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 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. FIGURE 6. Taraxacum splendens (PRA, no. det. 35772, holotype). Photo M. Hladík. FIGURE 7. Taraxacum splendens . General habit and a detail of young capitulum (PRA, no. det. 26176). Scale bar = 2 cm (general habit). FIGURE 8. Taraxacum pseudosplendens (PRA, no. det. 35777, holotype). Photo M. Hladík. 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).