Saussurea pagriensis Y. S. Chen, 2014

Chen, You-Sheng, 2014, Six new species of Saussurea (Asteraceae) from eastern Himalaya, Phytotaxa 177 (4), pp. 191-206 : 197

4. Saussurea pagriensis Y. S. Chen , sp. nov. ( Fig. 4 , 8C & 8D )

Type:— CHINA. Xizang: Yadong, Pagri , mountain between border of China and Bhutan , scree slope or sandy meadows, 27°37’ N, 89°07’ E, 4600–4870 m, 25 August 2013, FLPH Tibet Exped. 13-2141 (holotype PE; isotypes PE) .

Herbs perennial, usually stemless or shortly stemmed up to 5 cm high, caespitose. Caudex stout, usually numerously branched. Rosette leaves sessile, linear-lanceolate, 2–9 × 0.3–1 cm, abaxially greyish white and densely tomentosesericeous, adaxially green and sparsely arachnoid, base sheathing, margin pinnately dentate and revolute, apex acute, midvein distinct. Capitula solitary, in center of leaf rosette or terminal on stem, sessile. Involucre campanulate, 1.3–2 cm in diameter. Phyllaries in ca. 5 rows, glabrous to sparsely arachnoid, apex obtuse to acute; outer phyllaries narrowly ovate-triangular, 8–14 × 3–5 mm, basal part green, apical part and margin blackish purple; middle and inner phyllaries narrowly ovate-triangular to narrowly elliptic, 11–13 × 2–4 mm, basal part pale yellow, apical part blackish purple. Receptacle with dense bristles, straw-color, 4–6 mm long. Corolla purplish, 1.5–1.7 cm long, tube 7–8 mm long, limb 8–9 mm long, lobes ca. 4 mm long. Anther ca. 6 mm long, tails lanate, ca. 1 mm long. Achene dark brown, conic, ca. 2.5 mm long, glabrous, ribbed, apex shallowly crowned. Pappus in 2 rows, greyish white; outer bristles 7–8 mm long, plumose; inner bristles 11–12 mm long, plumose.

Distribution and habitat: — Saussurea pagriensis occurs in northern Bhutan and Yadong, Xizang, China (which is adjacent to Bhutan). It grows on alpine scree slope or sandy meadows at altitudes of 4600–4870 m.

Phenology:—Flowering and fruiting from August to October.

Etymology: —The specific epithet is derived from the type locality name, Pagri, a frontier town in Yadong, Xizang.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — BHUTAN. Upper Mo Chu District: [Gasa], south slope of Yale La , 27°47’ N, 89°27’ E, dry unstable scree, 4780 m, 3 October 1984, I. W. J . Sinclair & D. G . Long 5498 ( E, K) .

Discussion:— Saussurea pagriensis belongs to S. subgen. Saussurea sect. Strictae because of its pinnately dentate leaves and solitary capitula. This species is distinct in its outer pappus plumose. Saussurea pagriensis is somewhat similar to S. purpurascens Y. L. Chen & S. Yun Liang ( Chen et al. 1981: 105) and S. taraxacifolia (Lindley ex Royle 1835: 251) Wallich ex Candolle (1838: 532) in its leaf shape. However S. pagriensis is distinct in its usually stemless habit, caudex numerous branched, leaves sessile and linear-lanceolate, margin denate, capitula usually smaller, outer pappus plumose. A comparison of S. pagriensis , S. purpurascens and S. taraxacifolia is given in Table 4.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Saussurea pagriensis. A. Habit. B. Adaxial surface of leaf. C. Abaxial surface of leaf. D. Phyllaries ((from left to right, inner to outer series). E. Florets. F. Outer pappus. G. Inner pappus. H. Florets, with pappus removed. I. Anthers. J. Style branches. All from FLPH Tibet Exped. 13-2141 (PE).

FIGURE 8. Saussurea lhunzensis (A, B) and S. pagriensis (C, D) in the wild and living plants.