Taraxacum pseudobulgaricum 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 : 72-73

0. Taraxacum pseudobulgaricum Štěpánek & Kirschner , sp. nov.

Type:— Bulgaria, montes Pirin , opp. Bansko , mons Vichren : ad ripam lacus majoris (inferioris) borealis in valle lacuum Vlachinski ezera ad pedem orientalem dorsi Gredaro, ca. 1.5 km situ occidenali a monte Chvojnati vrch (2635 m), ca. 2250–2300 m, ca. 41° 45’ N, 23° 23’ E, 9 Aug 1997, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 6554, collected in 1999 ( PRA, no. det. 36097, holotype; isotype: PRA, no. det. 36099, and duplicates) .

Etymology:—Close to Taraxacum bulgaricum .

Diagnosis:—Plantae ex affinitate T. bulgarici sed differunt foliis superne persparsis maculis brunneo-purpureis punctatis, interlobiis distinctis angustis, lobis lateralibus deltoidi-triangularibus patentibus et praecipue acheniis brunneo-cinerascentibus, corpore superne spinulis erecto-patentibus latis necnon squamulis cristatis obsito, in pyramidem brevem conicam vel subcylindricam sensim transeunte.

Plants small, compact, 4–6 cm tall. Plant base without tunic, with rusty brownish hairs among petiole bases. Petiole very broadly winged, pale greenish to green, 1–1.5 cm long. Leaves tightly appressed to the ground, light green to light slightly greyish green, with very sparse minute brown-purple spots on adaxial surface, glabrous or sometimes with sparse hairs along mid-vein, elliptical to narrowly so in outline, usually 4–5.5 × 1.5–2 cm, pinnatisect; terminal segment small, usually flat rhombic to ± broadly triangular, usually 4–7 × 7–10 mm, acute to obtusely acute sometimes oblong-helmet-shaped, constricted in the middle, to 14 mm long in inner leaves), distal margin concave, entire, basal lobules arcuate-upcurved, ± patent, ± acute, proximal margin convex, entire; lateral segments in 3–4 pairs, ± remote, deltoid-triangular, usually 4–8 mm long, 3–6 mm wide at base, acute to obtusely acute, distal margin convex to subsigmoid, entire, proximal margin subconvex or subconcave, entire; interlobes relatively long and narrow, usually (2–) 3–5 × 2–3 mm, with a conspicuously raised margin, often with a single tooth, often sinuate, green, slightly bordered purplish; mid-vein pale, rarely pinkish. Scapes pale green, later suffused purplish below capitulum, sparsely arachnoid, later glabrescent, ± subequalling the leaf length. Capitulum yellow, 2.5–3 cm wide, subconvex to flat. Involucre not pruinose, ca. 8–9 mm wide and broadly rounded at base. Outer phyllaries 12–15, loosely appressed (tightly so at base, distally loosely appressed to suberect), subimbricate, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, or lanceolate, usually 4–5 × 2.5–3.5 mm, ± evenly olivaceous grey-green, ± darker in the apical part, along margins and on the mid-vein, subabruptly narrowing in a whitish border 0.1–0.2 (–0.3) mm wide, margin glabrous or sparsely irregularly minutely ciliate, flat below apex; inner phyllaries 10–12 mm long, of ± equal width. Outer ligules flat, relatively broad, striped light, distally darker greyish outside, apical teeth greyish dirty yellow to grey-black, inner ligules canaliculate, their apical teeth dark yellow. Stigmas long, light discoloured, dirty greenish honey-yellow, hairs of outer pubescence with distal part dark. Pollen present, pollen grains irregular in size. Achenes medium dark grey-brown, turbinate, without prominent lateral ridges, 4.0–4.6 × 0.9–1.2 mm, body with subdense erect-patent broad spinules or comb-like quamules in upper 1/5–1/6, otherwise smooth, with a gradual transition into a short, thick, conical to subcylindrical cone 0.4–0.7 (–0.8) mm long (measured including the distal, pale coloured part); beak slightly thickened, 4.5–5.5 mm long, pappus 5–5.5 mm long, whitish to dirty white. – Agamosperm. – Fig. 37B, 38.

Diagnostic notes:—The peculiar leaf shape of T. pseudobulgaricum approaches that of T. bulgaricum but is different in longer, narrower and generally more distinct interlobes. These two species are similar also in the achene shape and colour, although the latter is usually lighter. There is a surprising resemblance between the leaf shape of T. pseudobulgaricum and the group of T. minimum (Brig.) Guss. of T. sect. Scariosa Hand.-Mazz.

Distribution and habitat:—Known from a single macrolocality in the Vichren Massif, the Pirin, Bulgaria, at about 2200–2300 m. It grows on wet, stony grasslands along a shore of and alpine lake. The IUCN conservation status is estimated as VU.