Taraxacum jailae Štěpánek & Kirschner, 2022

Štěpánek, Jan & Kirschner, Jan, 2022, Taraxacum sect. Erythrocarpa in Europe in the Alps and eastwards: A revision of a precursor group of relicts, Phytotaxa 536 (1), pp. 7-52 : 45-46

15. Taraxacum jailae Štěpánek & Kirschner , sp. nov.

Type:— UKRAINE, Crimea. Tauria merid., opp. Alušta, pagus Lučistoe , montes Demerdži jaila, sub rupibus cacuminalibus montis Demerdži (1239 m) [Southern Crimea, town of Alushta, village of Luchistoe, Demerdzhi Iaila Mts., below the summit rocks of Mt. Demerdzhi], 1100–1200 m, 44°43‘ N, 34°26‘ E, 26 May 1989, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 4676, collected in 1992 ( PRA, no. det. 33119, holotype; isotype: PRA, no. det. 33117) .

Etymology:—Derived from the Crimean Tatar word yayla for the mountain plains in Crimea.

Diagnosis:—Plantae subparvae insignes, foliis plerumque pinnatisectis, lobis lateralibus saepe hamato-recurvis, interlobiis dentatis conspicue purpureo-brunneis, phyllariis involucralibus exterioribus ovatis vel late ovatis, pallidissime viridibus stria obscura mediana praeditis, acheniis rubro-brunneis conspicue spinulosis, spinulis angustis longissimis saepe apice recurvis; a T. greuteri acheniis colore, a T. janchenii forma foliorum necnon phyllariis coloratione differunt.

Plants relatively small but not slender, usually 7–13 cm tall. Root thick, dark brown, single-headed.Plant base with a dark brown tunic, with a ± dense, greyish to light brownish arachnoid indumentum among petiole bases. Leaves variously erect-patent, slightly glaucous green with interlobes blotched brown-purple, sparsely arachnoid, more densely on mid-vein adaxially, narrowly elliptical to oblong, usually 4–7 cm long, 0.7–1.5 cm wide, pinnatisect to pinnatipartite; terminal segment not dominant, helmet-shaped to triangular or broadly triangular, usually 7–11 mm long, 6–12 mm wide, acute to obtusely acute, distal margin convex, entire or seldom with a single little acute tooth, sometimes with an asymmetrical shallow obtuse incision, basal lobules subrecurved to recurved, rarely patent, acuminate, proximal margin straight to subconcave, entire, rarely with a single acute tooth; lateral segments 3–5 (–6) pairs, distal ones approximated or almost overlapping, broad and short, usually 4–6 mm long, 3–6 mm wide at base, usually subrecurved, deltoid to triangular, often semilunar or almost hamate-recurved, acute, distal margin convex, sometimes sigmoid, entire or with 1–2 (–4) little narrow acute teeth, proximal margin ± straight to subsigmoid, entire, with the exception of the base which is frequently with a single distinct raised tooth; interlobes variously long, ± broad, distal ones short, 0–7 mm long, 2–4 mm wide, with a raised margin, surface blotched grey-purple or brown-purple, margin with variably large thin acuminate and usually recurved teeth (1–2 conspicuously longer, as a rule); petiole winged or narrow, 1–2 cm long, faintly purplish or pale greenish. Scapes grey-purple at base (later wholly), otherwise pale greenish, ± densely arachnoid, overtopping leaves. Capitulum 2.5–3.5 cm wide, ± flat to convex, yellow. Involucre light glaucous-green, truncate and ca. 6–7 mm wide at base. Outer phyllaries 13–18, relatively short (reaching ca. 1/3 of the inner at anthesis), ± imbricate, with a conspicuous coloration, loosely appressed, erect to erect-patent, ovate to broadly ovate, upper ones to lanceolate, with ± elongated apex, usually 4.5–6 mm long, 2.5–3.5 mm wide, surface generally pale greenish, with a membranous border 0.2–0.4 mm wide, from a very pale greenish marginal part gradually getting darker towards a dark green (blackish green when dry) middle strip (darker near both ends of the phyllary), distal 1/3–1/4 suffused greyish pink, margin ± densely long ciliate, apex dark subcarinate to callose; inner phyllaries 10–11 mm long, not variable in width. Outer ligules flat, striped purplish to purple-grey-brown outside, apical teeth almost black, inner ligule teeth light dirty purplish-brownish. Stigmas medium discoloured, light greyish yellow-green, with a pubescence of hairs distally darker. Pollen absent or present, then pollen grains irregular in size. Achenes deep red-brownish castaneous to red-brown, 3.7–4.9 (–5.2) mm long, 0.8–1.0 mm wide, body with a distinct sculpturing, proximally tuberculate, distally with dense long thin spinules (to 0.4 mm long), some spinules arcuate-recurved, body subabruptly, sometimes subgradually narrowing into a cylindrical to subcylindrical cone 0.7–1.0 (–1.2) mm long; beak (6.5–) 7–8.5 (–9.5) mm long, pappus whitish, yellowish dirty white, 5–6 mm long.—Agamosperm.

Diagnostic notes:—Leaves of T. jailae have distally approximated lateral segment pairs, interlobes are blotched brown-purple. The conspicuous coloration of outer phyllaries is diagnostic (dark middle strip and the rest of the surface very pale greenish, with distal part suffused pinkish). Achenes are characterized by a dense spinulosity, with some spinules very long (to 0.4 mm) and recurved ( Fig. 24 , 25 ). Taraxacum greuteri , otherwise similar, has cinnamon-brown achenes with a very different spinulosity, and a darker pappus, while T. janchenii has leaves with a dominant, roundedobtuse terminal segment, yellow stigmas, and its outer phyllaries lack the dark middle strip.

Distribution and ecology:—Limestone cliffs and stony mountain slopes and pastures on jaila, the Crimean relictual habitats above timberline. We consider T. jailae as endemic to the Crimea, Ukraine ( Fig. 15 ). Its IUCN conservation status is estimated as EN.—Map: Fig. 15 .

Specimens examined:— UKRAINE: Southern Crimea, town of Alushta, village of Luchistoe , Demerdzhi Iaila Mts. , below the summit rocks of Mt. Demerdzhi , 1100-1200 m, 44°43‘ N, 34°26‘ E, 26 May 1989, J. Štěpánek , cultivated as JŠ 3529/3-1/1 (PRA, no. det. 33115), ibidem: cultivated as JŠ 3529/1-1/1 (PRA, no. det. 33104), ibidem: cultivated as JŠ 4925 (PRA, no. det. 33106).

Figures

FIGURE 15. Distribution of species of T. sect. Erythrocarpa. Taraxacum striatifolium (squares), T. meierottii (an empty circle, Albania), T. jailae (rhombus) and T. velebiticum (star, Croatia).

FIGURE 24. Taraxacum jailae. A, General habit (PRA, no. det. 33119, a part of the holotype). B, Achenes (PRA, no. det. 33117).

FIGURE 25. Taraxacum jailae. Outer phyllaries and achenes. Scale bar = 1 mm.