Taraxacum pindicola ( Baldacci 1899: 185 ) Handel-Mazzetti (1907: 107)

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 : 25-28

. Taraxacum pindicola ( Baldacci 1899: 185) Handel-Mazzetti (1907: 107) .

≡ Taraxacum vulgare var. pindicola Baldacci (1899: 185) [as “pindicolum”].

≡ Taraxacum laevigatum [var.] pindicola (Bald.) Halácsy (1908: 64) .

≡ Taraxacum laevigatum subsp. pindicola (Bald.) Hayek (1931: 831) .

Type:— GREECE. In summis m. Smolika supra Kerasovo distr. Konitza [The North Pindus Mts., Smolikas Oros], 18 Jul 1896, A. Baldacci, 1896. Iter Albanicum (Epiroticum) quartum, no. 395, ut Taraxacum vulgare var. pindicolum Bald. ( BM, no. det. 8832, lectotype, designated here, see the Note below) .

Note: — Baldacci (1899) clearly restricted the original material of T. vulgare var. pindicola to a single gathering, his Iter Albanicum (Epiroticum) quartum, 1896, no. 395. Doll (1973: 165) selected a lectotype from the material collected in Mt. Smolika (“ Holotypus im h K”). However, there is no specimen from the gathering Baldacci 395 in the K herbarium. Later, Richards (1991: 571) designated another lectotype (as “ holotype ”) from the Baldacci 395 gathering, this time from the Firenze herbarium (FI), and listed isotypes at G, K, WU and Z. We screened the herbarium FI in detail but, again, Baldacci 395 is not a part of the FI collection (and the list of isotypes was derived from the specimens from Mt. Smolika listed by Handel-Mazzetti, loc. cit., which not only includes Baldacci 395 but also Baldacci 246 published under the name of T. vulgare var. stevenii from the same locality, not a part of the original material of T. vulgare var. pindicola , although taxonomically belonging to T. pindicola ). We therefore select the BM specimen as a new lectotype. It should be added that the herbarium of A. Baldacci (1867–1950) was divided and an important part was purchased by the British Museum (Natural History) in 1926, while another, equally important part was retained in Firenze (FI); some specimens are also deposited at K, BP, W, PR etc.

