Ligularia leesicotal Kitamura (1953: 74)

Wang, Long, Luo, Hong-Yi, Ren, Chen & Yang, Qin-Er, 2016, Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on Ligularia ghatsukupa, L. leesicotal and L. rumicifolia (Asteraceae, Senecioneae), Phytotaxa 243 (3), pp. 260-270 : 265-268

Ligularia leesicotal Kitamura (1953: 74) . Figs. 2 , 4 .

Type:— CHINA. Xizang: Nagarzê, Pali Shan, 23 August 1914, E. Kawaguchi SM 96920 (= E. Kawaguchi 132) (holotype TNS!). Ligularia rumicifolia Liu (1985a: 832 , 1989: 47, 2005: 457); Chen & Li (1994: 2067); Illarionova (2006: 235, 2008: 207); Illarionova &

Liu (2011: 391).

Perennial herbs. Roots fleshy. Stem solitary, erect, 40−100 cm tall, at base with a circle of dense reddish brown lanate hairs, distally white lanate. Basal leaves petiolate; petiole to 18−22 cm long, white lanate, winged or not, thin, base slightly enlarged; leaf blade ovate-oblong, 10−19 cm long, 9−14.5 cm broad, both surfaces initially white lanate, later glabrous, pinnately veined, with prominent reticulate lateral veins on both surfaces, base rounded or shallowly cordate, margin minutely denticulate, apex rounded. Stem leaves a few; middle stem leaves sessile, ovate or ovate-oblong, 15−25 cm long, 15−20 cm broad, base auriculate-amplexicaul or flattened; distal stem leaves smaller, without sheath, ovate-lanceolate or ovate-triangular, base oblique, margin toothed, apex acuminate; distalmost stem leaves lanceolate or linear-lanceolate. Compound corymbs or panicles, initially clustered, later spreading; branches to 17 cm long, white lanate; leaflike bracts linear; peduncles to 3 cm long, white lanate. Capitula numerous. Involucre turbinate or campanulate-turbinate, 5−9 mm long, mouth 0.5−1 cm in diam., outside green, glabrous or initially white pubescent; phyllaries 5−8, in 2 rows, outer phyllaries elliptic or narrow oblong, apex acute; inner phyllaries oblong, margin membranous, apex acute. Ray florets 3−7, yellow; lamina linear-oblong, 1−1.6 cm long, 2−3 mm broad, apex rounded; tube 2−3 mm long. Tubular florets numerous, 5.5−6.5 mm long; tube 1−1.5 mm long. Achenes pale brown, cylindric, 4−6 mm long. Pappus white or pale brownish, as long as tubular corolla.

Distribution and habitat: — Ligularia leesicotal is distributed in Xizang, western Sichuan and northwestern Yunnan, China ( Fig. 6 ). It is recorded to occur also in Nepal ( Koyama 1968, Kitamura 1982), but we have not as yet seen any material of it from that country. It grows on grassy slopes and limestone screes or in forests and scrub at elevations between 3000 and 5900 m above sea level.

Phenology: —Flowering from July− August; fruiting from August− October.

Additional specimens examined: — CHINA. Sichuan: Daocheng , Qinghai-Xizang Exped. 6000 ( KUN) ;

Xiangcheng, D.E. Boufford et al. 28846 (E, P), 43184 (PE). Xizang: Banbar, D.D. Tao 11221 (KUN, PE); Baxoi, C.Y.

