Taraxacum blandum Štěpánek & Kirschner, 2022

Štěpánek, Jan & Kirschner, Jan, 2022, A hotspot of endemism: Oreophytic Taraxacum species (Compositae, Crepidinae) in the mountains of Bulgaria, Phytotaxa 569 (1), pp. 1-139 : 26-30

4. Taraxacum blandum Štěpánek & Kirschner , sp. nov.

Type:— Bulgaria, montes Pirin , opp. Bansko , vallis flum. Banderica : locis graminosis herbosisque subalpinis secundum viam turisticam rubre signatam in declivitate ± orientali in vallis rivi Vichrenska voda supra casam alpinam Vichren (1950 m), inter montes Chvojnati vrch (2635 m) et Vichren (2914 m), ca. 2200-2400 m, 41° 45–46’ N, 23° 24–25’ E, 9 Aug 1997, J. Štěpánek, J. Kirschner & B. Trávníček, cultivated as JŠ 9344, collected in 2012 ( PRA, no. det. 35752, holotype; isotype: PRA, no. det. 27288, and duplicates) .

Etymology:—Enticing, attractive, charming (from Latin: blandus).

Exsiccates:— Taraxaca Exs., no. 1323–1328.

Diagnosis:—Species foliis laete viridibus, nitentibus, segmentis lateralibus foliorum approximatis, capitulis luteo-aureis, phyllariis involucralibus exterioribus basi laxe adpressis, apice arcuato-patentibus, ovato-lanceolatis usque lanceolatis pallide olivaceis vel modice saturate olivaceo-viridibus in marginibus albo-membranaceis angustis abrupte transeuntibus, stigmatibus saturate luteis, antheris polline carentibus necnon acheniis pallide brunneis fuscescentibus corpore in pyramidem subconical vel subcylindricam 0.4–0.7 mm longam subabrupte abeuntibus pernotabilis.

Plants small to medium-sized, 8–12 cm tall. Plant base without tunic, almost glabrous. Petioles broadly winged, narrowly so in inner leaves, 2–3 cm long, green to pale green. Leaf rosettes medium rich, leaves ± prostrate, light vivid green, not spotted, shiny, ± glabrous, usually narrowly oblanceolate to narrowly oblong, 6–12 × 1.5–3.5 cm, pinnatisect, sometimes pinnatipartite; terminal segment triangular to broadly triangular or helmet-shaped or broadly so, obtusely acute to ± obtuse, sometimes acute or mucronate, distal margin convex to subsigmoid, entire or with a single incision, basal lobules short, usually recurved, proximal margin straight to concave, entire; lateral segments in (3) 4–5 (6) pairs, deltoid-triangular to narrowly so, usually 7–17 mm long, 6–10 mm wide at base, usually recurved to arcuate-recurved, acute, distal margin convex to sigmoid, entire or with a single distinct tooth and/or with a few minute remote teeth, proximal margin concave to ± straight, entire or with a single sub-basal tooth; interlobes very short (lateral segments approximated), 1–5 × 3–6 mm, green, entire or with a single tooth, margin raised; mid-vein pale greenish or light purplish. Scapes pale green, later sometimes suffused light purplish, glabrous or with sparsely scattered hairs, subequalling leaves. Capitulum golden yellow, ± flat, 3–4 cm wide. Involucre slightly pruinose, 6–8 mm wide and ± rounded at base. Outer phyllaries 14–18, basally loosely appressed, distally arcuate-patent, reaching 1/3–1/2 of the inner, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, usually 5–7 × 2–3 mm, adaxially light greyish green, abaxially ± evenly light olivaceous to medium deep olivaceous-green, with an abrupt transition into a whitish-membranous border 0.1–0.3 mm wide, apex flat, margin minutely ciliate; inner phyllaries ca. 13 mm long, of equal width. Outer ligules flat, striped purplish grey-olivaceous outside, apical teeth grey to purplish, inner ligules canaliculate, their teeth deep yellow. Stigmas light coloured, ± deep yellow, with usually hyaline pubescence outside. Pollen absent. Achenes light brownish beige (very light brown with a greyish and ± orange hue), (3.8–) 4.0–4.5 × 0.8–1.1 mm, body ± densely squamulose (with some spinules) in upper 1/5–1/6, subabruptly narrowing into a subconical to subcylindrical cone (0.4–) 0.5–0.7 × ca. 0.4 mm (often with a few minute spinules at the base); beak 6–7 (–8) mm, pappus white to dirty white, 5–6 mm long. – Agamosperm. – Fig. 2B, 8, 9.

Distribution and habitat:—Probably endemic to the Pirin, Bulgaria. It grows in subalpine and alpine grasslands, usually between 2200 and 2500 m. The IUCN conservation status is estimated as vulnerable (VU).

Diagnostic notes:—The relatively narrow leaves with numerous approximated lateral segments, small, arcuatepatent outer phyllaries, yellow stigmas and empty anthers represent a diagnostic character combination. In Tab. 3, it is compared with similar species.

Specimens examined:— BULGARIA. The Pirin Mts. , Bansko , Banderica valley , a valley between Mt. Graniten (2669 m) and Chvojnati vrch (2635 m), above Chvojnato ezero [lake], 2250–2350 m, 12 Aug 1990, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 4298 ( PRA, no. det. 27294) ; Ibidem, JŠ 4872 ( PRA, no. det. 27291). – Bansko, glacial cirque of Vasilaški cirkus, along a path near the lake of Todorino ezero, ca. 2500 m, 14 Aug 1990, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 4535 ( PRA, no. det. 27293). – Bansko, valley of Banderica, valley of Vichrenska voda, above the alpine chalet of Vichren, 2400 m, 12 Aug 1990, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 4867 ( PRA, no. det. 27292). – Bansko, valley of Banderica, eastern slopes in the valley of Vichrenska voda, above the alpine chalet of Vichren, 2200–2400 m, 41° 45–46’ N, 23° 24–25’ E, 9 Aug 1997, J. Štěpánek, J. Kirschner & B. Trávníček, cultivated as JŠ 6309 ( PRA, no. det. 27290) ; Ibidem, JŠ 9344 ( PRA, no. det. 27288) ; Ibidem, JŠ 9343 ( PRA, no. det. 27287) ; Ibidem, JŠ 9339 ( PRA, no. det. 27285) ; Ibidem, JŠ 9345 ( PRA, no. det. 27284). – Mt. Vichren , near the shore of the upper lake of the Vlachinski ezera, at the eastern foot of the Gredaro Ridge, ca. 1.5 km W. of Mt. Chvojnati vrch (2635 m), 9 Aug 1997, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 9336 ( PRA, no. det. 27289) ; Ibidem, JŠ 9332 ( PRA, no. det. 27286) ; Ibidem, JŠ 6308 ( PRA, no. det. 25414). – Bulgaria, montes Pirin, valley of Banderica, below Mt. Vichren., 9 Aug 1997, J. Kirschner, cultivated as JK 4684 ( PRA, no. det. 35808) ; Ibidem, JK 4665 ( PRA, no. det. 35909) .