Taraxacum mariae J. Marciniuk & P. Marciniuk, 2018

Marciniuk, Jolanta, Marciniuk, Paweł & Musiał, Krystyna, 2018, Taraxacum mariae, a new species of T. section Palustria (Asteraceae) from Poland, Phytotaxa 376 (5), pp. 207-213 : 208-209

Taraxacum mariae J. Marciniuk & P. Marciniuk , sp. nova ( Figs. 1–2)

Diagnosis:—Taraxaco domabili primo adspectu maxime simile, sed phyllis involucralibus exterioribus plus numerosis necnon colore bene diversis, a grege Taraxaci brandenburgici et T. geminidentati antheris polliniferis et chromosomatum numero triploideo recedit.

Description: —Medium-size or large plants, usually massive. Leaves suberect, grey-green, stiff, outer leaves shallowly lobed, inner leaves often without lobes, with large teeth; lateral lobes triangular, in 2–3(5) usually symmetric pairs, often with a large tooth on the upper edge. Terminal lobe longitudinally triangular, often with side teeth. Petiole usually red, non-winged, rarely narrowly winged. Outer phyllaries numbering 13–15, adpressed, sometimes loosely adpressed, non-ciliate, (6.04–)6.5–8.3(–8.52) mm long, (3.07–)3.8–4.8(–5.26) mm wide, outermost usually widely ovate; inner longer and narrower, ovate and more rarely ovate-lanceolate; borders (0.39–)0.6–1.0(–1.47) mm wide, together with membranous margin 0.17–0.24 mm wide, usually distinct, more rarely less distinct greenish-whitish, usually red-tinged on top. Capitulum 4.0– 4.5 cm in diameter, outer flowers with a pale greyish-pinkish-purple stripe, stigmata greenish-yellow or greenish, pollen present (sparsely). Scape greenish, often reddish or copper-coloured on top, glabrous or sparsely hairy. Achenes straw-like, spiny on top, uppermost spines nearly straight, 0.12–0.29 mm long; achenes (4.14–) 4.6–5.2 mm long, cone subconical, 1.0– 1.2 mm long, rostrum 7.5–9.0 mm long, pappus white.

Type: — Poland, Modliborzyce city, a meadow in the valley of the Sanna river, 50º45’32”N, 22º19’12”E, ATPOL square FE86, 24.04.2018, J. Marciniuk & P. Marciniuk (holotype WSRP 27531, isotypes WSRP 27532–27534, KRA 481616).

Etymology: —The species was named in honor of Professor Maria Zając, an outstanding botanist of the Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University in Cracow, teacher of many generations of students, and above all botanist, wonderful woman and friend.

Karyology: — Taraxacum mariae is a triploid species, 2n=3x=24 ( Fig. 2d ).

Distribution and habitat: — Taraxacum mariae is reported from south-eastern Poland, ATPOL squares FE84, FE85, FE86 ( Zając & Zając 2001) ( Fig. 3 ). It occurs in the Sanna river valley in its borderland section between the Lublin Upland and the Sandomierz Basin. Large and stable populations (noted since 2008) occur in Modliborzyce in wet grasslands in the Sanna river valley, and in Dąbie locality in marsh communities and wet grasslands between Wolica Pierwsza and Zaklików localities—on the approx. 20 km-long section.

Taraxacum mariae is associated with extensively utilised moist grasslands of the order Molinietalia and marsh associations, whereas its small populations may occur on the edges of alder shrubs and on moist causeways of fishponds. Within the locus classicus (Modliborzyce), a large population of the species (approx. five thousand individuals) occurs in the community of an extensively utilised grassland of the Alopecurion alliance ( Table 1, Relevé 1, 2).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Taraxacum mariae: a, live plant (Poland, Modliborzyce, type locality); b, capitulum (cultivated plant); c, achene; d, mitotic chromosomes, 2n=24, stained in acetic-orcein. Scale bar = 5μm.

FIGURE 3. Locality of Taraxacum mariae in Poland.