Plants small, not slender, often with several root heads, usually (6–) 8–12 (–14) cm tall. Plant base with dark brown tunic, light brownish arachnoid among petiole bases. Leaves variously erect-patent to subpatent, deep green to greyish green, with sparse, long arachnoid hairs, sometimes glabrescent, sometimes densely arachnoid along mid-vein adaxially, usually 4–7 cm long, 0.7–1.0 cm wide, narrowly oblanceolate to narrowly elliptical, sometimes oblanceolate, ± regularly pinnatisect, less often pinnatipartite; terminal segment triangular to broadly triangular, sometimes helmetshaped, ± small, usually 5–7 mm long, 7–10 mm wide, acute, distal margin subsigmoid to ± straight, sometimes subconcave or subconvex, entire, basal lobules ± patent to arcuate-subrecurved, rarely terminal segment elongated and remotely dentate; lateral segments (4) 5–6 (7) pairs, relatively short and broad, usually 4–7 mm long, 3–7 mm wide at base, ± triangular to narrowly triangular, often deltoid to arcuate-recurved, acute, distal margin convex, sometimes subsigmoid, entire, rarely with a single incision, proximal margin subconcave, entire; interlobes relatively short (segments often approximated) and broad, 0–4 mm long, 2–4 mm wide, green; mid-vein pale greenish or light brownish pink, sometimes ± brown purple; petiole 1.5–2.5 cm long, winged to broadly winged, almost unwinged in inner leaves, light green, sometimes with brownish purple mid-vein. Scapes ususally pale greenish, later ± suffused brownish pink, initially densely covered with long arachnoid hairs, later subdensely floccose-arachnoid, usually 3–8 cm long, ± overtopping leaves. Capitulum small, 2–2.5 cm wide, subconvex, yellow. Involucre deep green, ca. 7 mm wide and rounded to truncate at base. Outer phyllaries (6) 7–11 (14), loosely appressed, subconvex, ± imbricate in heads with numerous phyllaries, not so in heads with low number of phyllaries, relatively large (reaching 1/2 of the inner phyllaries or more), (5–) 6.5–8 mm long, (2.5–) 3.5–4.5 mm wide, ovate to broadly ovate, the outermost ones sometimes lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, acute, evenly deep olivaceous green (distally darker and/or ± suffused purplish, later and after drying wholly blackish green), sometimes with a dark olivaceous-green middle part with a gradual transition in a pale broad border, always with a narrow, 0.1–0.2 mm wide whitish-membranous border (distally often suffused purplish), margin densely and long (to 1.5 mm) ciliate, later ± glabrescent, apex ± flat; inner phyllaries 11–13 mm long, of equal width, olivaceous-green, apex dark brown-purple, flat. Outer ligules ± flat, broadly striped dark purplish grey-brown outside, inner ligule teeth dirty yellow. Stigmas relatively light greenish yellow (never pure yellow), with a hyaline pubescence outside. Pollen abundant, pollen grains regular in size. Achenes usually deep redbrown, in some populations also plants with achenes light greyish stramineous-brown, 3.4–4.7 (–5.0) mm long, (0.8–) 0.9–1.0 (–1.2) mm wide, body variably spinulose, sometimes ± densely spinulose in upper 1/3–1/4, sometimes sparsely so in upper 1/5–1/6, spinules straight to ± curved upwards, sometimes coalescing in short squamules, body otherwise ± smooth, subabruptly narrowing into a short, ± conical to subcylindrical cone (0.2–) 0.4–0.7 mm long, sometimes with a few little spinules near the base; beak 5–6.5 (–7) mm long; pappus dirty whitish (to suffused light brownish-yellowish), 4–5.5 mm long.—Sexual.—Diploid (2n=16, material from Pirin, Bulgaria, counted by H. Dvořáková in 1999).

Diagnostic notes:—In addition to the regular pollen, there is a diagnostic combination of morphological characters that makes it possible to recognize T. pindicola . The deep red-brown achenes with a relatively abrupt transition from the densely spinulose and squamulose upper part of achene body into a relatively short, conical to subcylindrical cone, and, in particular, the almost always large, not numerous outer phyllaries 5–8 mm long (and often 3.5–4.5 mm wide, usually exceeding 1/2 of the inner phyllaries at full anthesis ( Fig. 11 , 12 ).

Distribution and ecology:—This remarkable species grows on summit rocks, rocky slopes and stony alpine grasslands, usually above 2000 m. It is the only known sexual species belonging to T. sect. Erythrocarpa , and is confined to the mountains of northwestern Greece, North Macedonia, southern Bulgaria and Albania ( Fig. 11 ). The previous record of T. pindicola (as T. laevigatum var. pindicola , see Stojanov et al. 1967) from the Slavyanka Mts., Bulgaria, refers to another species. Its IUCN conservation status is estimated as LC.

