Taraxacum cucullatiforme Soest in Acta Bot. Neerl. 6: 417. 1957, 2013

Štepánek, Jan & Kirschner, Jan, 2013, A revision of mountain species of the genus Taraxacum F. H. Wigg. (Compositae) in Corsica, Candollea 68 (1), pp. 29-39 : 31-32

Taraxacum cucullatiforme Soest in Acta Bot. Neerl. 6: 417. 1957 ( Fig. 1A ).

Lectotypus (designated by JEANMONOD, 2010): CORSE: “ Massif du Renoso: Punta di Oriente , pelouses entre les rochers au-dessus du sommet”, 2000 m env., “ 11.VII.1938 et 5.VII.1941 ”, G. Malcuit s.n. ( G [ G00000880 ], specimen designated by “*”, n° det. 23270).

The original material consists of two little plants on one herbarium sheet. As each plant was collected at a different date, they represent two gatherings to be considered as syntypes. The two plants are conspecific but, as regards the most common general habit of this species, they are unusually small (the average plants are so different in general habit that they were described as T. corsicum Soest ). The plant on the right with ripe fruits (probably collected on July 11) was found more suitable for the lectotype by JEANMONOD (2010), with which we concur because it probably represents a model for the figure in the protologue.

= Taraxacum corsicum Soest in Acta Bot. Neerl. 8: 107. 1959 .

Typus. CORSE: “ Monte Niello , couloirs à l’ubac, silice”, 2000 m, 16.VI.1913, Wilczek s.n. (holo-: LAU ; iso-: G [ G00000834 ] (n° det. 23267) not seen by van Soest).

The type specimen was not found in LAU, as already mentioned by D. Jeanmonod (pers. comm.).

Description. – Plants small to medium-sized, 6-20 cm tall; plant base scarcely covered with dry remnants of old petioles, only sparsely pale hairy among petiole bases. Leaves probably subpatent to erect-patent, (5-) 8-14 cm long, (1.5-) 3-4 cm wide, ± glabrous, not spotted, broadly spatulate in outline, terminal leaf segment forming a dominant part of leaf blade, ± obovate, usually 4-6 cm long, 3-4 cm wide, obtusely acute to rounded, distal part convex with 1-2 short remote teeth, proximal part with bigger remote lobuliform teeth (or indistinct 2-3 pairs of shallow lateral lobes); midrib pale; Petiole winged to broadly winged, pale greenish. Scapes usually 2-3, overtopping leaves, very sparsely aranose, later glabrescent (remnants of indumentum just below capitulum). Capitulum medium-sized to big, (2.5-) 3-5 cm in diam., probably flat. Involucre obconical to ± truncate at base. Outer involucral bracts 15-20, arcuate-patent to erect, with bases loosely appressed and distal part subrecurved, ovate to lanceolate, (5-) 6-9 mm long, (1.5-) 2.5-4 mm wide, often light green at base, otherwise olivaceous-green to blackgreen (but paler than in the other mountain endemics), with a gradual transition into an inconspicuous paler border to 0.1 mm wide, not ciliate, rarely ± sparsely ciliate, flat. Inner involucral bracts 12-14 mm long, of ± equal width. Outer ligules relatively few, long and narrow, usually canaliculate, with sparse thick hairs abaxially, ± broadly dark striped outside, apical teeth purplish black, inner ligules shorter, very narrow, canaliculate to subinvolute, with dark apical teeth. Stigmas long, very dark (black when dry). Pollen present, ± irregular in size. Achenes light brown with a slight orange-cinnamon tinge, 4.3-4.8 mm long, 1.0- 1.2 mm wide, achene body squamulose and spinulose (longest spinules to 0.2 mm) in the upper 1/4, otherwise ± tuberculate, gradually narrowing into a conical cone 0.8-0.9 mm long, rostrum to 9.5 mm, pappus dirty yellowish white, ca. 6 mm long. Agamosperm.

