Taraxacum radmilae 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 : 111-114

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

Type:— Bulgaria, montes Rodopi , opp. Čepelare , pars montium Prespa , pag. Manastir , in locis herbosis et pratulis silvaticis ad viam turisticam rubre signatam in declivitate boreo-orientali montis Prespa supra saltum inter montem Prespa et montem Momčil, ca. 1800 m, 25 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, cultivated as TaB 27 ( B 27 ), collected in 2001 ( PRA, no. det. 35786, holotype; isotype: PRA, no. det. 25406, and duplicates) .

Etymology:—Named after an industrious plant collector and experienced botanist, Ms. Radmila Bělohlávková.

Exsiccates:— Taraxaca Exs., no. 1286–1288.

Diagnosis:—Forma foliorum T. tetrici et T. sereni simile, praecipue differt foliis cano-viridibus brunnescentibus, phyllariis involucralibus exterioribus angustioribus, plerumque anguste lanceolatis, 1.5–2.4 mm latis, acheniis parvulis tenuibus, et pyramide cylindrica, 0.6–0.9 mm longa.

Plants small, 4–9 cm tall. Plant base without tunic, with sparse brownish hairs among petiole bases. Petiole narrowly winged, sometimes unwinged, light purplish or pale, 1–2 cm long. Leaf rosettes rich, leaves variously erect-patent to patent, greyish green, often suffused brownish-purplish, not spotted, sparsely arachnoid, narrowly oblanceolate to narrowly oblong in outline, usually 4–8 × 1.3–2.5 cm; terminal segment ± broadly triangular to flat rhombic, sometimes trilobed, usually 7–14 × 7–20 mm, acute, distal margin concave to ± straight or subsigmoid, entire, basal lobules subrecurved to recurved, acute, proximal margin concave to ± straight, entire; lateral segments in 3–4 pairs, subrecurved, ± triangular, usually 6–12 mm long, 5–8 mm wide at base, distal margin convex to ± straight, entire, rarely with a single thin tooth, proximal margin subconcave to ± straight, entire, or with a single filiform tooth near the base; interlobes usually 2–6 × 2–6 mm, entire or with a single thin tooth, rarely with several little teeth, surface green, unbordered or inconspicuously bordered brown-purple, margin often raised; mid-vein usually pink or purplish. Scapes pale green, often partially suffused purplish, sparsely to scattered arachnoid, shorter than leaves. Capitulum yellow, ca. 3 cm wide, ± flat. Involucre not pruinose, ca. 8 mm wide and broadly obconical to ± rounded at base. Outer phyllaries 15–18, variously erect-patent, patent or arcuate-patent, narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, usually 6–8 × 1.5– 2.4 mm, adaxially pale green, often suffused purplish, abaxially light green to medium deep olivaceous-green, distally suffused purplish, with an abrupt transition in a translucent membranous border 0.1–0.25 mm wide, margin glabrous, apex flat; inner phyllaries ca. 12 mm long, of unequal width, sometimes neighbouring phyllaries coalescing. Outer ligules narrow, flat, striped grey-olivaceous outside, the strip sometimes slightly suffused purplish, apical teeth blackpurple, inner ligules canaliculate, their apical teeth darker yellow. Stigmas medium dark discoloured, light grey-green, with a dark pubescence outside. Pollen present, pollen grains irregular in size. Achenes greyish stramineous-brown, relatively slender, 3.7–4.2 × 0.8–0.9 mm, body ± densely covered with erect-patent to suberect spinules and comb-like squamules in upper 1/3–1/4, body subgradually to subabruptly narrowing into a cylindrical or subcylindrical cone (0.6–) 0.8–0.9 mm long, often with minute spinules in lower half; beak (5–) 7–7.5 mm long, pappus white, 5–6 mm long. – Agamosperm. – Fig. 65C , 66 , 67 .

Diagnostic notes:—The relatively light green, variously patent to arcuate-recurved outer phyllaries, small, slender achenes with a short cone, and leaves similar to T. maricum Vašut, Kirschner & Štěpánek in Vašut et al. (2005: 198) are features characterizing T. radmilae . In the leaf shape it approaches also T. serenum and T. tetricum but the leaf colour is different.

Distribution and habitat:—Up to now, it has been recorded from the Rhodopes only, and it may be overlooked elsewehere. It was found to occur in forest tracks and meadows in the montane belt (within the elevation span of 1650–1950 m). Its IUCN conservation status is estimated as VU.

Specimens examined:— BULGARIA. The Rodopi, Čepelare , the Prespa Mts. , village of Manastir , below the summit of Mt. Prespa , 1850–1900 m, 25 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, cultivated as TaB 26 ( B 26 ) ( PRA, no. det. 25410) ; Ibidem, TaB 24 ( B 24 ) ( PRA, no. det. 25408) ; Ibidem, TaB 25 ( B 25 ) ( PRA, no. det. 25400). – Čepelare, the Prespa Mts. , village of Manastir , a ridge between Mt. Prespa and Mt. Momčil, ca. 2–4 km ESE. of Manastir , 1700–1800 m, 41° 43’ N, ca. 24° 54–55’ E, 25 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 7002 ( PRA, no. det. 25409). – Čepelare , the Prespa Mts. , village of Manastir , N. slopes of Mt. Prespa , 25 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, cultivated as Ro 10 ( PRA, no. det. 25407) ; Ibidem, TaB 32 ( B 32 ) ( PRA, no. det. 25401) ; Ibidem, TaB 31 ( B 31 ) ( PRA, no. det. 25399) ; Ibidem, TaB 30 ( B 30 ) ( PRA, no. det. 25398). – Čepelare , the Prespa Mts. , village of Manastir , NE. slopes of Mt. Prespa , ca. 1800 m, 25 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, cultivated as TaB 27 ( B 27 ) ( PRA, no. det. 25406) ; Ibidem, TaB 29 ( B 29 ) ( PRA, no. det. 25403). – Čepelare , the Prespa Mts. , village of Manastir , between the village and Mt. Prespa , 1700–1800 m, 25 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, cultivated as TaB 22 ( B 22 ) ( PRA, no. det. 25405) ; Ibidem, TaB 23 ( B 23 ) ( PRA, no. det. 25404). – Čepelare , the Prespa Mts. , village of Manastir , N. foot of Mt. Prespa , ca. 1650 m, 25 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, cultivated as TaB 33 ( B 33 ) ( PRA, no. det. 25402). – Čepelare , the Prespa Mts. , village of Manastir , NE. slopes of Mt. Prespa , ca. 1850–1950 m, ca. 41° 42–43’ N, 24° 54’ E, 25 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 6953 ( PRA, no. det. 25658) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6954 ( PRA, no. det. 25657) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6956 ( PRA, no. det. 25656) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6955 ( PRA, no. det. 25654). – Čepelare , the Černatica Mts, village of Chvojna , Mt. Goljam Persenk (2091 m), ca. 3 km W. of Skalni Mostove , ca. 1900-1950 m, 24 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, J. Štěpánek, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as Ro 4 ( PRA, no. det. 25655) .

Figures

FIGURE 65. Achenes of Bulgarian members of Taraxacum sect. Rhodocarpa. A, T. tetricum (PRA, no. det. 35788, holotype); B, T. salutator (PRA, no. det. 26062, isotype); C, T. radmilae (PRA, no. det. 25406, isotype). Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 66. Taraxacum radmilae (PRA, no. det. 35786, holotype). Photo M. Hladík.

FIGURE 67. Taraxacum radmilae. General habit (PRA, no. det. 25405). Scale bar = 2 cm.