Taraxacum rhodopaeum 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 : 124-126

9. Taraxacum rhodopaeum Štěpánek & Kirschner , sp. nov.

Type:— Bulgaria, montes Rodopi , opp. Čepelare , montium pars Černatica, pag. Chvojna, circum montem Goljam Persenk (2091 m), locis humidis ad viam silvaticam turisticam lutee signatam ca. 300-800 m supra locum (situ occident.) Skalni Mostove , ca. 1700–1800 m, 24 Jul 1998, R. Bělohlávková, J. Štěpánek, V. D. Vladimirov et D. Petkova, cultivated as Ro 8, collected in 2002 ( PRA, no. det. 35730, holotype; isotypes: PRA) .

Etymology:—Coming from the Rhodopes (from Latin, Rhodopae montes, rhodopaeus).

Exsiccates:— Taraxaca Exs., no. 1293–1296.

Diagnosis:—Plantae ex affinitate T. picti sed foliis tenuibus statim marcescentibus, petiolo et vena mediana saturate purpureis, phyllariis involucralibus exterioribus longissimis, pagina adaxiali pallida, laete canescente, pagina abaxiali aequaliter griseo-olivacea pruinosa, acheniis subpallide usque saturate brunneis, corpore dense breviter spinuloso, in pyramidem cylidricam, 0.9–1.2 mm longam abrupte transeunte dignoscendae.

Plants medium-sized to large, 14–25 cm tall. Plant base without tunic, without hairs among petiole bases. Petiole coloured deep purple, narrowly winged to broadly winged, 2–5 cm long. Leaves erect-patent to suberect, vivid light green, not spotted, thin (easily withering), sparsely arachnoid, narrowly elliptical to oblanceolate, usually 8–20 × 2.5–4.5 cm, pinnatisect, leaf shape similar to that of T. lojoënse Lindberg (1935: 8) and T. amplum Marklund (1940: 57 ; both T. sect. Taraxacum ); terminal segment (often large, to 4 cm long and irregularly dentate in inner leaves) usually triangular to broadly so, sometimes helmet-shaped, most often 1.5–3 × 1.3–3.5 cm, acute, distal margin subconvex to straight, entire or with a single tooth near the base, sometimes with an incision, basal lobules subrecurved, proximal margin ± straight to subconcave, entire, less often with a single narrow tooth; lateral segments in 2–4 pairs, usually recurved, triangular, usually 0.7–2.5 cm long, 1–1.5 cm wide at base, acute, often with distal part narrowed, distal margin subsigmoid to almost straight, entire or sometimes sparsely denticulate, proximal margin ± straight, entire or with a single thin tooth; interlobes variable, usually 0.4–1.5 × 0.3–0.8 cm, unbordered, usually with several unequal thin, filiform teeth; mid-vein purple. Scapes almost glabrous, with sparse archnoid hairs below capitulum, basally and distally suffused bronze or purple, overtopping leaves. Capitulum deep yellow, large, 3.5–4.5 cm wide, ± flat. Involucre slightly pruinose, rounded and 8–10 mm wide at base. Outer phyllaries 12–19, arcuate-patent to arcuaterecurved, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, 8–10 × 2.5–4 mm, adaxially conspicuously light greyish, abaxially ± evenly greyish olivaceous, slightly pruinose, with a ± abrupt transition in a whitish to translucent border 0.2–0.4 mm wide, margin minutely ciliate to glabrous, apex flat; inner phyllaries ca. 14 mm long, of ± equal length. Outer ligules flat, striped grey-olivaceous outside, apical teeth dirty yellow to grey-black, inner ligules ± canaliculate, their apical teeth yellow. Stigmas dirty yellow to light greenish, pubescence hairs usually hyaline, some with a dark apex. Pollen abundant, pollen grains irregular in size. Achenes light to medium deep brown, with a greyish or olivaceous hue, narrow and long, 4.1–4.8 × 0.9–1.0 mm, body ± densely covered with short, subobtuse spinules, abruptly narrowing into a cylindrical to subcylindrical cone 0.9–1.2 × ca. 0.4 mm; beak 8–11 mm long, pappus white or whitish, 6–6.5 mm long. – Agamosperm. – Fig. 74B , 76 , 77 .

Diagnostic notes:—A robust member of the group of T. pictum and T. incantatum , relatively easily distinguished by longer outer phyllaries with a sharply delimited paler border, achenes with a longer cone and a longer beak. At first sight, T. rhodopaeum is distinct in having very pale greyish adaxial surface of outer phyllaries.

Distribution and habitat:— Taraxacum rhodopaeum is recorded from the Rhodopes, Rila and Vitosha, from the elevations around 1700–1800 m. It grows on wet montane meadows. Its IUCN conservation status is estimated as VU.

Specimens examined:— BULGARIA. Rodopi , Čepelare , Chvojna village , around Mt. Goljam Persenk (2091 m), ca. 300–800 m W. of Skalni Mostove, ca. 1700–1800 m, ca. 41° 49’ N, ca. 24° 34’ E, 24 Jul 1998, J. Štěpánek, R. Bělohlávková, V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova cultivated as JŠ 6795 ( PRA, no. det. 26159). – Rila, Kirilova Poljana , a path to Ticha Rila , above the Rilska reka bridge, ca. 1731 m, 42° 8’ 41.7” N, 23° 25’ 46.1” E, 3 Jul 2006, J. Kučera (herb. J. Kučera! and PRA, no. det. 30934). – Vitosha, in the vicinity of the Aleko Chalet , ca. 1800 m, 3 Jun 1988, J. Kirschner & B. Kuzmanov, cultivated as JK 364 ( PRA, no. det. 36011) ; Ibidem, JK 358 ( PRA, no. det. 36007) ; Ibidem, JK 359 ( PRA, no. det. 36012) ; Ibidem, JK 364 ( PRA, no. det. 36008). – Vitosha, meadows SW. of the Aleko Chalet , ca. 1800 m, 3 Jun 1988, J. Kirschner & B. Kuzmanov, cultivated as JŠ 2934 ( PRA, no. det. 36014) ; Ibidem, JŠ 2945 ( PRA, no. det. 36009) ; Ibidem, JŠ 2938 ( PRA, no. det. 36010) .

Figures

FIGURE 74. Achenes of the Bulgarian members of Taraxacum sect. Rhodocarpa. A, T. pandum (PRA, no. det. 27673, isotype); B, T. rhodopaeum (PRA, no. det. 26158, isotype); C, T. pictum (PRA, no. det. 36161); D, T. incantatum (PRA, no. det. 27695, holotype). Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURE 76. Taraxacum rhodopaeum (PRA, no. det. 35730, holotype). Photo M. Hladík.

FIGURE 77. Taraxacum rhodopaeum. General habit (PRA, no. det. 36011). Scale bar = 2 cm.