Taraxacum pseudosplendens Stepanek & Kirschner 2022, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Štěpánek, Jan
name: Kirschner, Jan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Asterales
Asteraceae
Taraxacum
Taraxacum pseudosplendens

description: 8. Taraxacum pseudosplendens Štěpánek & Kirschner, sp. nov.   
 Type:— Bulgaria, montes Pirin, opp. Bansko, mons Vichren: ad ripam lacus majoris (inferioris) borealis in valle lacuum Vlachinski ezera ad pedem orientalem dorsi Gredaro, ca. 1.5 km situ occidenali a monte Chvojnati vrch (2635 m), ca. 2250–2300 m, ca. 41° 45’ N, ca. 23° 23’ E, 9 Aug 1997, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 9325, collected in 2012 (PRA, no. det. 35777, holotype; isotypes: PRA, no. det. 35776, and duplicates).   
 Etymology:—Similar to splendens (see T. splendens).   
 Exsicates:— Taraxaca Exs., no. 1263.   
  Diagnosis:—  Taraxaci splendentis affinis sed ligulis marginalibus decoloratis, phyllariis exterioribus obscurioribus, acheniis angustioribus corpore in pyramidem subcylindricam subabrupte transeunte notabile.   
 Plants medium-sized, usually 12–18 (–21) cm tall. Plant base without tunic, subglabrous. Petiole broadly winged to winged, light green, ± glabrous, to ca. 3 cm long. Leaves erect-patent, vivid green, ± glabrous, narrowly oblong to narrowly oblanceolate in outline, usually 9–15 × 2–3 cm, ± pinnatipartite; terminal segment usually elongatedtriangular to ± helmet-shaped-triangular, distal margin ± convex, entire or with a single tooth, basal lobules ± patent to subrecurved, narrowly triangular to linear-triangular, acute, proximal margin ± straight, entire; lateral segments (2) 3 (4), patent, subrecurved to ± forward-pointing, narrowly triangular to triangular, distal margin most often subconcave, entire, proximal margin ± straight, entire; interlobes long, broad, usually 1–2 × 0.6–1 cm, green; mid-vein greenish, sometimes suffused pinkish. Capitulum yellow, usually 2.5–3.5 cm wide. Involucre ± pruinose, deeper olivaceous-green, ca. 10 mm wide and rounded at base. Outer phyllaries 12–18, loosely appressed, often with erect apex, subimbricate, lanceolate, usually 5–7.5 × 2–3 mm, relatively short, greyish olivaceous-green, border not distinct, ca. 0.1 mm wide, whitish, margin subglabrous, apex flat; inner phyllaries 12–14 mm long. Outer ligules flat, only some of them faintly striped greyish, later purplish, outer ligule teeth ± long, grey. Stigmas long, light discoloured, ± greenish yellow. Pollen present, pollen grains conspicuously irregular in size. Achenes light stramineous-brown with a greyish hue, more slender than in T. splendens, 4.7–5.1 × 0.8–1.0 mm, body densely squamulose and spinulose in upper 1/6, some spinules elongated, subarcuate, longitudinal ridges not prominent, body ± gradually narrowing into a subcylindrical cone (0.6–) 0.7–1.0 mm long; beak (5.5–) 6–7 mm long; pappus 6–6.5 mm long. – Agamosperm. – Fig. 15C, 18.   
 Relationships:—The most conspicuous features of T. pseudosplendens, when compared with T. splendens, are the faintly striped or unstriped outer ligules, darker involucral phyllaries and much narrower achenes. Both species represent core taxa of T. sect. Crocea.   
 Distribution and habitat:—According to the material available, T. pseudosplendens is endemic to the Pirin. It grows on shores of an alpine lake. The IUCN conservation status is estimated as EN.   
 Specimens examined:— BULGARIA. Pirin, Bansko, Mt. Vichren, Vlachinski ezera, shores of the lower, bigger lake, at the foot of the Gredaro Ridge, ca. 1.5 km W. of Mt. Chvojnati vrch (2635 m), ca. 2250–2300 m, ca. 41° 45’ N, ca. 23° 23’ E, 9 Aug 1997, J. Štěpánek, cultivated as JŠ 9331 (PRA, no. det. 35774). – Less certain identification: Pirin Planina, 1.5–2 km E. of the Begovitsa hut in the Begovitsa valley, wet meadows with bogs along streams and scrub of Pinus mugo, 2000 m, 13 Jul 1980, P. Frost-Olsen (PRA, no. det. 35771).
description: Published as part of Štěpánek, Jan & Kirschner, Jan, 2022, A hotspot of endemism: Oreophytic Taraxacum species (Compositae, Crepidinae) in the mountains of Bulgaria, pp. 1-139 in Phytotaxa 569 (1) on pages 40-44, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.569.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7235182