Cirsium sieboldii Miquel (1866: 184)

Jin, Zi-Chao & Chen, You-Sheng, 2022, Cirsium paludigenum and C. zhejiangense (Asteraceae) are synonymous with C. sieboldii and C. yezoense, Phytotaxa 543 (1), pp. 51-63 : 54-60

1. Cirsium sieboldii Miquel (1866: 184)

Type: — JAPAN. P. F. von Siebold s.n. (holotype, L0001917 !) . Fig. 2 ( C, E).

= Cnicus reinii Franchet & Savatier (1878: 413) .

Type: — JAPAN. Prov. Aidzou, secus lacum Ivavashiro , 1874, J. J. Rein 3013 (holotype, P00705842 !; isotype, P00705841 !). Fig. 3 .

= Cirsium paludigenum Y.F.Lu, Z.H.Chen & X.F. Jin (2021: 5) , syn. nov.

Type: — CHINA. Zhejiang, Wencheng county, Jinzhu Forestry Farm , in wetland, alt. 1030 m, 7 September 2018, Z. H . Chen et al. WC2018090707 (holotype, ZM!; isotypes, HTC, PE!). Fig. 2 ( A, B, D) .

Description: —Herbs 30–120 cm tall, perennial. Roots fleshy; rhizomes, 1–1.2 cm in diam. Stems erect or slightly declining, unbranched or rarely branched above, slightly ribbed, unwinged, with sparse felt in upper part and dense felt under capitula. Leaves concolorous, green, glabrous, surface smooth. Basal leaves present at anthesis, rosulate, petiole 10–15 cm, with winged or not, wing spiny or with spiny teeth; leaf blade elliptic-lanceolate, ± narrowly obovate or ± narrowly elliptic, 10–30 × 2–10 cm, entire or pinnatifid, adaxailly green, glabrous, abaxially light green, glabrous; segments 4–9 pairs, ± narrowly triangular, or triangular-lanceolate, toothed, teeth with marginal and 1–4 mm apical spines; terminal segment largest, lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate, narrowly triangular. Cauline leaves, less, sessile, amplexicaul, ± narrowly lanceolate or linear, 4–5 × 2–4 cm, pinnately lobed, pinnatifid or entire, apex acute; segments 4–6 pairs, triangular, toothed; teeth with a ca. 3 mm apical spine, adaxailly green, glabrous, abaxially light green, glabrous; gradually smaller upward. Capitula solitary or 2–5 in a sparsely racemose, nodding or rarely erect in flower, erect in fruit. Involucre campanulate, 1.1–2.9 cm (in vivo) and 3.5–6 cm (in sicco) in diam., glabrous or with sparsely cobwebby. Phyllaries imbricate, erect, appressed, in 5–7 rows, lacking marginal spinules, wings, and scarious appendage, abaxially with a rib; outer and middle phyllaries long-ovate, ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 4–10 × 1.3–1.5 mm, shorter than inner ones, narrowed into a 1–2 mm spine; inner phyllaries lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 1–1.5 × 0.13–0.15 cm, apex acuminate and softly spiny. Florets bisexual. Corolla purple, ca. 2 cm, tube ca. 1 cm, limb subequal to the length of tube, ca. 1 cm long, lobes 5, linear, ca. 4.5 mm long. Anther purple, ca. 6 mm long including appendage. Achenes cylindric, laterally compressed, light brown, ca. 5 mm long, ca. 1.6 mm wide, indistinctly longitudinally ribbed, apical rim forming a crown. Pappus of 3–4 rows of plumose bristles, pale brown, ca. 1.5 cm long.

Phenology: —Flowering and fruiting from September to November.

Distribution and habitat: — Cirsium sieboldii is distributed in Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang province of China ( Fig. 8 ). It grows mainly along streamsides or marshes at elevations 280–1400 m above sea level.

Additional specimens examined: — CHINA. Anhui:Huangshan, K.K.Tsoong3189 (PE00455844,LBG00097955).

