.3.6
D8559F0DFFA8FF8EFF63F8B7FE2BDCD7.taxon	etymology	Etymology: — Diluculum, dawn, daybreak, in connection with the meaning of Arunachal (Dawn-Lit Mountain).	en	Kumar, Vikas, Thakur, Kamini, Kirschner, Jan, Štěpánek, Jan (2025): A new species of Taraxacum (Compositae, Crepidinae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India: Sexual reproduction detected in the group of Taraxacum sikkimense. Phytotaxa 720 (3): 263-272, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.720.3.6, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.720.3.6
D8559F0DFFA8FF8EFF63F8B7FE2BDCD7.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis: — Plantae sexuales graciles, stigmatibus luteis, phyllariis involucralibus exterioribus brevibus apice corniculatis marginibus pallidis conspicuis, 0.2 – 0.4 mm latis, acheniis brevibus maturis ± ochraceis paulo erubescentibus, corpore in pyramidem brevissimam subabrupte transeunte, ligulis superne niveis et foliis angustis vivide viridibus insignes.	en	Kumar, Vikas, Thakur, Kamini, Kirschner, Jan, Štěpánek, Jan (2025): A new species of Taraxacum (Compositae, Crepidinae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India: Sexual reproduction detected in the group of Taraxacum sikkimense. Phytotaxa 720 (3): 263-272, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.720.3.6, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.720.3.6
D8559F0DFFA8FF8EFF63F8B7FE2BDCD7.taxon	description	Plants usually slender, 10 – 17 cm tall, delicate. Petiole narrow, unwinged, usually 1 – 2 mm wide, pale greenish, arachnoid; plant base without tunic, with sparse pale brownish hairs among petiole bases. Leaves in a few-leaved rosette; leaf blade vivid green with pale green midvein, narrowly oblong-lanceolate in outline, 2.5 – 8 (– 12) × 0.6 – 1.0 cm, sparsely arachnoid, pinnatilobed to pinnatisect; terminal segment elongated, narrowly oblong, obtuse, entire, basal lobules recurved, very short; lateral lobes in 4 – 6 pairs, triangular, strongly recurved, distal margin long, entire, usually subsigmoid or ± straight, apex subobtuse, proximal margin short, entire; interlobes short and relatively broad. Scapes green, sometimes ± suffused purplish, arising from center of rosette, arachnoid, usually densely so below capitulum. Capitulum white, with a slightly yellowish very proximal part of ligule inner surface, 2 – 3 cm wide. Involucre slightly pruinose, ± greyish green, 0.5 – 0.7 mm wide and narrowly rounded at the base. Outer phyllaries ca. 12 – 16, not imbricate or slightly imbricate, linear-lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, ± appressed, sometimes with ± recurved apex, usually 4 – 4.5 (– 5) × (0.8 –) 0.9 – 1.0 (– 1.2) mm, middle part of surface dark green to ± blackish green, border distinct, whitish-greenish or pale greenish membranous, ca. 0.2 – 0.4 mm wide, margin ciliate, apex corniculate; inner phyllaries 11 - 13, of unequal width (sometimes coalescing), linear-lanceolate or linear, usually 11 – 12 × 1.2 – 1.6 mm, greenish, slightly corniculate. Ligules white, with adaxial surface pure white and pale yellowish at the very base, 5 - toothed with teeth usually exceeding 1 mm, outer ones flat, striped greyish purple outside, apical teeth black-purple, inner ligules ± flat, their teeth usually dirty yellow. Stigma yellow. Anthers polliniferous, pollen grains of ± uniform size. Achenes light reddish ochraceous, later light reddish ochraceous-brown, usually 3.5 – 4 × ca. 1 mm, body with conspicuous ridges, ± densely covered with erect spinules above, body subabruptly narrowing into ± cylindrical cone 0.6 – 0.7 × 0.3 mm, beak thin, at least 4 mm long, pappus whitish, ca. 5 – 5.5 mm long. — Sexual, probably diploid. — Figure 6.	en	Kumar, Vikas, Thakur, Kamini, Kirschner, Jan, Štěpánek, Jan (2025): A new species of Taraxacum (Compositae, Crepidinae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India: Sexual reproduction detected in the group of Taraxacum sikkimense. Phytotaxa 720 (3): 263-272, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.720.3.6, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.720.3.6
