Cremanthodium acernuum Good (1929: 284)

Chen, You-Sheng & Xu, Lian-Sheng, 2016, The identity of Cremanthodium acernuum and C. smithianum (Asteraceae), Phytotaxa 278 (1), pp. 65-68 : 65-67

Cremanthodium acernuum Good (1929: 284)

Type:— CHINA. [Yunnan, Gongshan], Chawchi pass, in finer grassy intervals along the arêtes, 3900 m, 30 August 1920, R. Farrer 1876 (holotype: E00413152 ; isotype: E00413153 ) .

Distribution and habitat:— Cremanthodium acernuum is rather rare and currently known only from Gongshan and Fugong counties, northern range of Gaoligongshan Mountains, Yunnan province of China. It grows in alpine meadows on mountain ridges at elevations between 3600–3900 m above sea level.

Phenology:—Flowering in August and possibly in early September.

Additional specimens examined:— CHINA. Yunnan: Fugong, Yaping, mountain pass and border between China and Myanmar, 3641 m, 13 August 2016, L. S. Xu & R. Ke 160078 & 160080 (PE).

Discussion:— Cremanthodium acernuum is a member of C. sect. Pinnatinervia ser. Cuneata Ling & Liu (Liu 1982: 52) according to Liu’s system (Liu 1982), classified on the basis of the leaf blade pinninerved, the phyllaries glabrous, the ligules cuneate, distinctly 3-lobed with truncate apex. Cremanthodium acernuum is more closely related to C. medogense Chen (2010: 757) because of its leaf blade cordate-reniform, margins acutely dentate, pappus brown, ligules cuneate and distinctly 3-lobed. However, C. acernuum differs by its heads erect (vs. nodding), ray florets white (vs. yellow), pappus as long as disc florets (vs. shorter than disc florets), leaf apex obtuse (vs. acute), and teeth sharply triangular (vs. obtuse). The main differences between C. acernuum , C. smithianum and C. medogense are summarised in Table 1.