A hotspot of endemism: Oreophytic Taraxacum species (Compositae, Crepidinae) in the mountains of Bulgaria Author Štěpánek, Jan 0000-0003-4038-1998 Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ- 25243 Průhonice 1, Czech Republic. & jan. stepanek @ ibot. cas. cz; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0003 - 4038 - 1998 jan.stepanek@ibot.cas.cz Author Kirschner, Jan 0000-0002-6303-713X Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, CZ- 25243 Průhonice 1, Czech Republic. & jan. kirschner @ ibot. cas. cz; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 6303 - 713 X jan.kirschner@ibot.cas.cz text Phytotaxa 2022 2022-10-20 569 1 1 139 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.569.1.1 journal article 172051 10.11646/phytotaxa.569.1.1 f8f7b3a8-119f-438c-95d6-5d701a007727 1179-3163 7235182 7. Taraxacum pseudorecognitum Štěpánek & Kirschner , sp. nov. Type :— Bulgaria , montes Rodopi , opp. Čepelare , pars montium Černatica , pag. Chvojna , circum montem Goljam Persenk ( 2091 m ), graminosis secundum viam turisticam rubre signatam in saltu Groben prochod inter montes Goljam Persenk et Persenk (2074), ca. 2 km supra locum (situ occident.) Skalni Mostove , ca. 1900–1950 m , 24 Jul 1998 , R . Bělohlávková , J . Štěpánek , V . D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova , cultivated as TaB 15 ( B 15 ), collected in 2000 ( PRA , no. det. 35838, holotype ; isotype: PRA , no. det. 35755, and duplicates) . Etymology :—Close to T. recognitum . Exsiccates :— Taraxaca Exs. , no. 1297. Diagnosis :— Taraxaco recognito maxime affine sed petiolis purpurascentibus, lobis foliorum lateralibus patentibus vel subrecurvis, et acheniis pallide brunnescentibus vel pallide lutescenti-brunneis, corpore superne brevibus spinulis suberectis obsito differt. Plants medium-sized, usually 9–14 cm tall. Plant base without tunic, subglabrous among petiole bases. Petiole winged to broadly winged, usually suffused light purplish, ca. 2 cm long. Leaves suberect-patent, relatively stiff, light green to yellowish green, not spotted, sparsely arachnoid to ± glabrescent, oblanceolate in outline, usually 5–9.5 × 2–3 cm , deeply pinnatisect; terminal segment flat triangular to ± pentagonal in outline, obtusely acute, distal margin straight to subconcave, very often with a pair of broad triangular lobule-like teeth, otherwise ± entire, basal lobules usually patent, proximal margin ± straight, entire; lateral segments in (3) 4–5 (6) pairs, ± narrowly triangular, patent to subrecurved, distal margin subconcave or ± sigmoid, usually entire, proximal margin ± straight, entire; interlobes distinct, usually 2–6 × 3–5 mm , surface green, margins not bordered or slightly so, ± raised, usually with 1–2 narrowly triangular teeth, sometimes entire; mid-vein pale or suffused purplish. Scapes sparsely arachnoid, pale greenish, ± overtopping leaves. Capitulum deep yellow, 3–3.5 cm wide, ± flat. Involucre olivaceous-green, rounded and ca. 8–10 mm wide at base. Outer phyllaries 11–16, usually loosely appressed, later during anthesis erect-patent, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, (5–) 6–7 × 2.5–3.1 mm , abaxially green to deep olivaceous-green, darker distally, with a relatively abrupt transition in a membranous or whitish border ca. 0.2–0.3 mm wide, margin distally minutely ciliate, apex ± flat; inner phyllaries ca. 12 mm long, of ± unequal width. Outer ligules ± flat, striped dark grey outside, apical teeth grey-black, inner ligules canaliculate, their apical teeth smoky yellow. Stigmas long, medium discoloured. Pollen present, pollen grains irregular in size. Achenes light brown to light yellowish brown, often with a greyish hue, (3.3–) 3.5–4.1 × 1.1–1.2 mm , body with distinct lateral and dorsiventral longitudinal ridges, ± densely covered with short suberect spinules in upper 1/4–2/5, ± abruptly narrowing into a conical to (less often) subcylindrical cone 0.6–0.8 (–1.1) mm long; beak 6–7 (–8) mm, pappus dirty yellow, 5–6 mm long. – Agamosperm. – Fig. 72B, 73. Diagnostic notes :— Taraxacum pseudorecognitum is most closely allied to T. recognitum but is distinct in having much paler achenes with a dense, short spinulosity and usually conical cone, petiole light purplish, and leaves with the terminal segment flatter, often pentagonal, with basal lobules usually patent, and lateral segments usually patent, never hamate-recurved. Distribution and habitat :—Probably endemic to Bulgaria , documented with certainty from the Rhodopes and the Vitosha, a very similar material found also in the Pirin. It grows in wet meadows, often along paths, in the upper mountain and subalpine belts, at the elevations between 1800 and 2000 m . Its IUCN conservation status is estimated as NT. Specimens examined :— BULGARIA . Rodopi , Čepelare , the Černatica Mts. , Chvojna village , around Mt. Goljam Persenk ( 2091 m ), in the pass between Mt. Goljam Persenk and Persenk , ca. 2 km W . of Skalni Mostove , ca. 1900–2000 m , 24 Jul 1998 , R. Bělohlávková , J. Štěpánek , V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova , cultivated as TaB 16 ( PRA , no. det. 36753). – Čepelare , the Černatica Mts. , Chvojna village , around Mt. Goljam Persenk ( 2091 m ), in the pass between Mt. Goljam Persenk and Persenk , ca. 2 km W . of Skalni Mostove , ca. 1900–1950 m , ca. 41° 49’ N , ca. 24° 33’ E , 24 Jul 1998 , J. Štěpánek , R. Bělohlávková , V. D. Vladimirov & D. Petkova , cultivated as JŠ 6960 ( PRA , no. det. 36019) . – Vitosha , wet meadows and along paths near the Aleko Chalet , ca. 1800 m , 3 Jun 1988 , J. Kirschner & B. Kuzmanov , cultivated as JK 371 ( PRA , no. det. 36020) ; Ibidem , JŠ 2956 ( PRA , no. det. 36018) ; Ibidem , JK 370 ( PRA , no. det. 36016) ; Ibidem , JK 369 ( PRA , no. det. 35999). – Vitosha , meadows along paths SW. of the Aleko Chalet , ca. 1800 m , 3 Jun 1988 , J. Kirschner & B. Kuzmanov , cultivated as JŠ 2955 ( PRA , no. det. 35998) ; Ibidem , JŠ 2954 ( PRA , no. det. 35997). – Less certain identifications : Pirin , Bansko , Banderica valley , open pine woods above the Banderica Chalet , ca. 1900 m , 15 Aug 1990 , J. Štěpánek , cultivated as JŠ 4524 ( PRA , no. det. 35993). – Pirin , near the Goce Delcev Chalet , ca. 1900 m , 18 Aug 1989 , B. Kuzmanov , cultivated as JK T245 ( PRA , no. det. 35995) .