Taraxacum tetricum 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 : 109

. Taraxacum tetricum Štěpánek & Kirschner , sp. nov.

Type:— Bulgaria meridionalis, montes Rodopi , opp. Čepelare , pars montium Prespa , pagus Manastir , locis herbosis siccis et ad rivulos secundum viam silvaticam horizontalem in declivitate ± boreo-orientali sub dorso inter montes Prespa (2000 m) et Momčil (1943 m), ca. 2–4 km situ orient.-merid.-orient. a pago Manastir, 1700–1800 m, ca. 41° 43’ N, 24° 54–55’ E, 25 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 7001, collected in 2000 ( PRA, no. det. 35788, holotype; isotype: PRA, no. det. 26151, and duplicates) .

Etymology:—Dismal, gloomy, sombre (derived from Latin, tetricus or taetricus).

Exsiccates:— Taraxaca Exs., no. 1308–1309.

Diagnosis:—Plantae petiolis alatis roseo-purpureis, foliis saturate gramineo-viridibus sparse araneosis, phyllariis involucralibus exterioribus basi laxe adpressis, ceterum erectis vel subpatentibus, saturate vel obscure olivaceo-viridibus in marginem sordide subtranslucente albidam abrupte transeuntibus, acheniis brunnescentibus vel subsobscure brunneis, corpore in pyramidem cylindricam 0.7–1.2 mm longam suabrupte transeunte.

Plants small to medium-sized, ± slender, 8–16 cm tall. Plant base without tunic, densely light brownish hairy among petiole bases. Petiole winged, pinkish purple to light purple, 2–3 cm long. Leaves variously erect-patent, mid-green to slightly greyish mid-green, not spotted, sparsely arachnoid, mainly along mid-vein, narrowly elliptical, oblanceolate or narrowly so, usually 6–13 × 1.5–3 cm, regularly pinnatisect; terminal segment relatively small, broadly triangular to rhombic, usually 6–20 × 7–22 mm, obtusely acute to acute, apex sometimes elongated, distal margin subconvex to ± straight, entire, basal lobules patent, sometimes subrecurved, proximal margin ± straight, entire; lateral segments in (3) 4 (5) pairs, narrowly deltoid-triangular to deltoid-triangular, usually patent, sometimes subrecurved, usually 6–15 mm long, 4–9 mm wide at base, acute, distal margin ± straight, less often subcovex to subconcave, entire or with one tooth or a few little teeth, proximal margin ± straight, entire; interlobes relatively narrow, usually 3–8 × 3–5 mm, green or slightly brownish green marginally, unbordered, margin ± raised, entire or with a single narrow tooth (sometimes with another 1–2 thin teeth); mid-vein pinkish to purplish, sometimes pale. Scapes basally pale purplish, otherwise pale green, sparsely arachnoid, equalling or ± overtopping leaves. Capitulum golden yellow, 3.5–4 cm wide, flat. Involucre slightly pruinose or not so, rounded and 8–10 mm wide at base. Outer phyllaries 14–17, loosely appressed or distally erect to patent, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, the lowermost ones to narrowly lanceolate, usually 7–8 × 2–3 mm, light greyish green adaxially, abaxially ± evenly medium deep to dark olivaceous-green, with an abrupt transition into a ± translucent, dirty membranous to whitish membranous border 0.1–0.4 mm wide, margin glabrous or sparsely minutely ciliate, apex flat; inner phyllaries 12–13 mm long, usually of equal, ± invariable width. Outer ligules flat, striped light greyish olivaceous outside, apical teeth black, inner ligules canaliculate, their apical teeth grey. Stigmas medium discoloured, yellow-green with ± dark pubescence outside. Pollen present, pollen grains irregular in size. Achenes light brown to medium dark brown, sometimes with a greyish or yellowish hue, (3.7–) 4.0–5.2 × 1.0– 1.3 mm, body ± densely spinulose, spinules short, sometimes ± long, erect-patent, body subabruptly narrowing into a narrow, cylindrical cone (0.7–) 0.8–1.2 × ca. 0.35 mm, often with a few minute spinules at base; beak 6–8 mm long, pappus white or whitish, (5.5–) 6–7 mm long. – Agamosperm. – Fig. 63, 64, 65A.

Diagnostic notes:— Taraxacum tetricum is similar to T. serenum but differs from the latter, for instance, by darker green leaves, purplish petioles, outer phyllaries with an abrupt transition in a paler border, and the achene colour. Judging from the relatively variable achenes, it is a polyclonal species.

Distribution and habitat:—It represents a species endemic to Bulgaria, relatively frequent in the Stara Planina, Rila and Rhodopes. It grows on montane and subalpine meadows, usually at wet sites along brooks, and also on semidisturbed habitats, between 1400 and 1800 m a.s.l. Its IUCN conservation status is estimated as NT.

Specimens examined:— BULGARIA. The Rodopi, Čepelare , the Prespa Mts. , village of Manastir , between Mt. Prespa and Mt. Momčil, ca. 2–4 km ESE. of the village, 1700–1800 m, ca. 41° 43’ N, 24° 54–55’ E, 25 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 6827 ( PRA, no. det. 26162) ; Ibidem, JŠ 7001 ( PRA, no. det. 26151). – Čepelare, the Prespa Mts. , Momčilovci , ca. 2 km WSW. of the Momčil junak [hut], ca. 1400–1500 m, ca. 41° 41’ N, 24° 46–47’ E, 25 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek, R. Bělohlávková, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as JŠ 6834 ( PRA, no. det. 26155). – Čepelare , Chvojna village , around Mt. Goljam Persenk (2091 m), wet mossy places along a brook, ca. 1 km W. of Skalni Mostove , ca. 1800 m, ca. 41° 49’ N, 24° 33–34’ E, 24 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek, R. Bělohlávková, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova cultivated as JŠ 6802 ( PRA, no. det. 26161). – Čepelare , the Mursalica Mts. , village of Široka Laka , W. foot of Mt. Goljam Sněžnik (2188 m), ca. 2 km NE. of Mugla , ca. 1700 m, 41° 37’ N, ca. 24° 31’ E, 23 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek, R. Bělohlávková, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as JŠ 6829 ( PRA, no. det. 26154). – Čepelare , the Prespanski djal Mts. , village of Laki , Radjuva planina [ridge], valley of Džurkovska reka, above Zdravec , ca. 1450 m, ca. 41° 43’ N, ca. 24° 47’ E, 25 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek, R. Bělohlávková, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as JŠ 6824 ( PRA, no. det. 26160). – The Stara Planina, Trojan , the Trojanska Planina , ca. 3–4 km W. of the alpine chalet of Kozja Stena , 1600 m, ca. 42° 47–48’ N, ca. 24° 29–30’ E, 21 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek, R. Bělohlávková, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as JŠ 7574 ( PRA, no. det. 26157) ; Ibidem, JŠ 7575 ( PRA, no. det. 26152). – Trojan, the Trojanska Planina , the alpine chalet of Kozja Stena , 1500–1600 m, ca. 42° 47’ N, ca. 24° 32’ E, 21 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek, R. Bělohlávková, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova, cultivated as JŠ 6766 ( PRA, no. det. 26153) ; Ibidem, JŠ 7009 ( PRA, no. det. 26150). – Rila , Govedarci , valley of Maljovica River, near the Kompleks Maljovica , ca. 42° 12–13’ N, 23° 25’ E, 10 Aug 1997, J. Štěpánek et al., cultivated as JŠ 6501 ( PRA, no. det. 26156) .