Taraxacum fastuosum Štěpánek, Kirschner, Zámečník & Trávníček, 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 : 13-16

2. Taraxacum fastuosum Štěpánek, Kirschner, Zámečník & Trávníček , sp. nov.

Type:— ITALY. Italia boreo-orient., regio Friuli-Venezia Giulia, urbs Udine, opp. Gemona d. Friuli, pagus Forgaria n. Friuli, vicus Cornino : in alluvionibus siccis ad ripam dextram fluminis Tagliamento , ca. 1.5 km situ orient. a vico Cornino, 46°14‘ N, 13°01‘30“ E, 18 Apr 1996, J. Štěpánek, J. Štěpánková & Z. Kaplan ( PRA, no. det. 33111, holotype; isotypes: PRA, no. det. 30961 and duplicates)

Etymology:—Haughty, disdainful.

Exsiccate:—Taraxaca Exs., no. 1103.

Diagnosis:—Plantae statura gracili ad Taraxacum sect. Erythrosperma vergentes sed acheniis longis corpore in pyramidem anguste cylindricam, ad 1.5 mm longam sensim transeunte, phyllariis involucralibus exterioribus laxe adpressis magnis, plerumque ovatolanceolatis vel ovatis saepissime 2.5–4.5 mm latis, atro-viridibus, distincte marginatis limbo albo-membranaceo, 0.2–0.4 mm lato differunt; ceterum plantae antheris polline carentibus et acheniis saturate brunneis insignes.

Plants small to medium-sized, usually 6–14 cm tall, relatively slender. Leaf rosettes with relatively low number of leaves, older plants with several root heads. Plant base with a weak tunic, subsparsely whitish to pale brownish arachnoid among petiole bases. Leaves erect to variously erect-patent, mid-green to slightly greyish green, very sparsely arachnoid to glabrous, usually 4–10 cm long, 0.8–2.5 cm wide, linear-oblanceolate to linear-elliptical in outline, pinnatisect to pinnatipartite; terminal segment usually trilobed, with a middle constriction, distal lobule lingulate, often ± dilated at apex, sometimes terminal segment narrowly helmet-shaped, usually 6–18 mm long, 5–12 mm wide, acute to obtusely acute, distal margin subconvex to distinctly concave, rarely sigmoid or undulate, entire or with 1–3 short teeth and/or incisions, basal lobules ± patent to subrecurved, acute to narrowly acute, proximal margin subconcave to straight, entire; lateral segments relatively small, 3–5 pairs, narrowly deltoid-triangular to deltoid-triangular, not rarely hamaterecurved, usually 5–11 mm long, 3–8 mm wide at base, distal margin convex to conspicuously convex, or subsigmoid, entire or with 1–3 ± equal acute teeth, proximal margin subconcave or ± straight (or subsigmoid), entire; interlobes narrow, usually 2–6 mm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, not blotched, sometimes narrowly bordered brown-purple, entire or with a few little acute teeth; mid-vein pale or proximally brownish; petiole narrow, unwinged or narrowly winged, pale to pinkish, usually 1.5–3.5 cm long. Scapes pale greenish, pinkish at base, later suffused bronze distally, ± densely arachnoid, usually overtopping leaves. Capitulum ± small, ca. 2 cm wide, concave to flat, yellow, with ligules short, very regularly arranged. Involucre broadly obconical to ± truncate and 7–8 (–9) mm wide at base. Outer phyllaries 11–18 (often, on a single plant, involucres with low and high numbers of phyllaries), ± imbricate in involucres with higher number of phyllaries, loosely appressed, distally subrecurved after anthesis, most of them ovate-lanceolate to ovate, the lowermost ones to linear-lanceolate, the upper ones lanceolate, 5–8 mm long, (1–) 2.5–4.5 mm wide, before anthesis with a broad dark olivaceous-green middle part, gradually getting paler towards margins, during anthesis the whole phyllary‘s surface evenly black-green (± black when dry), with a distinct white-membranous border 0.2–0.4 mm wide, border suffused purple in upper 1/3, margin ± ciliate (hairs short) to almost glabrous, apex ± flat; inner phyllaries 9–11 mm long, of ± invariable width. Outer ligules narrow, ± canaliculate, striped dark purplish or reddish grey-olivaceous outside, with apical teeth black, inner ligules short, distinctly canaliculate to convolute, their teeth reddish to greyish. Stigmas dark discoloured, yellow-green, with blackish pubescence outside. Pollen absent. Achenes dark pure deep brown, 4.7–5.0 mm long, 0.9–1.1 mm wide, with slightly prominent lateral and dorsiventral ridges, relatively densely spinulose in upper 1/3–1/4, with spinules to 0.3 mm long, suberect, body otherwise tuberculate to smooth, gradually narrowing into a thin subcylindrical cone 1.1–1.5 mm long, usually with 2–3 minute spinules near the base; beak 6.5–9 mm long; pappus dirty white to pale brownish white, 5–6 mm long.—Agamosperm.