Fujiang: Jiangyang, Wuyi Exped. So 123 ( IBSC0580799 ); Shanghang, T. S . Wang 1090 ( PE00455974 ), Xiamen University Meihuashan Exped. 298 ( AU 022425); Guangze, Xiamen University Wuyi Exped. 801420 ( AU 022422), Wuyi Exped. 801420 ( FJIDC010874 ); Wuyishan, W. M . Jin et al. 1866 ( NAS00487160 , NAS00487165 ), Wuyi Exped. 790836 ( FJIDC011156 ); Songzhen, 4093 ( FJIDC010897 ); Pingna, X.X. Su CSH 15500 ( CSH0128781 ); Xiamen, Z. W . Mao 425 (AU081805, AU081807, AU081808, AU081811); Dehua, B. Q . Zhong 80 ( PE00455957 ). Guangdong: Longmen, X. G . Li 200010 ( IBSC0580721 ); Shixing, H. G . Ye et al. 940 ( IBSC0580714 ); Xinfeng, L . Deng 7818 ( IBSC0580718 , PE00455982 , IBK00299884 , AU 050185, KUN0048404 ); Wengyuan, X.X. Liu 25161 ( IBSC0580692 , PE00455970 , KUN0048402 ); Yangshan, X. G . 201235 ( PE00455980 ); Heping, M. C . Tan et al.99590 ( JJF00021196 ). Guangxi:Hexian Y. K . Li 401601 ( IBK00024057 ); Ziyuan, Ziyuan Group 6-3123 ( GXMI035991 ). Hunan: Hongjiang, Anonymous s.n. ( PE00455908 , PE00455909 ); Lanshan, Z. C . Jin LS2020110801 ( IBSC). Jiangxi: Yunan ( Quannan ), X. M . Mo 21366 ( IBK00024070 , PE00455892 ); Longnan, Jiulianchan Forest Farm 781292 ( IBSC0580791 ); Guangfeng, M . X.Nie et al. 5936 ( IBSC0580777 ); Suichuan, J. S . Yue et al. 4570 ( IBSC0580781 , PE00455893 , NAS00487117 , NAS00487158 , KUN0048388 ), M. C . Tan et al. 10967 ( JJF00028650 ); Ningdu, Q. M . Hu 5742 ( IBSC0580786 , PE00455900 ), Dexing, M . X.Nie 5936 ( PE00455894 ); Jinggangshan, J. S . Yue 5051 ( PE00455895 ). Zhejiang: Yandangshan, K. K . Tsoong 946 ( PE00455878 ), K. K . Tsoong 3813 ( LBG0097956 ); Wencheng, Z. C . Jin ZJ2021001 ( IBSC), Z. C . Jin ZJ 2021002 ( IBSC).— JAPAN. Aichi, K . Inagaki 115627 ( PE01719681 ); Hyogo, T . Fujii 31483 ( TNS 01282108); Iwaki, J . Ohwi & K . Okamoto 771 ( PE01672355 ); Mie, T . Fujii 31710 ( TNS 01281018 ), T . Fujii 31679 ( TNS01265306 ); Mikawa, J . Ohwi & T . Koyama 6929 ( US 02159649); Mimasaka, M . Furuse 49634 ( PE 01292004, PE 01292008); Muneyama, M . Furuse 37843 ( PE01718218 ); Shinano, M . Furuse 16235 ( PE 01292003, PE 01292006), M . Furuse 16234 ( PE012920011 ), M . Furuse 30211 ( PE 01292019); Tootoomi, M . Furuse 36400 ( PE 01292018) .

Notes: — Cirsium paludigenum Y.F.Lu, Z.H.Chen & X.F.Jin was described on the basis of a collection, Z.H.Chen et al. WC2018090707 (holotype, ZM; isotypes, HTC, PE), from Zhejiang, China. In the protologue, Lu et al. (2021) stated that this species differs from C. sieboldii , a widespread species in Japan, by having involucre 2–3.5 cm in diameter (vs. 1.1–1.9 cm), 5–6 rows of phyllaries (vs. 8–10 rows), basal leaves lanceolate, elliptic-lanceolate or elliptic and pinnatifid or entire (vs. obovate and pinnatifid).

