Taraxacum striatifolium 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 : 28-30

. Taraxacum striatifolium Štěpánek & Kirschner , sp. nov.

Type:— NORTH MACEDONIA. Jugoslavia , Makedonia , montes Jakupica planina: locis scaturiginosis in pascuis supra limitem sylvae sub monte Ubava [Jakupica Planina (Mts.), in the vicinity of springs in pastures above timber line below Mt. Ubava], ca. 1900 m, Jul 1987 , R. Bělohlávková & D. Fišerová, cultivated as JŠ 3213, collected in 1989 ( PRA, no. det. 28649; isotypes: PRA, no. det. 25979) .

Etymology:—According to the irregularly spotted leaves.

Exsiccates:—Taraxaca Exs., no. 1104.

Diagnosis:—Plantae ± graciles, combinatione characteribus insignes, praesertim foliis maculatis, antheris polline carentibus, phyllariis involucralibus exterioribus ovatis usque lanceolatis, laxe adpressis usque patentibus, 6–10 mm longis, 2.5–4 mm latis, acheniis saturate rubro-brunneis, 3.5–4.5 mm longis necnon pyramide cylindrica, 0.8–1.1 mm longa.

Plants small to medium-sized, not slender, usually 6–12 cm tall. Plant base with a dark brown tunic, whitish to pale brownish arachnoid among petiole bases. Leaves variously erect-patent, greyish green, late leaves sometimes suffused brownish-purplish, sparsely arachnoid to ± glabrous, narrowly elliptical to linear-elliptical or narrowly oblanceolate, (3–) 5–12 cm long, 1–2 cm wide, adaxial surface conspicuously, irregularly spotted brown-purple, individual spots most often 1–2 mm wide, blade ± regularly pinnatisect; terminal segment broadly triangular, triangular or helmetshaped in outline, usually 0.7–2 cm long, 0.6–1.8 cm wide, acute to elongated-acuminate, distal margin subconcave, subsigmoid to subconvex, entire or with a single little tooth, sometimes with an incision, basal lobules ± patent to subrecurved, acute, proximal margin ± straight or concave, usually entire; lateral segments (4) 5–6 (7) pairs, relatively short, deltoid-triangular to narrowly triangular, recurved, usually 5–13 mm long, 4–15 mm wide at base, acuminate, distal margin convex, sometimes sigmoid or ± straight, sparsely denticulate or entire, rarely with a distinct incision, proximal margin ± straight to subconcave; interlobes relatively short, usually 1–5 mm long, 2–4 mm wide, with raised margins, narrowly bordered brown-purple, often with several unequal teeth; mid-vein usually distally pale, proximally suffused pink or purplish; petiole 1–3 (–4) cm long, usually narrowly winged, greyish purple, ± densely arachnoid. Scapes green, brownish purple at the base, densely arachnoid, subequalling leaves. Capitulum small, 2–3 cm wide, subconvex, lighter yellow, with rather “untidy” ligules. Involucre ca. 7 mm wide and rounded at base. Outer phyllaries 13–17, loosely appressed to almost patent, sometimes ± sigmoid, not imbricate, ovate to lanceolate, 6–10 mm long, (2.5–) 3–4 mm wide, adaxially pale, abaxially with a light to dark olivaceous-green middle part, with a gradual to subabrupt transition in whitish membranous border 0.2–0.4 mm wide, distal part of phyllary usually suffused pink, margin ciliate, often densely so, apex flat or callose; inner phyllaries 12–13 mm long, elongating to reach 18 mm in fruiting capitula, of ± equal width. Outer ligules subcanaliculate, striped purple blackish grey outside (after anthesis the whole abaxial surface suffused purple), with red apical teeth, inner ligule teeth red to light purple. Stigmas dark discoloured, greyish yellow-green, with black pubescence outside. Pollen absent. Achenes deep red-brown to greyish red-brown, relatively slender, 3.5–4.5 mm long, 0.8–0.9 mm wide, body medium densely spinulose to squamulose in upper 1/3–1/4, spinules usually suberect to erect-patent (the longest ones to 0.3 mm), body otherwise tuberculate to ± smooth, gradually narrowing into a narrowly cylindrical to subcylindrical cone (0.8–) 0.9–1.1 mm long, usually without basal spinules; beak 9–10.5 mm long; pappus yellowish white, 5–6 mm long.—Agamosperm.—Triploid (2n=24, counted by A. Strid, on Strid 15544).

