Taraxacum sect. Erythrocarpa, Handel-Mazzetti, 1907

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 : 10-11

Identification key to the species of Taraxacum sect. Erythrocarpa in the Alps and the eastern part of Europe

1. Pollen absent ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

– Pollen present ................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

2. Achenes dark brown, deep cinnamon-brown or medium brown ..................................................................................................... 3

– Achenes red-brown, always with a reddish hue ............................................................................................................................... 4

3. Cone 0.5–0.8 mm long; achenes 3.6–4.3 mm long; stigmas light discoloured ............................................................. 16. T. pudilii

– Cone 1.1–1.5 mm long; achenes 4.7–5 mm long; stigmas dark discoloured ............................................................ 2. T. fastuosum

4. Outer phyllaries 8–13, evenly coloured dark blackish olivaceous, usually wholly suffused purplish, large, 8–10 mm long; leaves unspotted .......................................................................................................................................................... 10. T. panhellenicum

– Outer phyllaries 13–22, with contrasting, paler colours, at least partly light greenish, only distally often suffused purplish, usually 4–6 mm long; if 6–10 mm long, then leaves adaxially spotted brown-purple ................................................................................. 5

5. Leaves adaxially spotted brown-purple; outer phyllaries 6–10 mm long ............................................................. 8. T. striatifolium

– Leaves not spotted; outer phyllaries 4–6 mm long ........................................................................................................................... 6

6. Achenes with long distinct spinules, some of which 0.4 mm long; cone usually 0.8–1.2 mm long; involucre 6–7 mm wide at base .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 15. T. jailae

– Achenes with numerous short spinules and tricuspidate squamules, less than 0.3 mm long; cone 0.5–0.8 mm long; involucre 8–11 mm wide at base ............................................................................................................................................................ 16. T. pudilii

7. Achenes light cinnamon-brown, light greyish, light greyish stramineous-brown, never with a reddish hue .................................. 8

– Achenes variously red-brown, always with a reddish hue ............................................................................................................. 11

8. Surface of outer phyllaries evenly dark grey-olivaceous, later to black-olivaceous; border narrow, whitish, 0.1–0.3 mm wide ....... ........................................................................................................................................................................... 11. T. dorchocarpum

– Surface of outer phyllaries with contrasting colours, at least partly pale greenish, with a dark narrow middle strip, if the strip absent, then most of the phyllary pale greenish, only distal part dark, marginal part of the border usually inconspicuous, membranous, 0.1–0.3 mm wide .............................................................................................................................................................................. 9

9. Cone 1.0– 1.5 mm long ............................................................................................................................................... 6. T. meierottii

– Cone 0.5–1.0 mm long ................................................................................................................................................................... 10

10. Outer phyllaries appressed, all broadly ovate to ovate; achenes with erect upper spinules ........................................ 12. T. greuteri

– Outer phyllaries from loosely appressed to erect-patent, in addition to broadly ovate to ovate ones, also lanceolate phyllaries present; achenes with erect-patent upper spinules ...................................................................................................... 9. T. aquilinum

11. Pollen regular, with pollen grains of ± equal size; margins of outer phyllaries ciliate with hairs up to 1.5 mm long 7. T. pindicola

– Pollen irregular, with pollen grains of varied size; margins of outer phyllaries ciliate with hairs very short or up to 1 mm long, or glabrescent ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 12

12. Stigmas yellow ............................................................................................................................................................................... 13

– Stigmas light discoloured to dark discoloured ............................................................................................................................... 16

13. Outer phyllaries patent to arcuate-patent, narrowly triangular to broadly lanceolate .............................................. 3. T. pieninicum

– Outer phyllaries appressed or loosely appressed, ovate to broadly ovate ...................................................................................... 14

14. Outer phyllaries 10–14; terminal leaf segment usually rounded-obtuse to obtuse ..................................................... 5. T. janchenii

– Outer phyllaries 15–20; terminal leaf segment triangular, broadly triangular or trilobed, usually ± acute ................................... 15

15. Cone 0.8–0.9 mm long; outer phyllaries 3.5–4.5 mm wide ................................................................................... 17. T. adamovicii

– Cone 0.9–1.5 mm long; outer phyllaries 2–3.5 mm wide ........................................................................................ 4. T. velebiticum

16. Outer phyllaries usually 6.5–10 mm long; paler or whitish border 0.3–1.0 mm wide ................................................................... 17

– Outer phyllaries usually 4–6.5 mm long; paler border membranous, 0.1–0.4 mm wide ............................................................... 18

17. Outer phyllaries loosely appressed to erect-patent, not imbricate; cone 1.2–1.5 mm long ............................... 13. T. calocephalum

– Outer phyllaries appressed to loosely appressed, ± imbricate; cone 0.5–0.8 mm long ..................................... 14. T. olympophilum

18. Outer phyllaries from loosely appressed to erect and erect-patent ...................................................................................15. T. jailae

– Outer phyllaries appressed to loosely appressed .............................................................................................................................19

19. Outer phyllaries with a darker olivaceous-green middle strip 1–1.5 mm wide and a paler border 0.5–1 mm wide ........................... ............................................................................................................................................................................ 14. T. olympophilum

– Outer phyllaries with surface evenly yellowish green or pale greenish, distally darker and sometimes with a certain darker middle strip in distal 1/3 of the phyllary ..................................................................................................................................................... 20

20. Outer phyllaries 10–12, appressed, 5.5–6.5 mm long; beak to 7 mm long .................................................. 1. T. pseudohoppeanum

– Outer phyllaries 15–19, loosely appressed, 4–6 mm long; beak 7.5 mm long or longer ........................................ 4. T. velebiticum