Taraxacum suffocatum Kirschner & Štěpánek, 2023

Kirschner, Jan & Štěpánek, Jan, 2023, A taxonomic revision of Taraxacum sect. Dissecta, a continental steppe group common in Siberia and adjacent regions of Central Asia, Phytotaxa 590 (1), pp. 1921-1935 : 1921-1935

11. Taraxacum suffocatum Kirschner & Štěpánek , sp. nov.

Type:—[ MONGOLIA] Mongolia centr.-bor., urbs Ulan-Bator, in siccis ad pedem montis Bogd-ul [city of Ulan-Bator, dry places at the foot of Mt. Bogd-ul, south of the city], Aug 1990, J. Soják, cultivated as JK 730 ( PRA, no. det. 35845, holotype; isotype: PRA, no. det. 36637) .

Etymology:—Suffocated.

Diagnosis:—Species foliorum forma Taraxaco tilesiano aemulans sed differt acheniis saturate atro-griseis, pyramide & rostro brevioribus, phyllariis exterioribus pruinosis, paucis, brevioribus, marginibus albidis distinctis 0.2–0.3 mm latis, necnon foliis arachnoideis.

Plants small, usually to 8–10 cm tall. Petiole narrow, unwinged, ± densely arachnoid, dark purple; plant base with whitish hairs, tunic developed. Leaves ± greyish mid-green, arachnoid or sparsely arachnoid, not spotted, narrowly oblong in outline, usually 5–9 × 1.1–2.5 cm, with a complicated shape pattern, deeply pinnatisect, lateral segments numerous, 5–8 pairs (or irregularly arranged), patent, less often ± recurved, linear or linear-lingulate (i.e., with a slightly dilated distal part), sometimes also with segment-like lobules, distal margin usually ± straight, entire or with 1–2 minute sub-basal teeth, proximal margin ± straight, usually entire, sometimes with very few minute teeth; terminal segment tripartite, with terminal part linear to linear-triangular or linear-lingulate, entire, basal lobules irregularly patent, linear, entire; interlobes narrow, bordered dark brown-purple, with numerous teeth of variable size and several acute lobules; mid-vein usually suffused purplish. Scapes brownish green, densely arachnoid to arachnoid, ± equalling leaves. Capitulum yellow, 2–2.5 cm wide. Involucre dark grey-green, pruinose, 7–9 mm wide and rounded at base. Outer phyllaries 7–10, appressed, ± not imbricate, ovate to broadly ovate, 5–6.5 × 2.8–4.2 mm, surface pruinose, dark green, distally blackish green and suffused purple, border narrow, sharply delimited, distinct, white, 0.2–0.3 (–0.4) mm wide, margin ± densely ciliate, apex ± flat; inner phyllaries ca. 10 mm long, of ± unequal width, ± flat. Outer ligules flat, striped dark grey-purple outside, inner ligule teeth blackish purple. Stigmas light yellowish green to light greyish. Pollen present, pollen grains irregular in size. Achenes deep dark grey, sometimes with a slight deep brownish tinge, 3.9–4.1 × 1.0 mm, body ± densely spinulose in upper 1/4, the uppermost spinules 0.2–0.3 mm long, erect-patent to almost subpatent, body subgradually narrowing into a subcylindrical cone (0.7–) 0.8–1.0 × ca. 0.25–0.3 mm, with 1–2 short spinules at base; beak ca. 6 mm long, pappus ca. 5.5 mm long, yellowish white. – Agamosperm. – Fig. 12 .

Diagnostic notes:—Among the species of T. sect. Dissecta treated in the present paper, T. suffocatum is very distinct in having several unique characters: outer phyllaries pruinose, dark to blackish green with a very distinct, narrow white border, achenes dark grey, and leaves with a very complicated shape pattern.

Distribution and habitat:— Taraxacum suffocatum is known from a single macrolocality situated on northern lower slopes of the Bogd-ul Range south of the Mongolian capital, Ulan-Bator, on dry, steppe slopes, at about 800– 1000 m a.s.l.

Specimens examined:—[ MONGOLIA] North-central Mongolia, city of Ulan-Bator, dry places at the foot of Mt. Bogd-ul , south of the city, Aug 1990, J. Soják, cultivated as JK 730 ( PRA, no. det. 36637, with duplicates) .

Figures

FIGURE 12. Taraxacum suffocatum. A, General habit; B, Achenes (both from PRA, no. det. 35845, holotype).