Specimens examined:— GREECE: Mt. Smolikas, above Kerasovo, district of Konitsas, 18 Jul 1896, A. Baldacci, Iter Albanicum (Epiroticum) quartum (1896), no. 246, as T. stevenii (PR, no. det. 28635; PRC, no. det. 27134; WU, no. det. 9007).—Summit of Mt. Kossov near Zborsko [Pefkoto village near Voreino], 26 Jun 1893, I. Dörfler, Iter Turcicum secundum, no. 224, as T. stevenii ( PRC, no. det. 2137; WU, no. det. 22109, 22105; G, no. det. 2249; LD, no. det. 7728; JE, no. det. 10476).—NORTH MACEDONIA: [Skopje, the eastern part of Jakupica planina] summit of Pepelak, Golešnica planina, 2300–2350 m, 21 Jun 1918, J. Bornmüller 4244b (HBG, no. det. 34803; WU, no. det. 22107; JE, no. det. 10478); J. Bornmüller 4244 (HBG, no. det. 34799; WU, no. det. 22108).—[the Nidže Mts., Voras Mts., Zervi village, Mt. Kajmakčalan] SE slope of Kajmakčalan, stony grasslands, 2300 m, 7 Aug 2009, L. Meierott GR-09/377 & T. Gregor (herb. L. Meierott, no. det. 27910).—[the Nidže Mts., Voras Mts., Zervi village, Mt. Kajmakčalan] summit of Mt. Kajmakčalan, stony grasslands near Profitis Ilias Chapel, 2520 m, 7 Aug 2009, L. Meierott GR-09/400 & T. Gregor (herb. L. Meierott, no. det. 27909).—The Korab Mts. near Mavrovi Anovi, 2000 m, 13–15 Jul 1936, O. Behr & E. Behr (G, no. det. 18939; JE, no. det. 10477; PR, no. det. 2268).—Korab, Skrtac [Škrtec], 2400 m, 15 Jul 1937, F. Weber ( PRC, no. det. 21057).—Korab, Ciganski Prolaz, ca. 2500 m, 16 Jul 1937, F. Weber ( PRC, no. det. 21056).—Korab Mts., rocks and scree near Ciganski Prolaz, ca. 2450 m, 16 Jul 1937, I. Klášterský (PR, no. det. 2262).—Korab Mts., below the summit of Mt. Mala Korabska vrata, 2200–2500 m, 17 Jul 1937, I. Klášterský (PR, no. det. 2263, 2264, 2265 & 2266).—Korab, above the valley of Duboka reka, ca. 2500 m, 16 Jul 1937, I. Klášterský (PR, no. det. 28632, 28630).—Šar Planina, Mt. Ljuboten, 2200 m., 17 Jun 1939, Thompson 945 (K, no. det. 12324).—Šar Planina, summit of Mt. Ljuboten, 2200–2500 m, dolomite, Jul 1937, A. Pilát (PR, no. det. 28634).—[Jakupica planina] Bogomila, Mt. Solunska glava, mountain meadows, 2400 m, 21 Jun 1966, F. Weber (PR, no. det. 28637).—The Nidže Mts., limestone ridge of Belo Grotlo, Malk Nidže, ca. 1900 m, 1989, R. Bělohlávková & D. Fišerová, cultivated as JŠ 4026/4, collected in 1990 (PRA, no. det. 25101), ibidem: cultivated as JŠ 4026/5 (PRA, no. det. 25100), ibidem: cultivated as JŠ 4026/6 (PRA, no. det. 25099), ibidem: cultivated as JŠ 4026/1 (PRA, no. det. 25098), ibidem: cultivated as JŠ 4026/3 (PRA, no. det. 25102).—The Nidže Mts., limestone ridge of Belo Grotlo, Malk Nidže, ca. 1950–2000 m, 1989, R. Bělohlávková & D. Fišerová, cultivated as JŠ 4738, collected in 1990 (PRA, no. det. 25106), ibidem: cultivated as JŠ 4024/3 (PRA, no. det. 25105), ibidem: cultivated as JŠ 4024/2 (PRA, no. det. 25104), ibidem: cultivated as JŠ 4024/1 (PRA, no. det. 25103).—[Šar Planina, Tetovo] from the Popova Šapka Chalet to Popova Šapka, 1600–1700 m, 29 Jun 1976, F. Krendl (W, no. det. 27907), ibidem: along the brook, 1500–1700 m, 30 Jun 1976, F. Krendl (W, no. det. 27906).—Popova Šapka, west of Popova Šapka, between it and Ceripašina Planina, 1850–2050 m, 8 Jun 2010, F. G. Dunkel 25514-1 & G. Vogg (herb. F. G. Dunkel, no. det. 26426).— ALBANIA: District of Kukës (Rrethi i Kukësit), on the plateau of Mt Gjallicë, in moutain grassland, on limestone, 41.99867° N, 20.46106° E, 2086 m, 23 May 2010, Z. Barina & D. Pifkó 17260 (BP, herb. Z. Barina, no. det. 30567).— BULGARIA: The Pirin Mts., Bansko township, Mt. Vichren, Vichrenski Preslap between Mt. Vichren (2914 m) and Chvojnati vrech (2635 m), limestone, ca. 2500 m, 12 Aug 1990, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 4547, collected in 1991 (PRA, no. det. 25096), ibidem: 2550–2600 m, 41°45–46‘ N, 23°24‘ E, 9 Aug 1997, J. Štěpánek, J. Kirschner & B. Trávníček, cultivated as JŠ 6297, collected in 1998 (PRA, no. det. 25107).—Vichren, limestone scree, bellow the main summit, 2400-2500 m, 9 Aug 1997, [J. Kirschner, J. Štěpánek & B. Trávníček], cultivated as JK 4321 (PRA, no. det. 28935), ibidem: cultivated as JK 4331 (PRA, no. det. 28946).—The Pirin Mts., Bansko township, Banderica Valley, Mt. Vichren [= “El Tepe”], 2500–2990 m, Jul 1936, I. Klášterský & M. Deyl (PR, no. det. 28624).—The Pirin Mts., Bansko township, Banderica Valley, granite, 2200 m, Jul 1936, I. Klášterský & M. Deyl (PR, no. det. 28626).—The Pirin Mts., Bansko township, Banderica Valley, limestone, 2300 m, Jul 1936, I. Klášterský & M. Deyl (PR, no. det. 28620).—The Pirin Mts., Bansko township, Mt. Vichren, eastern slopes, 2200 m, 14 Jun 1971, F. K. Meyer & J. Meyer 10362, 10344 (JE, no. det. 33815).—Pirin Village, Popovi Livadi, Mt. Beli Rid, alpine sites, 5 May 1993, O. Šída (herb. O. Šída, no. det. 14030).—Pirin, Goce Delčev, Popski preslap, the summit rocks, 2000 m, 5 May 1993, V. Grulich (BRNU, no. det. 20194).—Pirin, Razlog, ascent to the Kamenitica Circus, 2200–2500 m, 24 Jun 1977, F. K. Meyer & J. Meyer 12547 (JE, no. det. 33821).