D8559F0DFFA8FF8EFF63F8B7FE2BDCD7.taxon	distribution	Distribution: — Taraxacum diluculorum was sampled in, and might be confined to, the alpine meadows of Chuna Mago, located in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. The area is bordered by Tibet to the north, and is separated from the West Kameng district by the Sela ranges in the east.	en	Kumar, Vikas, Thakur, Kamini, Kirschner, Jan, Štěpánek, Jan (2025): A new species of Taraxacum (Compositae, Crepidinae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India: Sexual reproduction detected in the group of Taraxacum sikkimense. Phytotaxa 720 (3): 263-272, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.720.3.6, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.720.3.6
D8559F0DFFA8FF8EFF63F8B7FE2BDCD7.taxon	biology_ecology	Ecology: — The species is found at an elevation of approximately 4000 m, in a rich subalpine meadow vegetation. The vegetation in the area is primarily characterized by the presence of Juniperus indica Bertol., Primula sikkimensis var. hopeana (Balf. f. & R. E. Cooper) W. W. Sm. & H. R. Fletcher, Geranium donianum Hook. f. & Thomson, Gentiana tibetica King ex Hook. f., Crepis elongata Babc., Morina ludlowii (M. J. Cannon) D. Y. Hong, Stellaria sikkimensis Hook. f. etc. Additionally, other plants such as Herminium monorchis (L.) R. Br., Cyananthus macrocalyx subsp. spathulifolius (Nannf.) K. K. Shrestha, Primula alpicola (W. W. Sm.) Stapf, Codonopsis bhutanica Ludlow etc. were also observed in the area. These species are adapted to a relatively mild high-altitude environment of the windward side of the Himalayan Range. The climatic diagram (Fig. 7) shows moderate frosts in winter and a low precipitation from November to February.	en	Kumar, Vikas, Thakur, Kamini, Kirschner, Jan, Štěpánek, Jan (2025): A new species of Taraxacum (Compositae, Crepidinae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India: Sexual reproduction detected in the group of Taraxacum sikkimense. Phytotaxa 720 (3): 263-272, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.720.3.6, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.720.3.6
D8559F0DFFAAFF8EFF63F927FE05D749.taxon	discussion	The lectotype of Taraxacum sikkimense was designated by Kirschner and Štěpánek in Ge et al. (2011: 296). The lectotype herbarium sheet (see Figs. 1, 2) consists of two specimens, one well developed, with flowers and achenes, the other dwarf, with well visible outer phyllaries. There is a determination label written by Handel-Mazzetti, qualifying the specimen as a syntype, with a note “ 1 specim. ” Obviously, only one (“ 1 specim. ”) of the two plants may be considered as an original syntype. Because of this restriction and the unequal completeness of the two plants, we decided to confine the typification to the upper, bigger plant.	en	Kumar, Vikas, Thakur, Kamini, Kirschner, Jan, Štěpánek, Jan (2025): A new species of Taraxacum (Compositae, Crepidinae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India: Sexual reproduction detected in the group of Taraxacum sikkimense. Phytotaxa 720 (3): 263-272, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.720.3.6, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.720.3.6
D8559F0DFFAAFF8EFF63F927FE05D749.taxon	materials_examined	Type: — INDIA. Sikkim, Lachen, 12,000 ft, Jul 16 / [18] 49, J. D. Hooker s. n. (the first-step lectotype designated by Kirschner & Štěpánek in Ge et al. 2011: 296; second-step lectotype, designated here: K 808405, no. det. 8783, the upper, bigger plant, see Fig. 1).	en	Kumar, Vikas, Thakur, Kamini, Kirschner, Jan, Štěpánek, Jan (2025): A new species of Taraxacum (Compositae, Crepidinae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India: Sexual reproduction detected in the group of Taraxacum sikkimense. Phytotaxa 720 (3): 263-272, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.720.3.6, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.720.3.6
