Taraxacum adamovicii 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 : 48-50

1. Taraxacum adamovicii Štěpánek & Kirschner , sp. nov.

Type:— GREECE. Graecia , paeninsula Athos, mons Athos (2033 m), calcareis in cacumine et in clivis petrosis inter summum et ecclesiam Panaghia [Athos Peninsula, Mt. Athos, summit limestones and stony slopes between the summit and the Panaghia Church], ca. 2000 m, 40°09‘29“ N, 24°19‘38“ E, 23 May 2011, K. Sutorý ( BRNM 735357 , no. det. 33703, holotype).

Etymology:—Named after an important Serbian botanist, Lujo Adamović (1864–1935), also a collector of this species.

Diagnosis:—Plantae parvae insignes foliis canescenti-viridibus, phyllariis exterioribus involucralibus imbricatis numerosis, late ovatis vel ovatis, stigmatibus ± saturate luteis vel melleo-luteis, necnon acheniis rubro-brunneis, pyramide brevi; species affines, T. pudilii , forma foliorum et antheris polline carentibus, T. jailae stigmatibus obscurioribus et phyllariis exterioribus angustioribus, T. greuteri & T. aquilinum , achenii colore, et T. janchenii , species similissima, phyllariis exterioribus paucioribus et pyramide longiore bene dignoscendae.

Plants small but not slender, usually 4–10 cm tall. Root single-headed or with several heads; plant base with a well developed dark brown tunic, whitish arachnoid among petiole bases. Leaves numerous, variously erect-patent, greyish green, not spotted, almost glabrous, only sparsely hairy on mid-vein, narrowly elliptical to oblanceolate, usually 4–9 cm long, 1–2.5 cm wide, pinnatisect; terminal segment not dominant, broadly triangular or triangular, sometimes ± helmet-shaped, usually 7–10 mm long, 8–13 mm wide, acute, distal margin ± straight to subconvex, entire, proximal margin subconcave to subsigmoid or ± straight, entire, with a single little tooth at the very base, basal lobules ± patent to subrecurved; lateral segments (3) 4 (5) pairs, deltoid-triangular to narrowly triangular, usually subrecurved, usually 5–12 mm long, 4–8 mm wide at base, acute, sometimes ±elongated to form a lingulate tip, distal margin subconvex to subsigmoid, entire or with rare minute teeth, proximal margin ± straight to subconcave, entire or with a single bigger tooth at base, sometimes also with a few minute teeth, all teeth raised; interlobes relatively short, 1–3 mm long, 2–3 mm wide (the width measured without teeth), often with a large tooth or lobule and some minute teeth, margin often raised, surface and margin not coloured; petiole pale greenish, 1–2 cm long, broadly winged in outer leaves, winged in middle ones and narrowly so in later, inner leaves. Scapes usually suffused purple, some of them often almost wholly pale greenish, densely arachnoid-tomentose, later slightly glabrescent, equalling or overtopping leaves. Capitulum 2.5–3 cm wide, ± yellow. Involucre robust, ± olivaceous-green, usually 8–10 mm wide and broadly rounded to truncate at base. Outer phyllaries conspicuous, numerous, 16–20, ± loosely appressed, imbricate, ovate to broadly ovate, usually 5–6 (–7) mm long, 3.5–4.5 mm wide, ± light olivaceous-green, proximally much paler, distally darker, suffused brownish purple in distal 1/2, with an olivaceous middle strip ca. 2–3 mm wide, with a subgradual transition into a pale border, margin whitish-membranous, ca. 0.1 mm wide, densely and long ciliate (hairs to 1 mm long), apex subcorniculate; inner phyllaries 12–14 mm long, width not variable. Outer ligules flat, conspicuously striped red-purple outside, apical teeth black-purple, inner ligule teeth smoky greyish. Stigmas light, honey-yellow to slightly pale brownish yellow when dry, with a hyaline pubescence outside. Pollen present, pollen grains variable in size. Achenes red brown to dark red-brown, 4.5–5.5 mm long, 0.9–1.0 mm wide, body with numerous erect-patent spinules to 0.25 mm long in upper 1/3, otherwise ± tuberculate, ± gradually narrowing into a thin cylindrical cone 0.8–0.9 mm long, with a few minute spinules in proximal 1/2; beak ca. 8 mm long; pappus dirty white, ca. 5.5 mm long.—Agamosperm.

Diagnostic notes:— Taraxacum adamovicii belongs to the group characterized by a pale (yellowish-) greenish basic colour of outer phyllaries, ovate to broadly ovate shape and imbricate arrangement of outer phyllaries and a relatively short cone ( Fig. 26 ). From T. pudilii , it differs in polliniferous anthers and the leaf shape, from T. aquilinum and T. greuteri by a very different achene colour, from T. jailae in ± yellow stigmas and broader outer phyllaries, and from T. janchenii , with which it shares yellow stigmas and, to a certain extent, also the general habit, in a shorter cone and a diffrent leaf shape.

Distribution and habitat:—So far as the material goes, T. adamovicii is confined to the summit limestone rocks and adjacent stony slopes of Mt. Athos, Greece ( Fig. 4 ). We consider it as a stenoendemic species. Its IUCN conservation status is estimated as EN.

Specimens examined:— GREECE: “ Plantae balcanicae exsiccatae, in alpinis mt. Athos ”, 5 Jun 1905, L. Adamović [under the name T. hoppeanum ] ( LE, no. det. 3540) .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Distribution of species of T. sect. Erythrocarpa. Taraxacum fastuosum (squares), T. adamovicii (star), T. olympophilum (green/dark circles), T. pieninicum (yellow/light circles).

FIGURE 26. Achenes and outer phyllaries of Taraxacum adamovicii (A) and T. pudilii (B). Scale bar = 1 mm.