Taraxacum pseudohoppeanum Kirschner & Štěpánek (1985: 122)

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 : 11

1. Taraxacum pseudohoppeanum Kirschner & Štěpánek (1985: 122) .

Type:— FRANCE. Alpes Maritimae , Prov. di Cuneo , Pian Tendasco, supra Val Casterino di Tenda, in pratis alpinis, solo calcareo, 2000 m, 21 Jun 1911, C. Bicknell & L. Pollini [Fiori et Béguinot, Fl. Ital. Exs., ser. II., no. 1995] ( K, no. det. 2379, holotype) .

Note: — A part of the herbarium material cited by van Soest (1976) under the name of T. caespitosum van Soest (1976: 173) , and by van Soest (1969) as T. plumbeum , belongs to T. pseudohoppeanum . See also the list of specimens examined.

Description:— Kirschner & Štěpánek (1985:122–123).

Illustrations:— Kirschner & Štěpánek (1985: 121 and Plate X).

Exsiccates:—Fiori et Béguinot, Fl. Ital. Exs., ser. II., no. 1995; Taraxaca Exs., no. 199.

Diagnostic notes:— Taraxacum pseudohoppeanum belongs to the group characterized by broadly ovate to ovate outer phyllaries with pale greenish proximal part of phyllaries, and by red-brown achenes. From the most closely related species, T. janchenii , it can be distinguished by its greenish stigmas, patent, subacute leaf lateral segments and the absence of the dominant, broadly obtuse terminal segment of leaves ( Fig. 1 ). Taraxacum pseudohoppeanum is tetraploid, with 2n=32 ( Krahulcová 1993).

Note:—Contrary to the sectional conception in Kirschner & Štěpánek (1985), T. pseudohoppeanum represents the only member of T. sect. Erythrocarpa in the western part of the Alps. In the meantime, we modified and extended the circumscription of T. sect. Obliqua to include a group of taxa derived from the Pyrenean sexual populations of T. pyrenaicum (= T. andorriense Sahlin (1984: 113)) , and the latter section therefore, in all likelihood, includes also T. aquilonare Hand. -Mazz. (see also the description and illustrations of T. aquilonare in Kirschner & Štěpánek (1985: 118–121)).

Distribution and ecology:— Taraxacum pseudohoppeanum is confined to subalpine and alpine limestone rock crevices, gravel and stony meadows at (1000–) 1800–2200 (–2320) m in the Maritime Alps, Wallis, Piemont and South Tirol, i.e. in France (with the highest number of localities), Italy and Switzerland ( Fig. 2 ). Its IUCN conservation status is estimated as LC.