Diagnostic note: — In addition to the characters given in the Latin diagnosis above, T. fastuosum is distinct in its narrow leaf shape, relatively narrow and long interlobes, the canaliculate ligules densely arranged and gradually shorter towards the capitulum centre, and the absence of pollen. The conspicuously dark coloured outer phyllaries are also remarkable ( Fig. 3 , 5 ). In its general habit, it approaches T. sect. Erythrosperma. Although it might be considered as intermediate between the latter section and T. sect. Erythrocarpa , the combination of long achenes with an unusually long thin cone, and the ± appressed, ovate to lanceolate and distinctly bordered outer phyllaries is decisive.

Distribution and ecology:—Unlike most of the other members of T. sect. Erythrocarpa in Europe, T. fastuosum occupies lowland and Alpine foothill habitats in lime-rich open grasslands and limestone rocky slopes. It probably represents an endemic taxon confined to the southeastern promontories of the Alps, and was recorded from NE. Italy, W. Slovenia and the adjacent region of Austria (Kärnten) ( Fig. 4 ). Its IUCN conservation status is estimated as NT.

Specimens examined:— SLOVENIA: SW. Slovenia, Postojna, Senožeče , a slope NE of the village, 45°45‘54.4“ N, 14°01‘51.6“ E, 23 Apr 2000, V. Žíla ( PR, no. det. 30966).— Postojna, Podnanos, Mt. Nanos , 23 Apr 2000, V. Žíla ( PR, no. det. 30968).— Vrhpolje village (near Ajdovščina town), roadside near crossroad ca. 1.5 km N of the village, 45°52‘44“ N, 13°57‘56“ E, 9 Apr 2016, B. Trávníček ( OL, no. det. 32614; dupl. in PRA).— W. Slovenia, Vipava, Vrhpolje, on limestone gravel along a road between Col and Ajdovščina, 439 m, 45°52‘44.5“ N, 13°57‘56.6“ E, 9 Apr 2016, J. Zámečník & B. Trávníček (herb. J. Zámečník, no. det. 33014; dupl. in PRA).— Slovenia: Razguri settlement ( S of Vipava town ), grassy place near crossroad 0.6 km NE of the settlement, 45°46‘59“ N, 13°56‘40“ E., 9 Apr 2016, B. Trávníček ( OL, no. det. 32612).— Sežana, Razguri village, on limestone gravel near the Sv. Ana church, ca. 700 m NE of the village, 556 m, 45°46‘59.2“ N, 13°56‘39.9“ E, 9 Apr 2016, J. Zámečník & B. Trávníček (herb. J. Zámečník, no. det. 33016).— ITALY: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Udine, Gemona d. Friuli, Forgaria n. Friuli, Cornino, dry alluvial sites along Tagliamento R., ca. 1.5 km E of Cornino , 46°14‘ N, 13°01‘30“ E, 18 Apr 1996, J. Štěpánek , J. Štěpánková & Z. Kaplan ( PRA, no. det. 30961, isotypes), ibidem: Cultivated as JŠ 5846, collected in 1997 ( PRA, no. det. 30970), distributed also as Taraxaca Exs., no. 1103.— Dogna settlement ( ENE of Tolmezzo town), gravelly right bank of the Fiume Fella river , 46°27‘23“ N, 13°18‘20“ E, 10 Apr 2016, B. Trávníček ( OL, no. det. 32620).— Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Provincia Udine, Dogna, alluvial gravelly limestone deposits along the Fiume Fella River , 453 m, 46°27‘23.166“ N, 13°18‘21.492“ E, 10 Apr 2016, J. Zámečník & B. Trávníček , cultivated from achenes as JZ 326/2016. (herb. J. Zámečník, no. det. 34028).— Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Provincia di Udine, Resiutta, steep limestone cliffs ca. 1 km NW of the church Chiesa di San Martino Vescovo , 364 m, 46°23‘42.8“ N, 13°12‘23.5“ E, 10 Apr 2016, J. Zámečník & B. Trávníček (herb. J. Zámečník, no. det. 33012).— AUSTRIA: Kärnten, Hermagor District, Vorderberg , alluvial vegetation on gravel at the “Vorderberger Wildbach“ stream, 842 m, 46°35‘03“ N, 13°30‘12“ E, 18 Apr 2017, J. Zámečník , cultivated from achenes as JZ 451/2017 (herb. J. Zámečník, no. det. 35429; dupl. in PRA).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Taraxacum fastuosum. A. General habit (PRA, no. det. 33111, a part of the holotype). B. Achenes (PRA, no. det. 30970).

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 5. Taraxacum fastuosum. Achene and outer phyllaries. Scale bar = 1 mm.