Taraxacum pseudorecognitum 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 : 121

7. Taraxacum pseudorecognitum Štěpánek & Kirschner , sp. nov.

Type:— Bulgaria, montes Rodopi , opp. Čepelare , pars montium Černatica , pag. Chvojna , circum montem Goljam Persenk (2091 m), graminosis secundum viam turisticam rubre signatam in saltu Groben prochod inter montes Goljam Persenk et Persenk (2074), ca. 2 km supra locum (situ occident.) Skalni Mostove, ca. 1900–1950 m, 24 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, J. Štěpánek, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as TaB 15 ( B 15 ), collected in 2000 ( PRA, no. det. 35838, holotype; isotype: PRA, no. det. 35755, and duplicates) .

Etymology:—Close to T. recognitum .

Exsiccates:— Taraxaca Exs., no. 1297.

Diagnosis:— Taraxaco recognito maxime affine sed petiolis purpurascentibus, lobis foliorum lateralibus patentibus vel subrecurvis, et acheniis pallide brunnescentibus vel pallide lutescenti-brunneis, corpore superne brevibus spinulis suberectis obsito differt.

Plants medium-sized, usually 9–14 cm tall. Plant base without tunic, subglabrous among petiole bases. Petiole winged to broadly winged, usually suffused light purplish, ca. 2 cm long. Leaves suberect-patent, relatively stiff, light green to yellowish green, not spotted, sparsely arachnoid to ± glabrescent, oblanceolate in outline, usually 5–9.5 × 2–3 cm, deeply pinnatisect; terminal segment flat triangular to ± pentagonal in outline, obtusely acute, distal margin straight to subconcave, very often with a pair of broad triangular lobule-like teeth, otherwise ± entire, basal lobules usually patent, proximal margin ± straight, entire; lateral segments in (3) 4–5 (6) pairs, ± narrowly triangular, patent to subrecurved, distal margin subconcave or ± sigmoid, usually entire, proximal margin ± straight, entire; interlobes distinct, usually 2–6 × 3–5 mm, surface green, margins not bordered or slightly so, ± raised, usually with 1–2 narrowly triangular teeth, sometimes entire; mid-vein pale or suffused purplish. Scapes sparsely arachnoid, pale greenish, ± overtopping leaves. Capitulum deep yellow, 3–3.5 cm wide, ± flat. Involucre olivaceous-green, rounded and ca. 8–10 mm wide at base. Outer phyllaries 11–16, usually loosely appressed, later during anthesis erect-patent, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, (5–) 6–7 × 2.5–3.1 mm, abaxially green to deep olivaceous-green, darker distally, 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, 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. Pollen present, pollen grains irregular in size. Achenes light brown to light yellowish brown, often with a greyish hue, (3.3–) 3.5–4.1 × 1.1–1.2 mm, body with distinct lateral and dorsiventral longitudinal ridges, ± densely covered with short suberect spinules in upper 1/4–2/5, ± abruptly narrowing into a conical to (less often) subcylindrical cone 0.6–0.8 (–1.1) mm long; beak 6–7 (–8) mm, pappus dirty yellow, 5–6 mm long. – Agamosperm. – Fig. 72B, 73.

Diagnostic notes:— Taraxacum pseudorecognitum is most closely allied to T. recognitum but is distinct in having much paler achenes with a dense, short spinulosity and usually conical cone, petiole light purplish, and leaves with the terminal segment flatter, often pentagonal, with basal lobules usually patent, and lateral segments usually patent, never hamate-recurved.

Distribution and habitat:—Probably endemic to Bulgaria, documented with certainty from the Rhodopes and the Vitosha, a very similar material found also in the Pirin. It grows in wet meadows, often along paths, in the upper mountain and subalpine belts, at the elevations between 1800 and 2000 m. Its IUCN conservation status is estimated as NT.

Specimens examined:— BULGARIA. Rodopi, 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, 24 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, J. Štěpánek, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as TaB 16 ( PRA, no. det. 36753). – 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 6960 ( PRA, no. det. 36019) . – Vitosha, wet meadows and along paths near the Aleko Chalet, ca. 1800 m, 3 Jun 1988, J. Kirschner & B. Kuzmanov, cultivated as JK 371 ( PRA, no. det. 36020) ; Ibidem, JŠ 2956 ( PRA, no. det. 36018) ; Ibidem, JK 370 ( PRA, no. det. 36016) ; Ibidem, JK 369 ( PRA, no. det. 35999). – Vitosha, meadows along paths SW. of the Aleko Chalet , ca. 1800 m, 3 Jun 1988, J. Kirschner & B. Kuzmanov, cultivated as JŠ 2955 ( PRA, no. det. 35998) ; Ibidem, JŠ 2954 ( PRA, no. det. 35997). – Less certain identifications: Pirin , Bansko , Banderica valley , open pine woods above the Banderica Chalet , ca. 1900 m, 15 Aug 1990, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 4524 ( PRA, no. det. 35993). – Pirin, near the Goce Delcev Chalet , ca. 1900 m, 18 Aug 1989, B. Kuzmanov, cultivated as JK T245 ( PRA, no. det. 35995) .