Bull. Natn. Sci. Mus., Tokyo, Ser. B, 30(2), pp. 63–69, June 22, 2004

Taxonomic Studies of Cirsium (Asteraceae) in Japan XI.
A New Subsection and Two New Species Belonging
to the Subsection, from Southern Kyushu
Yuichi Kadota
Department of Botany, National Science Museum,4–1–1 Amakubo, Tsukuba, 305–0005 Japan
E-mail: kadota@kahaku.go.jp

Abstract A new species of Cirsium, C. nippoense, is described from the border area between
Miyazaki and Ôita Prefectures. Cirsium nippoense is characterized by the absence of basal leaves
at anthesis, erect or oblique capitula, well-branched stem with divaricate branches, glutinous involucres with narrowly lanceolate glandular bodies and the chromosome number 2n68. Cirsium
tanegashimense from Is. Tanegashima, Kagoshima Prefecture, is similar to C. nippoense, however
the former is different from the latter in the absence of glandular bodies on involucres and 6-seriate
involucral phyllaries. Cirsium tanegshimense is also described here because the name was a nomen
nudum. A new subsection of Sect. Onotrophe (Cass.) DC., Subsect. Ramosa, comprising both C.
nippoense and C. tanegashimense, is described. Subsect. Ramosa is endemict to Japan and is restricted to the southern part of Kyushu, southern Japan.
Key words : Cirsium nippoense, Cirsium tanegashimense, Japan, new taxa, Subsect. Ramosa.

In October of 2003 field studies on Cirsium(Asteraceae) were executed in Kyushu, southern
Japan as a part of the taxonomic studies ofJapanese Cirsium (Kadota and Nagase, 1988;
Kadota, 1989–2003). As the result of the fieldworks at the boundary area between Miyazakiand Ôita Prefectures Cirsium plants characterized
by the absence of basal leaves at anthesis, wellbranched stem with divaricate branches, erect tooblique capitula and glutinous involucres withnarrowly lanceolate glandular bodies were foundout. Later it was clarified that the thistle has thechromosome number of 2n68. Among thespecies of sect. Onotrophe in the genus Cirsium
C. umezawanum Kadota from Hokkaido, northern Japan (Kadota, 1998) is the only species
characterized by the absence of basal leaves atanthesis, erect to oblique capitula and 8–9-seriate
involucral phyllaries except for the thistle atissue. Hence a comparison between the thistleand C. umezawanum was made. It is consequently clarified that the thistle is significantly different from C. umezawanum in the shape and divi-

sion of cauline leaves, the arrangement of heads,
the number of involucral subtending leaves andthe presence of glandular bodies on involucres.
As the result it is concluded that the thistle belongs to a distinct new species. This thistle will
be described as C. nippoense after its locality
name.
Cirsium tanegashimense from Is. Tanegashima, Kagoshima Pref., southern Kyushu, ismorphologically similar to the above-mentioned
C. nippoense, however the former is distinguished from the latter by having eglutinous involucres and 5-seriate involucral phyllaries. Cirsium tanegashimense is also considered to be adistinct species. However, the name C. tanegashimense has never been published. Hence C.
tanegashimense will be described here as a newspecies.
Cirsium nippoense and C. tanegashimenseshare in common erect and well-branched stem,
erect to oblique capitula and several subtending
leaves of involucres. The two species resemble
the species of subsect. Amplexifolia Kadota

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Yuichi Kadota(Kadota, 1995, 1998) with respect to having erect
capitula. However, C. nippoense and C. tanegashimense differ from the species of subsect.
Amplexifolia by the presence of several involucral subtending leaves. As far as the distributional range is concerned the subsect. Amplexifolia isrestricted to northern Japan. It is therefore considered that C. nippoense and C. tanegashimense
are included in a distinct subsection. The newsubsection, Subsect. Ramosa, will be also described in this paper.
This paper aims to describe the new subsection
and the two new species which belong to the subsection.
Taxonomic treatment
Genus Cirsium Mill., Gard. Dict. Abrindg. ed.
4, 1 (1754), emend. Scop., Fl. Carn. 355 (1760).
Sect. Onotrophe (Cass.) DC., Prodr. 6: 644(1837).
Subsect. Ramosa Kadota, subsect. nov.
Herba perennis, ramis divaricatis, foliis basalibus emarcidis sub anthesin, eis caulinis pinnatifidis, capitulis terminalibus erectis vel obliquis,
involucris campanulatis vel crateriformibus,
phyllariis involucrorum plus minusve recurvatis.
Type: Cirsium nippoense Kadota (see below).
A perennial herb, well-branched; branches divaricate; basal leaves withering at anthesis;
cauline leaves pinnatilobate; capitula erect tooblique; involucres campanulate to bowl-shaped;
involucral phyllaries more or less recurved.
Cirsium nippoense Kadota, sp. nov. [Figs. 1, 2]
Herba perennis, 1–1.9 m alta. Caudex bene
evolutus, crassus, horizontalis, circiter 10 cm indiametro. Caulis erectus, bene e medio ramosus,
ramis extensis divaricatis vel raro non extensis,
brunneo-pubescens, arachnoideus. Folia basalia
emarcida sub anthesin. Folia caulinum mediorum
coriacea, cinereo-viridi, late vel anguste ovata,15–45 cm longa, 8–25 cm lata, pinnatilobata 3–8jugatis, utrinque brunneo-pubescens, breviter
petiolata vel subsessilia. Flores in Octoberis. Capitula numerosa, in paniculam amplam disposita,

