Taraxacum pseudosplendens 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 : 40-44

8. Taraxacum pseudosplendens 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, ca. 23° 23’ E, 9 Aug 1997, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 9325, collected in 2012 ( PRA, no. det. 35777, holotype; isotypes: PRA, no. det. 35776, and duplicates) .

Etymology:—Similar to splendens (see T. splendens ).

Exsicates:— Taraxaca Exs., no. 1263.

Diagnosis:— Taraxaci splendentis affinis sed ligulis marginalibus decoloratis, phyllariis exterioribus obscurioribus, acheniis angustioribus corpore in pyramidem subcylindricam subabrupte transeunte notabile.

Plants medium-sized, usually 12–18 (–21) cm tall. Plant base without tunic, subglabrous. Petiole broadly winged to winged, light green, ± glabrous, to ca. 3 cm long. Leaves erect-patent, vivid green, ± glabrous, narrowly oblong to narrowly oblanceolate in outline, usually 9–15 × 2–3 cm, ± pinnatipartite; terminal segment usually elongatedtriangular to ± helmet-shaped-triangular, distal margin ± convex, entire or with a single tooth, basal lobules ± patent to subrecurved, narrowly triangular to linear-triangular, acute, proximal margin ± straight, entire; lateral segments (2) 3 (4), patent, subrecurved to ± forward-pointing, narrowly triangular to triangular, distal margin most often subconcave, entire, proximal margin ± straight, entire; interlobes long, broad, usually 1–2 × 0.6–1 cm, green; mid-vein greenish, sometimes suffused pinkish. Capitulum yellow, usually 2.5–3.5 cm wide. Involucre ± pruinose, deeper olivaceous-green, ca. 10 mm wide and rounded at base. Outer phyllaries 12–18, loosely appressed, often with erect apex, subimbricate, lanceolate, usually 5–7.5 × 2–3 mm, relatively short, greyish olivaceous-green, border not distinct, ca. 0.1 mm wide, whitish, margin subglabrous, apex flat; inner phyllaries 12–14 mm long. Outer ligules flat, only some of them faintly striped greyish, later purplish, outer ligule teeth ± long, grey. Stigmas long, light discoloured, ± greenish yellow. Pollen present, pollen grains conspicuously irregular in size. Achenes light stramineous-brown with a greyish hue, more slender than in T. splendens , 4.7–5.1 × 0.8–1.0 mm, body densely squamulose and spinulose in upper 1/6, some spinules elongated, subarcuate, longitudinal ridges not prominent, body ± gradually narrowing into a subcylindrical cone (0.6–) 0.7–1.0 mm long; beak (5.5–) 6–7 mm long; pappus 6–6.5 mm long. – Agamosperm. – Fig. 15C, 18.

Relationships:—The most conspicuous features of T. pseudosplendens , when compared with T. splendens , are the faintly striped or unstriped outer ligules, darker involucral phyllaries and much narrower achenes. Both species represent core taxa of T. sect. Crocea.

Distribution and habitat:—According to the material available, T. pseudosplendens is endemic to the Pirin. It grows on shores of an alpine lake. The IUCN conservation status is estimated as EN.

Specimens examined:— BULGARIA. Pirin, Bansko, Mt. Vichren, Vlachinski ezera, shores of the lower, bigger lake, at the foot of the Gredaro Ridge, ca. 1.5 km W. of Mt. Chvojnati vrch (2635 m), ca. 2250–2300 m, ca. 41° 45’ N, ca. 23° 23’ E, 9 Aug 1997, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 9331 (PRA, no. det. 35774). – Less certain identification: Pirin Planina , 1.5–2 km E. of the Begovitsa hut in the Begovitsa valley, wet meadows with bogs along streams and scrub of Pinus mugo, 2000 m , 13 Jul 1980, P. Frost-Olsen (PRA, no. det. 35771).