Specimens examined:— FRANCE: Alpes Maritimes, Pian Tendasco, above Val Casterino di Tenda, 2000 m, 21 Jun 1911, C. Bicknell & L. Pollini [Fiori & Béguinot, Fl. Ital. Exs., ser. II, no. 1995] (BP 436095, no. det. 2374; FR, no. det. 23586; G, no. det. 18991; LAU, no. det. 26034; LE, no. det. 3579; LY, no. det. 12554; MW, no. det. 30560; Z, no. det. 2250; ZT, no. det. 2282; NMW, herb. A. J. Richards, no. det. 1242, isotypes).—Département Hautes Alpes, Briançon, Massif des Ecrins, Ailefroide, moraine of Glacier Noir, 2100-2300 m, 6°24–25’ E, 44°55’ N, 11 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek et al., cultivated as JŠ 7164, collected in 2000 (PRA, no. det. 33105).—Alpes Maritimes, summit of Picogu, between Ubraye and Soleilhas, calcareous gravel vegetation, 1500–1800 m, 28 May 1903, E. Burnat, J. Briquet, F. Cavillier & E. Abrezol (G, no. det. 18984).—Alpes Maritimes, Vallée de la Miniére de Tende, 5 Jul 1879, A. Gremli (G, no. det. 18987).—Tenda, cliffs of Castello di Mai mo. [partly illegible], 6 May 1897, [coll. illegible] (G, no. det. 18985).—Pian Tendasco above Val Casterino, 2000 m., 13 Jun 1909, C. Bicknell (G, no. det. 18992).—Pian Tendasco di Tenda, 2000 m, 16 Jun 1912, C. Bicknell (JE, no. det. 9163; GZU, no. det. 4086; KRA, no. det. 3315).—Alpes Maritimes, Parc National du Mercantour, St.Dalmas-de-Tende, Casterino, Fontanalbe valley, pastures along a path, above Lacs Jumeau, 2100-2175 m, 44°06–07‘ N, 7°27–28‘ E, 5 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek et al., cultivated as JŠ 7180, collected in 2000 (PRA, no. det. 33102).— ITALY: Obervintschgau, Martelltal, 2350 m, 21 Jul 1956, J. L. van Soest (L, no. det. 31415).—Alpi Marittime, NW of Monesi on a path to Colle di Tenda, between Cima di Pèrtega und Punkt 2267, 2150 m, 1984, W. Lippert & Merxmüller, cultivated as JŠ 2462 collected in 1988 (PRA, no. det. 33090).—Alpi Marittime, NW of Monesi on a path to Colle di Tenda, between Cima di Pèrtega und Punkt 2267, 2150 m, 1984, W. Lippert & Merxmüller, cultivated as JŠ 3272 collected in 1989 (PRA, no. det. 33094).—Glacier of Valnontey, Cogne (Piemont), 24 Jul [18]88, F. Thomas (JE, no. det. 31226).—Obervintschgau, Schlinigtal boven Schlinig, 1700-1750 m, 12 Jul 1956, J. L. van Soest (L, no. det. 31415).—Tirol, Gossensass, ca. 1000 m, 28 May1906, H. Handel-Mazzetti (WU, no. det. 31224).— SWITZERLAND: Kanton Wallis, vicinity of Zermatt, below Tufteren, 2200 m, 27 Jun 1987, E. Albertshofer, cultivated as JŠ 3232 collected in 1989 (PRA, no. det. 33107).— Kanton Wallis, vicinity of Zermatt, Täscher Alpe, 2200 m, 28 Jun 1987, E. Albertshofer, cultivated as JŠ 3233 collected in 1989 (PRA, no. det. 33100), ibidem: JŠ 3231 (PRA, no. det. 33098), ibidem: JŠ 3229 (PRA, no. det. 33096) [A combination of JŠ 3231 and JŠ 3233 was distributed as an exsiccate, Taraxaca Exsiccata, no. 199 (PRA, no. det. 9902).— Wallis, from Zermatt to Zmutt, ca. 1800 m., 22 Jul 1972, J. L. van Soest 7 (L [herb. van Soest 54195], no. det. 23963, paratype of T. caespitosum van Soest ).— Wallis, from Zermatt to Täsch, Weisshorn, 1600 m, 24 Jul 1972, J. L. van Soest 19 (L [herb. van Soest 54207], no. det. 23966, paratype of T. caespitosum van Soest ).— Wallis, Zermatt, Findelngletscher, 2320 m, 29 Jul 1972, J. L. van Soest 70 (L [herb. van Soest 54187], no. det. 23965, paratype of T. caespitosum van Soest ).— Wallis, Zermatt, from Zmutt to Kalbermatten, 2000 m, 1 Aug 1972, J. L. van Soest 87 (L [herb. van Soest 54201], no. det. 23964, paratype of T. caespitosum van Soest ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Taraxacum pseudohoppeanum. A, General habit (K, no. det. 2379, holotype). B, Achenes (PRA, no. det. 33090).

FIGURE 2. Distribution of species of T. sect. Erythrocarpa. Taraxacum pseudohoppenum (empty circles), T. janchenii (black pentagons), T. aquilinum (stars), T. pudilii (square), T. greuteri (diamonds).