erecta vel obliqua, pedunculis 0.5–1.5 cm longis
arachnoideiis, foliis subtensis (1–) 3–5 angustelanceolatis vel linearibus 0.5–4 cm longis. Involucra campanulata vel crateriformia, glutinosa,
18–21 mm longa, 15–20 mm (in vivo) et 20–34mm (in sicco) in diametro, arachnoidea. Phyllaria
8–9-seriata, subcoriacea, spinis acutis circiter 2mm longis, vittis anguste lanceolatis phyllariis
interioribus anguste ovatis 15–17 mm longis, eis
exterioribus ovatis caudatis 3–7 mm longis recurvatis. Corollae dilute violacea, 19–20 mm longa,
lobis 4–5 mm longis, faucibus 6 mm longis, tubis
8 mm longis. Achenia laete brunnea, 4 mm longa,
laevigata, pappis sorditis 15–17 mm longis. Numerus chromosomatibus 2n68.
TYPE: JAPAN; Kyushu, Miyazaki Pref., Higashi-usuki-gun, Kitaura-chô, Nomi, alt. 10 m,29 Oct. 2003, Y. Kadota 034915 (holotype–TNS!).
A perennial herb, 1–1.9 m tall. Rootstock welldeveloped, stout, horizontal, ca. 10 cm in diameter, with cord-like roots. Stem erect, wellbranched from the middle part of the stem, up to
3 cm in diameter at the basal part, covered withbrownish multicellular hairs and arachnoid in theupper half. Basal leaves withering at anthesis.
Middle cauline leaves grayish green above, coriaceous, broadly ovate to narrowly ovate, 15–45 cm
long, 8–25 cm wide, medially pinnatilobate with
3–8-jugae, provided with sharp spines 5–10 mmlong along margin, pubescent with brownish
multicellular hairs along veins on both sides,
shortly petiolate to subsessile. Flowers in October. Capitula numerous in a panicle, erect tooblique; peduncles 0.5–1.5 cm long, arachnoid;
subtending leaves (1–) 3–5, narrowly lanceolate
to linear, 0.5–4 cm long, provided with sharp
spines 2–5 mm long. Involucres campanulate tobowl-shaped, glutinous, 18–21 mm long, 15–20mm (in vivo) and 20–34 mm (in sicco) in diameter, arachnoid. Phyllaries 8–9-seriate, subcoriaceous, terminated with sharp spines ca. 2 mmlong; glandular bodies narrowly lanceolate, on
the abaxial side of inner and middle phyllaries;
inner phyllaries narrowly ovate, 15–17 cm long,erect; outer ones ovate with acuminate tips, 3–7

Taxonomic Studies of Cirsium (Asteraceae) in Japan XI65Fig. 1. Type specimen of Cirsium nippoense Kadota (JAPAN: Miyazaki Pref., Higashi-usuki-gun, Kitaura-chô,Nomi, Y. Kadota 034915, TNS). Left: Upper part. Right: Middle part.

mm long, recurved. Corollae pale violet, 19–20mm long; lobes 4–5 mm long; throats 6 mm long;tubes 8 mm long, longer than the throats. Achenes light brown, 4 mm long, smooth; pappi sordid, 15–17 mm long. Chromosome number 2n68.
Japanese name: Nippô-azami (nov.).
Distribution: S. Ôita and N. Miyazaki, Kyushu(endemic to Japan; Fig. 4, disc). In herbal standsof maritime mountains: the sea level to 120 m inelevation.
Specimens examined: JAPAN; Kyushu, Miyazaki Pref., Higashi-usuki-gun, Kitaura-chô, Nomi,alt. 10 m, 29 Oct. 2003, Y. Kadota 034911–034914, 034916–034917 (TNS); Kitaura-chô,Miyanoura, alt. 2 m, 29 Oct. 2003, Y. Kadota
034918 (TNS). Ôita Pref., Minami-amabe-gun,Kamae-chô, Hatotsu-ura, alt. 120 m, 29 Oct.
2003, Y. Kadota 034901–034910 (TNS).