However, a comparison of the type of Cirsium paludigenum ( Fig. 2 : A, D) against the type material and ample non-type collections of C. sieboldii ( Fig. 2 : C, 3, 4) reveals that the two taxa are not essentially different from each other in key morphological characters. Cirsium sieboldii was described on the basis of a single specimen, P.F. von Siebold s.n. (L0001917, Fig. 2 C ), from Japan. Through extensive herbarium survey, we found that C. sieboldii is itself indeed somewhat variable in the basal leaves, the size of capitula and the rows of phyllaries. It is to be noted that these characters of C. sieboldii are not completely consistent with the characters that stated by Lu et al. (2021).According the description on C. sieboldii in Flora of Japan ( Kadota 1995), its involucre is 1.1–2.9 cm in diameter (in vivo) and 3.5–6 cm in diameter (in sicco), while the involucre diameter of C. paludigenum is 2–3.5 cm. Therefore, the variation range of involucral diameter of the two taxa is overlapping. Kadota (1995) recorded the phyllaries of C. sieboldii are about 7 rows, but Lu et al. (2021) said the phyllaries of C. sieboldii are about 8–10 rows. Kadota (1995) said that basal leaves of C. sieboldii are narrowly obovate, 13–47 cm long, 3–10 cm wide, shallowly to medially pinnatilobate, or sometimes entire to coarsely dentate, but Lu et al. (2021) stated that basal leaves of C. sieboldii are obovate and pinnatifid. To sum up, the above several distinctive morphological features of the two taxa considered by Lu et al. (2021) do not exactly accord with the morphological characteristics of the two taxa and belong to some overlapping traits, which cannot separated the two taxa. Therefore, the characters used by Lu et al. (2021) to distinguish C. paludigenum from C. sieboldii are not diagnostic. Furthermore, the flowering time (September to October) and habitat (in moors and along streams in sunny grasslands) of the two taxa are also very similar. From their morphological similarity and similar anthesis and habitat, C. paludigenum and C. sieboldii should belong to the same species. We therefore reduce the former to the synonymy of the latter herein.

Because its phyllaries lack marginal spinules, wings, and scarious appendage and leaves abaxially lack spinules, Cirsium sieboldii should belong to C. sect. Cirsium . It is widely distributed in Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang province of China ( Fig. 6 ). Cirsium sieboldii is mostly similar to C. japonicum and many specimens of C. sieboldii in Chinese herbaria were usually incorrectly identified as C. japonicum . The comparison of morphological characters between these two species are shown in Table 1 .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Specimens of Cirsium sieboldii. A, B & D China, Zhejiang, Wencheng, Jinzhu Forestry Farm, in wetland, Z. H. Chen et al. WC2018090707 (A. Cirsium paludigenum of holotype, ZM; B. isotype of Cirsium paludigenum, PE; D. capitulum); C & E. Japan. PF von Siebold s.n. (C. holotype of Cirsium sieboldii, L0001917; E. capitulum).

FIGURE 3. Specimens of Cirsium sieboldii. A, B. Japan, Prov. Aidzou, secus lacum Ivavashiro, J.J.Rein 3013 (A. holotype of Cnicus reinii, P00705842; B. isotype of Cnicus reinii, P00705841).

FIGURE 6. Specimens of Cirsium yezoense. A, B, D. China, Zhejiang, Pan’an, Weixin, Lingjiangyuan, by stream under forest, X.F.Jin & T.T.Yu 3202 (holotype of Cirsium zhejiangense, ZM; isotypes of Cirsium zhejiangense, PE; D. capitulum); C, E. Japan, Hakodate, Mohidzi, C.J.Maximowicz s.n. (type of Cirsium yezoense, K000778217; E. capitulum).

FIGURE 8. Distribution map of Cirsium sieboldii (red circles) and Cirsium yezoense (blue diamonds) in China.