Relationships:—This species is rather intermediate between Taraxacum sections Erythrosperma and Erythrocarpa . The relatively small, slender achenes point to the former section, while the features of outer phyllaries and the general habit place it in the latter section. It has several features rarely found in the group under study, e. g., the leaves spotted brown-purple, absence of pollen, long, not imbricate outer phyllaries and relatively short achenes ( Fig. 13 , 14 ). It might be compared with T. buttleri van Soest (the latter has small outer phyllaries usually 3–4 × 1.5–2.5 mm, polliniferous anthers, and non-spotted leaf blades), and T. umbrosum (with ± appressed, conspicuously imbricate and usually more numerous outer phyllaries, and achenes usually of brown colours). Taraxacum janchenii is distinct in the pale yellowish green outer phyllary colour and yellow stigmas.

Distribution and ecology:—It is known from medium dry or even ± humid grasslands and meadows, usually on limestone, usually in subalpine and alpine belts, between 1800 and 2300 m. It is confined to a group of subalpine and alpine localities in the northernmost Greece, the adjacent North Macedonia, and Bulgaria ( Fig. 15 ). Its IUCN conservation status is estimated as LC.

Specimens examined:— BULGARIA: Pirin, Bansko, along a track between chalets of Banderica and Vichren, 1850–1950 m, 15 Aug 1990, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 4865, collected in 1993 (PRA, no. det. 25982).—Pirin, Bansko, in the valley of the Vichrenska voda (Brook), above the Vichren chalet, 2300 m, 12 Aug 1990, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 4537/A, collected in 1991 (PRA, no. det. 25985).—NORTH MACEDONIA: Skopje, mountains between villages Tuin and Rasteš, a meadow in beech forest, about 1.5 km N of Mt. Dobra Voda (2062 m), ca. 1700 m, 19 Jun 1988, H. Koblihová, cultivated as JŠ 3791, collected in 1990 (PRA, no. det. 25981).—Jakupica planina (Mts.), in the vicinity of springs in pastures above timber line below Mt. Ubava, ca. 1900 m, Jul 1987, R. Bělohlávková & D. Fišerová, cultivated as JŠ 4115, collected in 1991 (PRA, no. det. 25980).— GREECE: Mt. Vasilitsa, Nom. Grevenon /Ioanninon, Ep. Grevenon/Konitsis, around the ski centre, subalpine meadows at the Fagus sylvatica and Pinus heldreichii timberline, serpentine, 40.04° N, 21.05° E, 24 May 1999, A. Strid et al. 48273 (herb. Strid/C, no. det. 25978).—Ioanninon, Mt. Timfi (Gamila), around the summit of Gamila, 2300 m, rocky slopes and meadows, limestone. 8 Jul 1979, S. GrØntved Christiansen, P. Hartvig, K. Papanicolaou & A. Strid 15544 (herb. A. Strid/C, no. det. 4975), ibidem: cultivated in the Botanical Garden, University of Copenhagen, collected in 1981 (herb. A. Strid/C, no. det. 4973).

Figures

FIGURE 13. Taraxacum striatifolium. A, General habit (PRA, no. det. 28649, a part of the holotype). B, Achenes (PRA, no. det. 25979).

FIGURE 14. Taraxacum striatifolium. General habit, outer phyllaries and achenes. Scale bars: 1 mm for outer phyllaries and achenes; 2 cm for general habit.

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).