Taraxacum recognitum Štěpánek & Kirschner, 2022

Štěpánek, Jan & Kirschner, Jan, 2022, A hotspot of endemism: Oreophytic Taraxacum species (Compositae, Crepidinae) in the mountains of Bulgaria, Phytotaxa 569 (1), pp. 1-139 : 117-118

6. Taraxacum recognitum Štěpánek & Kirschner , sp. nov.

Type:— Bulgaria, montes Rodopi , opp. Čepelare , pars montium Černatica , pag. Chvojna , circum montem Goljam Persenk (2091 m), graminosis humidis secundum viam turisticam lutee signatam ca. 1.5–2 km supra locum (situ occident.) Skalni Mostove , sub saltu Groben prochod inter montes Goljam Persenk et Persenk (2074 m), ca. 1800–1900 m s.m., 24 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, J. Štěpánek, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as TaB 14 ( B 14 ), collected in 2000 ( PRA, no. det. 35751, holotype; isotype: PRA, no. det. 27342, and duplicates) .

Etymology:—Explored (derived from Latin, recognosco, recognoscere, inspect, examine).

Exsiccates:— Taraxaca Exs., no. 1334–1338.

Diagnosis:—Species insignis acheniis saturate brunneis vel saturate cinnamomeo-brunneis, corpore spinulis crassiusculis densis sursum curvatis obsito, in pyramidem cylindricam, 0.7–1.0 mm longam abrupte abeunte, pappo sordide albido usque brunnescenti-albido, foliis lutescenti-viridibus, lobis lateralibus conspicue hamato-recurvis, et petiolis alatis pallidis.

Plants medium-sized, 8–14 cm tall. Plant base without tunic, ± glabrous among petiole bases. Petiole winged to broadly winged, pale greenish, 2–3 cm long. Leaf rosettes compact, leaves suberect-patent to subprostrate, relatively stiff, light green to yellowish green, not spotted, sparsely arachnoid to ± glabrescent, oblanceolate or broadly oblanceolate in outline, usually 5–12 × 2–3 cm, deeply pinnatisect; terminal segment subdominant, broadly triangular to broadly helmet-shaped in outline, usually 1–2 × 1.5–3 cm, obtusely acute to acute, distal margin convex, very often with a single deep incision in the middle on each side, otherwise ± entire, or with a few minute teeth, basal lobules hamaterecurved, often attenuate, proximal margin concave, entire; lateral segments in (2) 3–4 (5) pairs, bird-wing-like or ± linear-triangular, hamate-recurved, often abruptly narrowing from a broader base in a narrow distal part, usually 1–1.5 cm long, 0.4–1.1 cm wide at base, distal margin convex or sigmoid, entire or with a long narrow tooth near the base, or with a few minute teeth, proximal margin concave to ± straight, entire; interlobes distinct, usually 2–10 × 2–5 mm, surface green, margins not bordered, ± raised, usually with 1–2 narrow teeth to 6 mm long, sometimes entire; mid-vein pale or suffused purplish-brownish. Scapes sparsely arachnoid, later glabrescent, pale greenish, suffused light purplish after anthesis, ± equalling leaves or slightly longer. Capitulum deep yolk yellow, 3–3.5 cm wide, flat to subconvex. Involucre olivaceous-green, sometimes slightly pruinose, broadly rounded to rounded and ca. 9–10 mm wide at base. Outer phyllaries 11–15, usually loosely appressed (± tightly so before anthesis), later during anthesis getting erectpatent, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, reaching 1/2–2/3 of the inner ones, (5–) 6–8 × 2.5–3.5 mm, abaxially light green to deep olivaceous-green, darker distally and on the middle line, with a relatively abrupt transition in a membranous or whitish border ca. 0.2–0.3 mm wide, margin distally minutely ciliate, apex ± flat; inner phyllaries ca. 12 mm long, usually darker than the outer ones, of ± unequal width. Outer ligules ± flat, striped dark grey outside, apical teeth grey-black, inner ligules canaliculate, their apical teeth smoky yellow. Stigmas long, medium discoloured, light greyish-greenish, hairs of pubescence with a dark apex. Pollen present, pollen grains irregular in size.Achenes medium deep brown, often with a dark cinnamon hue, 3.8–4.3 × 1.0– 1.2 mm, body with distinct longitudinal lateral ridges, more distinct in upper 1/3 of the body, slightly flattened (of different shapes from the lateral and ventral views), body in upper 1/3 relatively densely spinulose, often with ± coarse spinules usually ± curved upwards, body ± abruptly narrowing into a subcylindrical to cylindrical cone (0.7–) 0.8–1.0 mm long, often with a few minute spinules; beak 6–8 mm long, pappus dirty white to almost brownish white, 5–6 mm long. – Agamosperm. – Fig. 70 , 71, 72A.

Diagnostic notes:— Taraxacum recognitum , a member of the group with T. pseudorecognitum and T. pandum , is distinguished by its brown to deep brown-cinnamon achene colour. From the most closely allied species, T. pseudorecognitum , it also differs in the conspicuously hamate-recurved lateral segments of leaves, pale petioles or a very different character of achene spinulosity.

Distribution and habitat:— Taraxacum recognitum , presumably endemic to Bulgaria, is recorded from the Stara Planina and the Rhodopes, between 1600 and 2150 m. It grows in wet grasslands and meadows, often along paths, from the supramontane to subalpine belts. Its IUCN conservation status is estimated as LC.