Wu et al. 4938 (KUN); Cona, Y.S. Chen et al. 13-1168 (PE); Damxung, Y.S. Chen et al. 13-0054 (PE), D.X. Su 32 (PE); Dêngqên, J.S. Yang 91-637 (KUN, PE); Gongbo’gyamda, Y.S. Chen 9463 (PE); Gyaca, H.N. Tan 584 (PE), B.Q. Xu & Y.H. Tong XiaNh-07zx-688 (IBSC), XiaNh-07zx-752 (IBSC), XiaNh-07zx-753 (IBSC); Gyangzê, P.C. Tsoong 5717 (PE); Lhasa, Qinghai-Xizang Exped. 74-3619 (KUN, PE), Qinghai-Xizang Veg. Exped. 1868 (PE), C. Ren & M. Tang 659 (IBSC), Xizang Exped. 1789 (PE), B.Q. Xu & Y.H. Tong XiaNh-07zx-0528 (IBSC), J.S. Yang 89-041 (KUN, PE), 90-334 (KUN), Y.T. Chang & K.Y. Lang 1092 (PE), 2031 (PE); Jomda, P.C. Tsoong 7160 (PE); Lhünzhub, K.H. Fu 263 (PE), Xizang Med. Pl. Exped. 1890 (HNWP, PE); Maizhokunggar, Y.S. Chen & Z. H. Wang 9417 (PE), H.N. Tan 66 (PE); Nagarzê, C.Y. Wu et al. 75-379 (KUN, PE), 75-753 (HNWP, KUN, PE); Nangxian, FLPH Tibet Exped. 12-1105 (PE); Nêdong, Y.S. Chen et al. 13-0097 (PE), K.H. Fu 649 (PE), Qinghai-Xizang Complem. Exped. 75-1459 (KUN, PE); Nyingchi, Anonymous 2197 (PE), FLPH Tibet Exped. 12-1152 (PE), C.Y. Wu et al. 75-1154 (HNWP, KUN, PE), Xizang Med. Pl. Exped. 3570 (HNWP, PE), J.S. Yang 90-303 (IBSC, KUN, PE), Y.T. Chang & K.Y. Lang 1126 (PE); Qonggyai, Qinghai-Xizang Veg. Exped. 2157 (PE); Sog, D.D. Tao 10948 (KUN, PE); Without precise locality, Anonymous 2099 (PE), Y. Fei et al. 324 (KUN), E. Kawaguchi SM 96918 (= E. Kawaguchi 366) (TNS), E. Kawaguchi SM 96924 (= E. Kawaguchi 198) (TNS), E. Kawaguchi SM 96925 (= E. Kawaguchi 312, 313) (TNS), E. Kawaguchi SM 96926 (= E. Kawaguchi 33) (TNS); Xigazee, E. Kawaguchi SM 96923 (= E. Kawaguchi 63) (TNS). Yunnan: Zhongdian, Y.S. Chen 9681 (PE).

Notes: — Koyama (1968) established a new section, Ligularia sect. Erectae Koyama (1968: 41) to accommodate L. leesicotal , but Liu (1985b, 1989) reduced this section to L. sect. Stenostegia Pojarkova (1961: 892) , a treatment adopted by Illarionova (2006). However, Illarionova (2008a, b) treated L. sect. Erectae as a subsection of L. sect. Stenostegia , i.e. L. sect. Stenostegia subsect. Erectae ( Koyama 1968: 41) Illarionova (2008a: 39) , which includes only L. leesicotal (under the name L. rumicifolia ).

In general aspect Ligularia leesicotal is somewhat similar to L. songarica ( Fischer 1841: 52) Ling (1934: 532) within L. sect. Stenostegia subsect. Microcephalae Illarionova (2008b: 207) in having a circle of dense reddish brown lanate hairs at stem base, the pinnately veined leaf blade and compound corymb, but differs in the leaf blade ovate-oblong (vs. sagittate), involucre turbinate or campanulate-turbinate (vs. narrowly cylindric), bracts linear (vs. lanceolate to subulate), and ray florets 3−7 (vs. 3 or 4).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Holotype sheet of Ligularia leesicotal.

FIGURE 4. Specimens of Ligularia leesicotal (previously misidentified as L. rumicifolia). A. China, Xizang, Nyingchi, FLPH Tibet Exped. 12-1152 (PE). B. China, Yunnan, Zhongdian, Y.S. Chen 9681 (PE). C. China, Sichuan, Xiangcheng, D.E. Boufford et al. 28846 (E). D. China, Sichuan, Daocheng, Qinghai-Xizang Exped. 6000 (PE).

FIGURE 6. Distribution of Ligularia rumicifolia (■) and L. leesicotal (●).