Taraxacum (sect. Erythrocarpa) Handel-Mazzetti 1907
Creators: name: Štěpánek, Jan
name: Kirschner, Jan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Plantae
Tracheophyta
Magnoliopsida
Asterales
Asteraceae
Taraxacum

description: Identification key to the species of Taraxacum sect. Erythrocarpa in the Alps and the eastern part of Europe   
1. Pollen absent..................................................................................................................................................................................... 2  
– Pollen present................................................................................................................................................................................... 7  
2. Achenes dark brown, deep cinnamon-brown or medium brown..................................................................................................... 3  
– Achenes red-brown, always with a reddish hue............................................................................................................................... 4  
 3. Cone 0.5–0.8 mm long; achenes 3.6–4.3 mm long; stigmas light discoloured............................................................. 16. T. pudilii   
 – Cone 1.1–1.5 mm long; achenes 4.7–5 mm long; stigmas dark discoloured............................................................ 2. T. fastuosum   
 4. Outer phyllaries 8–13, evenly coloured dark blackish olivaceous, usually wholly suffused purplish, large, 8–10 mm long; leaves unspotted.......................................................................................................................................................... 10. T. panhellenicum   
– Outer phyllaries 13–22, with contrasting, paler colours, at least partly light greenish, only distally often suffused purplish, usually 4–6 mm long; if 6–10 mm long, then leaves adaxially spotted brown-purple................................................................................. 5  
 5. Leaves adaxially spotted brown-purple; outer phyllaries 6–10 mm long............................................................. 8. T. striatifolium   
– Leaves not spotted; outer phyllaries 4–6 mm long........................................................................................................................... 6  
 6. Achenes with long distinct spinules, some of which 0.4 mm long; cone usually 0.8–1.2 mm long; involucre 6–7 mm wide at base.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 15. T. jailae   
 – Achenes with numerous short spinules and tricuspidate squamules, less than 0.3 mm long; cone 0.5–0.8 mm long; involucre 8–11 mm wide at base............................................................................................................................................................ 16. T. pudilii   
7. Achenes light cinnamon-brown, light greyish, light greyish stramineous-brown, never with a reddish hue.................................. 8  
– Achenes variously red-brown, always with a reddish hue............................................................................................................. 11  
 8. Surface of outer phyllaries evenly dark grey-olivaceous, later to black-olivaceous; border narrow, whitish, 0.1–0.3 mm wide.................................................................................................................................................................................. 11. T. dorchocarpum   
– Surface of outer phyllaries with contrasting colours, at least partly pale greenish, with a dark narrow middle strip, if the strip absent, then most of the phyllary pale greenish, only distal part dark, marginal part of the border usually inconspicuous, membranous, 0.1–0.3 mm wide.............................................................................................................................................................................. 9  
 9. Cone 1.0– 1.5 mm long............................................................................................................................................... 6. T. meierottii   
– Cone 0.5–1.0 mm long................................................................................................................................................................... 10  
 10. Outer phyllaries appressed, all broadly ovate to ovate; achenes with erect upper spinules........................................ 12. T. greuteri   
 – Outer phyllaries from loosely appressed to erect-patent, in addition to broadly ovate to ovate ones, also lanceolate phyllaries present; achenes with erect-patent upper spinules...................................................................................................... 9. T. aquilinum   
 11. Pollen regular, with pollen grains of ± equal size; margins of outer phyllaries ciliate with hairs up to 1.5 mm long 7. T. pindicola   
– Pollen irregular, with pollen grains of varied size; margins of outer phyllaries ciliate with hairs very short or up to 1 mm long, or glabrescent...................................................................................................................................................................................... 12  
12. Stigmas yellow............................................................................................................................................................................... 13  
– Stigmas light discoloured to dark discoloured............................................................................................................................... 16  
 13. Outer phyllaries patent to arcuate-patent, narrowly triangular to broadly lanceolate.............................................. 3. T. pieninicum   
– Outer phyllaries appressed or loosely appressed, ovate to broadly ovate...................................................................................... 14  
 14. Outer phyllaries 10–14; terminal leaf segment usually rounded-obtuse to obtuse..................................................... 5. T. janchenii   
– Outer phyllaries 15–20; terminal leaf segment triangular, broadly triangular or trilobed, usually ± acute................................... 15  
 15. Cone 0.8–0.9 mm long; outer phyllaries 3.5–4.5 mm wide................................................................................... 17. T. adamovicii   
 – Cone 0.9–1.5 mm long; outer phyllaries 2–3.5 mm wide........................................................................................ 4. T. velebiticum   
16. Outer phyllaries usually 6.5–10 mm long; paler or whitish border 0.3–1.0 mm wide................................................................... 17  
– Outer phyllaries usually 4–6.5 mm long; paler border membranous, 0.1–0.4 mm wide............................................................... 18  
 17. Outer phyllaries loosely appressed to erect-patent, not imbricate; cone 1.2–1.5 mm long............................... 13. T. calocephalum   
 – Outer phyllaries appressed to loosely appressed, ± imbricate; cone 0.5–0.8 mm long..................................... 14. T. olympophilum   
 18. Outer phyllaries from loosely appressed to erect and erect-patent...................................................................................15. T. jailae   
– Outer phyllaries appressed to loosely appressed.............................................................................................................................19  
 19. Outer phyllaries with a darker olivaceous-green middle strip 1–1.5 mm wide and a paler border 0.5–1 mm wide....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14. T. olympophilum   
– Outer phyllaries with surface evenly yellowish green or pale greenish, distally darker and sometimes with a certain darker middle strip in distal 1/3 of the phyllary..................................................................................................................................................... 20  
 20. Outer phyllaries 10–12, appressed, 5.5–6.5 mm long; beak to 7 mm long.................................................. 1. T. pseudohoppeanum   
 – Outer phyllaries 15–19, loosely appressed, 4–6 mm long; beak 7.5 mm long or longer........................................ 4. T. velebiticum
description: Published as part of Štěpánek, Jan & Kirschner, Jan, 2022, Taraxacum sect. Erythrocarpa in Europe in the Alps and eastwards: A revision of a precursor group of relicts, pp. 7-52 in Phytotaxa 536 (1) on pages 10-11, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.536.1.2, http://zenodo.org/record/6224353