Specimens examined:— BULGARIA. Stara Planina, Zlatiško-Tetevenska planina, Teteven, village of Ribarica , W. of the summit of Mt. Vežen (2198 m), ca. 2100 m, 20 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, J. Štěpánek, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as TaB 1c ( PRA, no. det. 26294) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6990 ( PRA, no. det. 27363) ; Ibidem, TaB 1b ( PRA, no. det. 27362) ; Ibidem, TaB 1a ( PRA, no. det. 27361). – Zlatiško-Tetevenska planina, Teteven , village of Ribarica , Mt. Vežen (2198 m), ca. 2150 m, 20 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, J. Štěpánek, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as TaB 2a ( PRA, no. det. 27345). – Zlatiško-Tetevenska planina, Teteven , village of Ribarica , W. of the summit of Mt. Vežen (2198 m), ca. 2100–2150 m, 42° 45’ N, ca. 24° 24’ E, 20 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, J. Štěpánek, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as JŠ 6784 ( PRA, no. det. 27333). – Zlatiško-Tetevenska planina, Teteven , village of Ribarica , Mt. Vežen (2198 m), a saddle between Mt. Jumruka and Mt. Kavladan, ca. 300 m NE. of the Echo Hut, ca. 1600 m, ca. 42° 46’ N, ca. 24° 28’ E, 21 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek, R. Bělohlávková, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as JŠ 7563 ( PRA, no. det. 27360) ; Ibidem, JŠ 7558 ( PRA, no. det. 27353) ; Ibidem, JŠ 7564 ( PRA, no. det. 27332). – Zlatiško-Tetevenska planina, Teteven , village of Ribarica , Mt. Vežen (2198 m), W. slopes of Mt. Jumruka , 1600–1700 m, 42° 45–46’ N, ca. 24° 28’ E, 20 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek, R. Bělohlávková, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as JŠ 7578 ( PRA, no. det. 27359) ; Ibidem, JŠ 7577 ( PRA, no. det. 27358) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6993 ( PRA, no. det. 27339) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6992 ( PRA, no. det. 27331) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6777 ( PRA, no. det. 27329) . – Rodopi, Čepelare, the Černatica Mts., Chvojna village , Mt. Goljam Persenk (2091 m), along the tourist path ca. 2–3 km W. of Skalni Mostove , ca. 1900–1950 m, ca. 41° 49’ N, 24° 32–33’ E, 24 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, J. Štěpánek, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as JŠ 6942 ( PRA, no. det. 27352) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6941 ( PRA, no. det. 27351) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6945 ( PRA, no. det. 27349) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6940 ( PRA, no. det. 27336). – Čepelare, Chvojna village , around Mt. Goljam Persenk (2091 m), ca. 300–800 m W. of Skalni Mostove , ca. 1700–1800 m, 24 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, J. Štěpánek, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova cultivated as B 11 ( PRA, no. det. 27357). – Čepelare , the Černatica Mts. , Chvojna village , around Mt. Goljam Persenk (2091 m), 1.5–2 km W. of Skalni Mostove , 1800–1900 m, ca. 41° 49’ N, 24° 33–34’ E, 24 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek et al., cultivated as JŠ 6921 ( PRA, no. det. 27356) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6919 ( PRA, no. det. 27346) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6925 ( PRA, no. det. 27341) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6924 ( PRA, no. det. 27335) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6794 ( PRA, no. det. 27334) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6920 ( PRA, no. det. 27330) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6923 ( PRA, no. det. 27328) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6922 ( PRA, no. det. 27327) ; Ibidem, TaB 13 ( PRA, no. det. 27344). – Čepelare , the Černatica Mts. , Chvojna village , around Mt. Goljam Persenk (2091 m), in the pass between Mt. Goljam Persenk and Persenk, ca. 2 km W. of Skalni Mostove , ca. 1900–1950 m, ca. 41° 49’ N, ca. 24° 33’ E, 24 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek, R. Bělohlávková, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as JŠ 6967 ( PRA, no. det. 27355) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6966 ( PRA, no. det. 27354) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6958 ( PRA, no. det. 27350) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6962 ( PRA, no. det. 27348) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6963 ( PRA, no. det. 27347) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6971 ( PRA, no. det. 27337) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6965 ( PRA, no. det. 27340) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6961 ( PRA, no. det. 26163). – The Rodopi , the Čepelare Mts. , Chvojna village , around Mt. Goljam Persenk (2091 m), wet mossy places along a brook, ca. 1 km W. of Skalni Mostove , ca. 1800 m, 24 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, J. Štěpánek, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as TaB 12 ( PRA, no. det. 27343). – Čepelare , the Černatica Mts. , Chvojna village , around Mt. Goljam Persenk (2091 m), in the pass between Mt. Goljam Persenk and Persenk, ca. 2 km W. of Skalni Mostove , ca. 1900–2000 m, ca. 41° 49–50’ N, ca. 24° 33’ E, 24 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek, R. Bělohlávková, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as JŠ 6973 ( PRA, no. det. 27338) .

Figures

FIGURE 70. Taraxacum recognitum (PRA, no. det. 35751, holotype). Photo M. Hladík.