Senecio biligulatus Smith (1911: 69)

Tong, Tian-Jing, Ren, Chen & Yang, Qin-Er, 2017, The identity of Senecio topkegolensis (Asteraceae, Senecioneae) from Nepal, Phytotaxa 309 (3), pp. 253-258 : 253-258

Senecio biligulatus Smith (1911: 69) . Figs. 1–3 .

Type:— INDIA. Sikkim: Changu , 12,000 feet, 12 Aug. 1910, W. W. Smith 4245 ( CAL photo!, lectotype, designated by Ranjan et al. (2011);

isolectotypes E!, K!, P!). Fig. 1C, D . = Senecio ramsbottomii Handel-Mazzetti (1938: 287) . Type:— CHINA. Xizang (Tibet): Mainling, Tsari valley, 14,000 feet, 11 Sept. 1935, F. Kingdon-Ward 12328 (holotype BM!). Fig. 2B . = Senecio gyirongensis Chen & Pan in Chen et al. (1981: 92). Type:— CHINA. Xizang: Gyirong, Tuodang, 3500 m, 30 Jun. 1972, Xizang Med. Pl. Exped. 715 (holotype PE!, isotype PE!). Fig. 2C, D . = Senecio topkegolensis Kitamura (1981: 140) , syn. nov. Type:— NEPAL. Mechi: Taplejung, Tasagon,Topke Gola, 3600–4350 m, 17 Aug. 1977, H. Ohashi et al. 775175 (holotype TI!, isotypes

A!, TI!). Fig. 1A, B .

Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous. Stem solitary, erect, 60–110 cm tall, pubescent or glabrous. Basal leaves generally withered by anthesis; lower and median stem leaves petiolate, alternative; blades triangular or triangular-lanceolate, 7–12 × 2–5 cm, pinnately veined, scattered-pubescent or glabrous on both sides, abaxially pale green to purple, base cordate to sagittate and sometimes lyrately 2–4-lobed, margin irregularly coarsely dentate, apex acute to acuminate; petioles more or less interruptedly winged, especially in upper part, auriculate at the base; auricles subamplexicaul, dentate; upper leaves sessile, triangular-lanceolate to lanceolate, 5–10 × 1–2 cm, base cuneate, margin often lyratepinnatifid, confluent with auricle at the base, apex acuminate-attenuate. Capitula small, radiate, numerous, arranged in dense terminal compound corymbs; peduncles 1–2 mm long, pubescent. Involucres cylindrical, ca. 5 × 1 mm, calyculate; bracts of calyculus 5–7, minute, linear, apex black; phyllaries 5, linear, 3–4 mm long, sparsely puberulent, apex black. Ray florets 2, yellow; lamina ca. 3 mm long; tube ca. 2 mm long. Disc florets 2 or 3, yellow, ca. 5 mm long; limb ca. 2.5 mm long; tube ca. 2.5 mm long. Anthers ca. 1.5 mm long, basally obtuse-auriculate. Achenes cylindrical, ca. 1 mm long, sparsely puberulent. Pappus white, ca. 2 mm long.

Distribution and Habitat: — Senecio biligulatus is widely distributed in the Himalayan region ( Fig. 4 ). It grows in open places at the edges of forests at elevations of 2300–4300 m a.s.l..

Phenology: —Flowering July to September; fruiting September to October.

