Artemisia neosinensis, Jiao & Gao

Guo, Xin-Qiang, Wang, Long & Yang, Qin-Er, 2022, Clarification of morphological characters and geographical distribution of Artemisia neosinensis (Asteraceae, Anthemideae), a strikingly misunderstood species from China, Phytotaxa 544 (1), pp. 11-36 : 34-35

Key to Artemisia neosinensis and its similar taxa

1a. Disk florets sterile; middle stem leaves 3-partite; phyllaries abaxially glabrous............................................................. A. tridactyla

1b. Disk florets fertile; middle stem leaves 1- or 2-pinnatisect; phyllaries abaxially tomentose, sparsely pubescent, rarely glabrous .... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................2

2a. Stems, adaxial side of leaves and abaxial side of phyllaries viscid-pubescent ..................................................................................3

2b. Stems, adaxial side of leaves and abaxial side of phyllaries arachnoid-tomentose, tomentose, sparsely pubescent or glabrous........ ............................................................................................................................................................................................................4

3a. Middle stem leaves 1-pinnatisect with 2–3 segments on each side....................................................................................................5

3b. Middle stem leaves 2-pinnatisect with 4–6 segments on each side....................................................................................................6

4a. Phyllaries and florets whitish when fresh; phyllaries and leaves abaxially glabrous...................................... A. lactiflora var. incisa

4b. Phyllaries and florets green or purple when fresh; phyllaries abaxially sparsely pubescent, tomentose or arachnoid-tomentose, leaves abaxially tomentose.................................................................................................................................................................8

5a. Leaf lobules sparsely serrate ..................................................................................................................... A. zayuensis var. zayuensis

5b. Leaf lobules densely serrate ................................................................................................................. A. zayuensis var. pienmaensis

6a. Leaf lobules lanceolate or oblong; phyllaries abaxially viscid-pubescent ....................................................................... A. mattfeldii

6b. Leaf lobules elliptic or ovate; phyllaries abaxially sparsely arachnoid-pubescent or glabrous .........................................................7

7a. Leaves abaxially sparsely pubescent or glabrous; phyllaries abaxially glabrous...................................... A. tangutica var. tangutica

7b. Leaves abaxially tomentose; phyllaries abaxially arachnoid-tomentose................................................ A. tangutica var. etomentosa

8a. Middle stem leaves 1-pinnatisect, segments entire or sparsely serrate, not lobed .............................................................................9

8b. Middle stem leaves 2-pinnatisect, or rarely 1-pinnatisect, segments pinnatisect or dentate-lobed..................................................10

9a. Leaves adaxially tomentose; phyllaries abaxially tomentose...........................................................................................................11

9b. Leaves adaxially sparsely pubescent; phyllaries abaxially sparsely pubescent ...............................................................................12

10a. Leaves adaxially tomentose; phyllaries abaxially tomentose or arachnoid-tomentose....................................................................13

10b. Leaves adaxially sparsely pubescent, sparsely arachnoid-pubescent, or glabrescent; phyllaries abaxially sparsely pubescent or glabrous ............................................................................................................................................................................................14

11a. Capitula campanulate; 2–3 mm broad, leaf segments linear, 1–2 mm broad................................................................. A. kanashiroi

11b. Capitula hemispheric or ovoid; 3–5 mm broad, leaf segments lanceolate, 3–5 mm broad................................................... A. somae

12a. Capitula campanulate; leaf segments linear-lanceolate, 3–5 mm broad ...................................................................... A. verlotiorum

12b. Capitula hemispheric or ovoid; leaf segments elliptic or narrowly elliptic, 6–10 mm broad ............................................. A. robusta

13a. Capitula campanulate; middle stem leaves 1-pinnatisect, segments dentate-lobed, lobules ovate-acuminate or ovate A. neosinensis

13b. Capitula hemispheric or ovoid; middle stem leaves 2-pinnatisect, segments pinnatisect, lobules lanceolate, linear-lanceolate, oblong, elliptic or ovoid ...................................................................................................................................................................15

14a. Capitula hemispheric ........................................................................................................................................................................20

14b. Capitula campanulate .......................................................................................................................................................................21

15a. Leaf lobules lanceolate or linear-lanceolate .....................................................................................................................................16

15b. Leaf lobules oblong, elliptic, ovoid or cuneate ................................................................................................................................17

16a. Leaf lobules 0.5–0.8 cm long; synflorescence a simple raceme, rarely a panicle; capitula 0.6–1.0 cm in diameter........... A. smithii

16b. Leaf lobules 1–3 cm long; synflorescence a narrow or broad panicle; capitula 0.2–0.6 cm in diameter ......................... A. speciosa

17a. Leaf lobules oblong or elliptic..........................................................................................................................................................18

17b. Leaf lobules ovoid or ovate ..............................................................................................................................................................19

18a. Phyllaries abaxially brown tomentose.............................................................................................................................. A. imponens

18b. Phyllaries abaxially gray arachnoid-tomentose............................................................................................................ A. tainingensis

19a. Plants 8–30 cm tall; phyllaries abaxially brown tomentose ........................................................................................... A. campbellii

19b. Plants 50–70 cm tall; phyllaries abaxially gray tomentose .......................................................................................... A. wallichiana

20a. Leaves lobules elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate ............................................................................................ A. orientalihengduangensis

20b. Leaves lobules ovate-acuminate or cuneate ............................................................................................................... A. roxburghiana

21a. Capitula larger, 2–3.5 mm broad .................................................................................................................................. A. qinlingensis

21b. Capitula smaller, 1–1.5 mm broad....................................................................................................................................................22

22a. Leaf lobules linear or lanceolate, marginally irregularly serrate................................................................................... A. mongolica

22b. Leaf lobules elliptic-lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, marginally entire or rarely serrate ................................................ A. divaricata