Taraxacum incantatum 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 : 130

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

Type:— Bulgaria, montes Pirin , opp. Bansko , vallis flum. Demjanica , locis humidis ad fontem prope viam (= via turistica caerulee signata) in fundo vallis flum. Demjanica , in loco Demjaniška polana, supra (situ merid.) cataractam Demjaniški skok, ca. 8–9 km situ merid. ab opp. Bansko, ca. 1800–1850 m, 41° 45–46’ N, 23° 28–29’ E, 8 Aug 1997, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 9294, collected in 2012 ( PRA, no. det. 35754, holotype; isotype: PRA, no. det. 27695, and duplicates) .

Etymology:—Bewitched, enchanted, cursed (derived from Latin, incanto, incantere, to consecrate with spells).

Exsiccates:— Taraxaca Exs., no. 1283–1285.

Diagnosis:—Plantae insignes, petiolis pallide purpureis, foliis gramineo-viridibus lobis lateralibus remotis anguste triangularibus patentibus vel subrecurvis, vena mediana pallide brunneo-purpurea, capitulis magnis aureis, phyllariis exterioribus laxe adpressis pallide usque saturate olivaceo-viridibus, acheniis pallide brunneis pyramide brevi notabiles.

Plants small to medium-sized, 6–10 cm tall. Plant base ± without tunic, almost glabrous among petiole bases. Petiole light purplish, more deeply so along mid-vein, broadly winged (outer leaves) to narrowly winged or unwinged (inner leaves), 1.5–2.5 cm long. Leaves patent to prostrate, mid-green, not spotted, almost glabrous, arachnoid hairs only along mid-vein, oblanceolate, narrowly oblanceolate or narrowly elliptical, usually 5–10 × 1.5–2.5 cm, pinnatisect; terminal segment variously triangular to sagittate-triangular, sometimes trilobed, acute to subacute, distal margin subconcave to subconvex, entire, basal lobules subrecurved to ± patent, sometimes pointing forwards, acute, proximal margin subconcave to ± straight, ± entire; lateral segments relatively remote, in (2) 3–4 pairs, subrecurved to ± patent, sometimes pointing forwards, narrowly deltoid-triangular, often bird-wing-shaped, usually 6–12 mm long, 6–10 mm wide at base, distal margin usually convex to sigmoid, sometimes concave, entire or with a few minute teeth, proximal margin concave to straight, entire; interlobes relatively narrow, most often 5–10 × 2–4 (–5) mm, green, unbordered, margin raised, ± entire or irregularly dentate, often with one of the teeth large, narrow, lobule-like; mid-vein light to deep brownish pink. Scapes suffused light purple or bronze, sparsely arachnoid, shorter than leaves. Capitulum golden yellow, large, ca. 4 cm wide, ± flat. Involucre not pruinose, olivaceous-green, rounded and ca. 8 mm wide at base. Outer phyllaries 18–23, loosely appressed, lanceolate to ovate, very light olivaceous-green (darker when dry), sometimes dark olivaceous-green, darker distally, on the middle line and at the base, sometimes suffused purple in the distal half, with a ± gradual transition in a translucent to whitish-membranous border 0.1–0.3 mm wide, margin irregularly minutely ciliate, apex flat; inner phyllaries ca. 12 mm long, of ± equal width. Outer ligules flat, striped grey-olivaceous outside, apical teeth brownish to reddish grey, inner ligules canaliculate, their apical teeth dark yellow. Stigmas long, medium discoloured, light greyish-greenish, hairs of external pubescence with black apex. Pollen abundant, pollen grains irregular in size. Achenes light brown, (3.6–) 4.0–4.9 × 0.9–1.1 mm, body densely covered with erect-patent, thin spinules up to ca. 0.2 mm long in upper 1/4, subgradually to subabruptly narrowing into a subcylindrical to subconical cone 0.5–0.7 mm long, often with minute spinules at the base; beak (6.5–) 7–8 mm long, pappus whitish to dirty white, 5.5–6 mm long. – Agamosperm. – Fig. 74D , 79 .

Diagnostic notes:—The characteristic leaf shape of T. incantatum , with relatively narrow, remote, most often ± patent lateral segments, is similar to that of T. pandum . The loosely appressed outer phyllaries with abaxial surface most often relatively light green, and with a gradual transition in the border, are diagnostic, together with the light pure brown achene colour, dense short spinulosity of achene body, and the short cone.

Distribution and habitat:— Taraxacum incantatum is known from the Pirin, at about 1800–1850 m. It grows in wet places in the vicinity of a mountain spring. Its IUCN conservation status is estimated as VU.

Specimens examined:— BULGARIA. The Pirin , Bansko , Demjanica valley , wet sites near the spring, along the Demjanica river , near Demjaniška polana, above the Demjaniški skok [waterfall], ca. 1800–1850 m, ca. 41° 45–46’ N, 23° 28–29’ E, 8 Aug 1997, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 9300 ( PRA, no. det. 27694); Ibidem, JŠ 9294 ( PRA, no. det. 27695); Ibidem, JŠ 9298 ( PRA, no. det. 27696); Ibidem, JŠ 9295 ( PRA, no. det. 27697); Ibidem, JŠ 9297 ( PRA, no. det. 27698). – Less certain identification: Ibidem, JŠ 9292 ( PRA, no. det. 27699) .

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 79. Taraxacum incantatum (PRA, no. det. 35754, holotype). Photo M. Hladík.