Additional specimens examined: — CHINA. Xizang: Bomê, Galongla pass, 29°44’30.32” N, 95°40’57.07” E, 3650 m, 13 Aug. 2016, L. Wang & T. J. Tong 1020 ( IBSC) ; Gyirong, Laduo Shan , 28°23’12.87” N, 85°25’17.46” E, 3300–3700 m, 29 Aug. 2013, M. Tang & C. Ren 558 ( IBSC) ; Gyirong, Laduo Shan, 3600–3900 m, 9 Sept. 2016, L. Wang & T. J. Tong 1386 ( IBSC) ; Gyirong, road from Sale to Zhacun , 3500 m, 30 Jun. 1972, B. S. Li et al. 13503 ( PE) ; Lhünzê, road from Qusong to Zhari , 28°40’33.77” N, 93°16’56.43” E, 3200 m, 29 Aug. 2016, L. Wang & T. J. Tong 1281 ( IBSC) ; Mêdog, 2300–3000 m, 19 Sept. 2012, FLPH Tibet Exped. 12-1848 ( PE) ; Charong valley, 8,000 feet, 4 Sept., 1919, F. Kingdon-Ward 3619 ( E). Yunnan: Fugong , Lumadeng , 2800–3000 m, 3 Sept. 2009, Y. S. Chen 9700 ( PE) .

INDIA. Sikkim: Laghep , 11,000 feet, 26 Oct. 1910, Ribu & Rhomoo 4548 ( K; syntype of Senecio biligulatus ) ; under Tanka-La, 12,000 feet, 7 Nov. 1910, Ribu & Rhomoo 4703 ( E; syntype of S. biligulatus ) ; Gnatong , 12,000 feet, 16 Aug. 1910, W. W. Smith 4325 ( E; syntype of S. biligulatus ) .

NEPAL. Mechi: Taplejung, Topke Gola-Jalang Chhyongo , 4300 m, 20 Aug. 1977, H. Ohba 772588 ( TI; paratype of Senecio topkegolensis ) ; Taplejung, Topke Gola, Tamur valley , 12,500 feet, J.D. A. Stainton 969 ( P). Sagarmatha: Solukhumbu , Beni Kharka-Sarkari Pati , 3350–3970m, 2 Sept. 1985, H. Obha et al. 8581278 ( TI) ; Near Barse , 12,000 feet, J.D. A. Stainton et al.3587 ( P) .

Notes: — Senecio biligulatus is somewhat variable in the shape of leaf blades, which vary from broadly triangular or ovate-triangular ( Figs. 1 , 3 ) to triangular-lanceolate ( Fig. 2A ). Both S. ramsbottomii ( Fig. 2B ) and S. gyirongensis ( Fig. 2C, D ), which have been previously placed in synonymy with S. biligulatus by Jeffrey & Chen (1984), fall within the variation range of S. biligulatus in this character. Senecio ramsbottomii has ovate-triangular leaf blades, while S. gyirongensis has triangular-lanceolate ones. In other characters they are not essentially different from S. biligulatus . We thus accept the treatment on these two names by Jeffrey & Chen (1984). It is worth mentioning that in the Flora Xizangica the name S. gyirongensis was wrongly cited as S. jilongensis Chen & Pan ( Pan, 1985: 811) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Specimens of Senecio biligulatus. A. H. Ohashi et al. 775175 (TI; holotype of S. topkegolensis). B. H. Ohashi et al. 775175 (A; isotype of S. topkegolensis). C. W.W. Smith 4245 (K; isolectotype of S. biligulatus). D. W.W. Smith 4245 (P; isolectotype of S. biligulatus).

FIGURE 2. Specimens of Senecio biligulatus. A. Ribu & Rhomoo 4703 (E; syntype of S. biligulatus). B. F. Kingdon-Ward 12328 (BM; holotype of S. ramsbottomii). C. Xizang Med. Pl. Exped. 715 (PE; holotype of S. gyirongensis). D. Xizang Med. Pl. Exped. 715 (PE; isotype of S. gyirongensis).

FIGURE 3. Senecio biligulatus in the wild (Bomê, Xizang, China). A. Habitat. B. Habit. C. Leaf (adaxial surface). D. Synflorescence. E. Capitulum. F. Phyllaries. G. Ray florets (left two) and disc florets (right two).

FIGURE 4. Distribution of Senecio biligulatus (in shadow), with its type locality (D) and those of its three synonyms, S. topkegolensis (-), S. ramsbottomii (*), and S. gyirongensis (*) indicated.