Less certain identification:— NORTH MACEDONIA: Macedonia, Golešnica planina, summit of Begova , ca. 2000 m, 24 Jun 1918, J. Bornmüller, Plantae Macedonicae, no. 4245 ( WU, no. det. 22106) .— GREECE: Greece, Epirus, summit of Mt. Smolikas, ca. 2200–2700 m, serpentine rocks, 9 Jul 1958, K. H. Rechinger 20980 p. p. ( L, no. det. 3779).— Greece, North Pindus, Mt. Gavrila , NE of Ioannina , 6000 ft., 13 Jun 1974, R. Lancaster ( L, no. det. 3780).— North Pindus , Mt. Smolikas , between Mosia and Lemos, 2450 m, fine gravel, 28 Jul 2009, L. Meierott GR-09/101 & T. Gregor (herb. L. Meierott, no. det. 27971) .

Figures

FIGURE 11. Taraxacum pindicola. A, General habit (BM, no. det. 8832). B, Achenes (PRA, no. det. 25098). C, Distribution map. D, Details of involucre and capitulum (cultivated as JŠ 9306); a much less common morphotype with ± unbordered outer phyllaries.

FIGURE 12. Taraxacum pindicola. Variation in the shape and size of achenes and outer phyllaries. Scale bar = 2 mm.