Cirsium umezawanum Kadota from Is. Rishiri,Hokkaido, northern Japan (Kadota, 1998) is similar to C. nippoense in having well-branched
stem, erect to oblique capitula and 8–9-seriate involucral phyllaries. However, C. umezawanum isdiscriminated from C. nippoense by elliptic andusually coarsely dentate cauline leaves, several
capitula arranged in a loose corymb, the absenceor the sole incolucral subtending leaf and the absence of glandular bodies. The range of C.
umezawanum is apart from that of C. nippoenseby more than 1500 km in a beeline.
As mentioned in the description the wellbranched stem with numerous divaricate branches is one of characteristics of C. nippoense. However, the branches do not extend on rare occasions by unknown factor(s) [e. g., Kadota
034909–034910, Ôita Pref., Kamae-chiô, Hatotsu-ura]. Such a phenomenon is sometimes ob-66

Yuichi Kadota

Fig. 2. Habit of Cirsium nippoense Kadota (JAPAN: Miyazaki Pref., Higashi-usuki-gun, Kitaura-chô, Nomi, alt.
10 m, 29 Oct. 2003). Left corner inset: Close-up of ahead. Arrows show glandular bodies.

Taxonomic Studies of Cirsium (Asteraceae) in Japan XI

Fig. 3. Type specimen of Cirsium tanegashimense Kitam. ex Kadota (JAPAN: Kagoshima Pref., Is. Tanegashima, Z. Tashiro s. n., KYO). Left corner inset: Close-up of a head.

67

68

Yuichi Kadota

served in the other species of the genus Cirsium
in Japan (e. g., C. nipponicum (Maxim.) Matsum., C. fauriei Nakai and C. senjoense Kitam.).
Ethymology: The specific epithet “nippoense”
and the Japanese name “Nippô-azami” are derived from the locality name which covers both
Miyazaki and Ôita Prefectures.
Cirsium tanegashimense Kitam., sp. nov.
[Fig. 3]Cirsium tanegashimense Kitam. in M. Hotta etal., Kagoshima Red Data Book 335, fig. 135(2003), nom. nud., ut “Cirsium sp.”
Haec species Cirsio nippoenso affinis est, seda Cirsio nippoenso phyllariis 6-seriatis et involucriis vittis carentibus itaque eglutinosis distinguitur.
TYPE: JAPAN; Kyushu, Kagoshima Pref.,Kumage-gun, Is. Tanegashima, Nishino-omote,25 Oct. 1921, Z. Tashiro (holotype–KYO!; iso-Fig. 4.

type–KYO!).
Stem at least 50 cm long, erect, robust, arachnoid, striate, branched; branches divaricate.
Upper cauline leaves narrowly ovate, 11 cm long,
4 cm wide, medially pinnately lobed, sessile andamplexicaul; lobes 2–3-jugate; spines strong, up
to 2 cm long. Capitula erect, 3–4 cm in diameterin sicco. Involucres campanulate, 18–24 mm indiameter in sicco; phyllaries 6-seriate, strongly
recurved, terminated with strong spines ca. 2 mmlong; glandular bodies absent; subtending leaves
ca. 5. Corollae 20 mm long; lobes 5 mm long;
throats 6 mm long; tubes 9 mm long, clearly
longer than the throats. Achenes brownish, 4.5mm long, smooth; pappi sordid, 11–13 mm long.
Japanese name: Tanegashima-azami (Kitamura).
Distribution: Is. Tanegashima, Kyushu (endemic to Japan; Fig. 4, star).
Specimen examined: JAPAN; Kyushu,

Distribution of Cirsium nippoense Kadota (disk) and C. tanegashimense Kitam. ex Kadota (star).

Taxonomic Studies of Cirsium (Asteraceae) in Japan XI

Kagoshima Pref., Is. Tanega-shima, Onigasawa,north of Nishino-omote, ‘by mountain path atedge of forest’, 26 Dec. 1958, K. Iwatsuki 4011
(KYO).
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to Messrs. T. Minamitani, M.
Saito and K. Kuroki, Miyazaki Prefecture, fortheir guidance of field works in Kyushu (2003)
and helpful information on Cirsium of Kyushu;
to Dr. M. Hotta, Kagoshima Pref., for valuablesuggestions; to Dr. T. Nishikawa, Hokkaido University of Education, Asahikawa, for his kind observation on the chromosomes of Cirsium nippoense. I should also thank the Curators of theHerbaria (KYO, TI and TNS).
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