Taraxacum babcockii Kirschner & Štěpánek, 2023

Kirschner, Jan & Štěpánek, Jan, 2023, A taxonomic revision of Taraxacum sect. Dissecta, a continental steppe group common in Siberia and adjacent regions of Central Asia, Phytotaxa 590 (1), pp. 1921-1935 : 1921-1935

4. Taraxacum babcockii Kirschner & Štěpánek , sp. nov.

Type:—[ RUSSIA, Respublika Altay] Sibiria austro-occid., montes Altaj, distr. Ongudaj, pagus Khabarovka , inter viam publicam et fl. Malyj Iľgumeň haud procul a pago, 29–30 jun 1988, J. Kirschner, cultivated as JK 63 ( PRA, no. det. 35846, holotype; isotypi: PRA, no. det. 36392) .

Etymology:—Named after Ernest Brown Babcock (1877–1954), an outstanding geneticist and botanist, with important works in the Crepidinae .

Diagnosis:— Plantae insignes, phyllariis involucralibus exterioribus patentibus vel arcuato-patentibus anguste marginatis, acheniis rubrobrunneis subcrassis brevibus, pyramide brevi, subcylindrica vel subconica, necnon antheris polline carentibus bene dignoscendae. Plants dwarf to small, usually 5–8 cm tall. Petiole narrow, unwinged to narrowly winged, sparsely arachnoid, suffused purplish; plant base with dense yellowish hairs, tunic developed. Leaves ± greyish green, usually subglabrous or sparsely arachnoid along mid-vein, ± oblanceolate in outline, usually 5–8 × 1.1–1.7 cm, pinnatipartite to pinnatisect (rarely undivided), with 3–4 pairs of recurved to subhamate, subacute lateral segments, distal margin most often convex, sometimes concave when distal part of the segment ± curved upwards, usually entire, proximal margin straight to subconvex, most often entire; terminal segment triangular to helmet-shaped, sometimes to tripartite, distal margin entire, basal lobules recurved to ± patent, entire; interlobes relatively broad, entire or with 1 (–2) teeth near the distal base of each lateral segment; mid-vein purplish. Scape usually suffused purplish, arachnoid, subequalling leaves. Capitulum yellow, ca. 3 cm wide. Involucre olivaceous-green, usually 0.8–0.9 mm wide and rounded at base. Outer phyllaries 10–14, ± patent to arcuate-patent, some often suberect, not imbricate, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 4.5–6.5 × 2.4–3.2 mm, surface ± evenly deep olivaceous-green, distally dark so, border whitish pale green, 0.2–0.3 mm wide, margin sparsely ciliate, apex usually slightly suffused purplish, flat to callose; inner phyllaries 11–12 mm long, flat to callose. Outer ligules flat, striped grey-purple outside, inner ligule teeth dirty purplish. Stigmas yellow-green, usually with dark pubescence outside (dark discoloured). Pollen absent, rarely very sparsely present, then pollen grains irregular in size. Achenes red-brown, 3.3–3.6 × (0.8–) 0.9–1.0 mm, body subdensely spinulose above, spinules erect-patent to suberect, distinct, the longest ones to 0.3 mm long, body subabruptly narrowing into a subcylindrical to subconical cone 0.6–0.8 mm long, ca. 0.30–0.35 mm thick at base, ca. 0.25 mm distally, cone basal part with 1–2 spinules; beak 7–8 mm long, pappus yellowish white, ca. 5 mm long. – Agamosperm. – Fig. 5 .

Diagnostic notes:—The most distinctive features of T. babcockii are patent to arcuate-patent, ovate to ovatelanceolate, narrowly bordered outer phyllaries, relatively thick achenes with distinct spinules, and the ± subconical cone. Also the relatively simple leaf shape pattern and the absence of pollen are rare in T. sect. Dissecta .

Distribution and habitat — Taraxacum babcockii is known from several gatherings in Ongudai District, Altai Republic, Russia, and from a few gatherings in the eastern Kyrgyzstan. It grows on dry, semisteppe slopes.

Specimens examined:—[ RUSSIA, Respublika Altay] the Altai Mts., Ongudai District, Khabarovka, between the road and the river Malyy Iľgumeň [ca. 50° 41’ N, 86° 17’ E], 29–30 Jun 1988, J. Kirschner, cultivated as JK 63 ( PRA, no. det. 36392, with duplicates). – Ibidem, cultivated as JK 62 ( PRA, no. det. 36394). – the Altai, Ongudai District , Khabarovka, between the road and the river Malyy Iľgumeň [ca. 50° 41’ N, 86° 17’ E], 29–30 Jun 1988, J. Kirschner, cultivated as JŠ 3343 ( PRA, no. det. 36396) . – KYRGYZSTAN: East Kyrgyzstan, Central Tian Shan, Mt. Pik Nansen area , central part of Inylchek Valley , 2800–2980 m, 42°11’ N, 79°36’30” E, 16 Jul 1989, L. Businská & R. Businský, cultivated as JŠ 4175 ( PRA, no. det. 36403); Ibidem, cultivated as JŠ 4176 A ( PRA, no. det. 36409); Ibidem, cultivated as JŠ 4176 B ( PRA, no. det. 36407); Ibidem, cultivated as JŠ 4176B ( PRA, no. det. 36405) .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Taraxacum babcockii. A, General habit; B, Achenes (both from PRA, no. det. 35846, holotype).