Distribution. – Endemic to Corsica.

Taxonomical position. – As regards the sectional position, T. cucullatiforme belongs to the heterogeneous assemblage of what is generally called sect. Alpestria, with a certain tendency towards the sect. Fontana (achene spinulosity and cone shape and size). Although the sectional taxonomy of dandelions from the Alps and mountains of Corsica requires a thorough revision, T. cucullatiforme can no longer be considered as a member of sect. Cucullata Soest because this section is characterized by relatively small and slender achenes (3.8-4.2 mm long, 0.9-1 mm thick) with subconical-subcylindrical cone 0.4- 0.7 mm long (while T. cucullatiforme possesses much more robust achenes, longer and to 1.2 mm thick, with a longer conical cone). Outer bracts of the latter species are erect to arcuatepatent, paler green than in the other mountain Corsican taxa but darker than in sect. Cucullata.

Specimens studied. – CORSE: Massif du Cinto , crête au N du Monte Padro, rocailles sur le versant NNW, substr. siliceux, 2300 m, 27.VII.1971, J. Gamisans 704 ( G [ G00000798 ], n° det. 23275) ; Massif du Rotondo, Monte Cardo , versant NE, vire herbeuse dans un couloir, …, 2350 m, 2.VIII.1971, J. Gamisans 772 ( G [ G00000796 ], n° det. 23278) ; Massif du Rotondo, Capo alle Forcelle , vers. W, pelouse, substr. granite, 2020 m, 4.VII.1970, J. Gamisans 2524-1 ( G [ G00000809 ], n° det. 23273) ; Monte d’Oro, versant Est , rochers, silice, 2100 m, 9.VIII.1906, E. Burnat, J. Briquet, A. Saint-Yves, F. Cavillier & E. Abrezol ( G-BU [ G00001420 ], n° det. 23264) ; Monte d’Oro, versant Est , rochers, silice, 2100 m, 9.VIII.1906, E. Burnat, J. Briquet, A. Saint-Yves, F. Cavillier & E. Abrezol ( G-BU [ G00000829 ], n° det. 23261) ; Corse-du-Sud, Monte d’Oro , à l’E du sommet par la variante N du sentier, dans un couloir raide et ombragé [42°08’N 9°06’E], pelouse entre les rochers escarpés et ombragés, peu abondant, 2000 m, 28.6.2008, D. Jeanmonod & P.-E. Du Pasquier J7781 ( G [ G00078024 ], n° det. 23271) ; Secteur Rotondu, Monte d’Oro (massif), Monte d’Oro, à la Scala [42°08’N 9°06’E], silice, 10.VIII.1962, R. Deschâtres ( G [ G00178583 ], n° det. 23276) ; Massif du Renoso: Punta di Oriente , pelouses entre les rochers au-dessus du sommet, 2000 m env., 11.VII.1938 & 5.VII.1941, G. Malcuit ( G [ G00000880 ], original material of T. cucullatiforme determined by van Soest as T. cucullatiforme van Soest nov. spec., n° det. 23270) ; env. de Bocognano: Monte Niello , couloirs herbeux à l’ubac, silice, 2000 m, 16.VII.1913, J. Briquet & E. Wilczeck ( G-BU [ G00000834 ], a duplicate of the holotypus of T. corsicum Soest , n° det. 23267) ; Massif de l’Incudine, Punta di Bocca d’Oro , versant WNW, couloir rocailleux, 1700 m, 25.VII.1969, J. Gamisans 2523 ( G [ G00000800 ], n° det. 23277).

Uncertain identification – CORSE: Massif du Rotondo, Punta Muratello , couloir herbeux sur son versant ENE, 2100 m, 21.VII.1970, J. Gamisans 2526 ( G [ G00000799 ], n° det. 23272).

Figures

Fig. 1. – chenes. A. Taraxacum cucullatiforme Soest; B. T. litardieri Soest; C. T. renosense Soest. [Scale bar = 1 mm].