A revision of Taraxacum sect. Atrata, a dandelion group centred in the Middle Asia, and the problem of Taraxacum brevirostre Author Kirschner, Jan Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences, Zámek 1, CZ- 25243 Průhonice, Czech Republic. Author Štěpánek, Jan Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences, Zámek 1, CZ- 25243 Průhonice, Czech Republic. text Phytotaxa 2017 2017-05-02 305 4 225 261 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.305.4.1 journal article 10.11646/phytotaxa.305.4.1 1179-3163 Taraxacum subsect. Epyramidata Orazova (1969: 38) . Type : — Taraxacum minutilobum Popov ex Kovalevsk. Type: — TAJIKISTAN . Upper Zeravshan (Kukhistan), Fon River Basin [Fan Darya], Sarytag, upper Kashkutal, vicinity of Mura Lake, 3400–3800 m , 9 Aug 1940 , Zakirov & Sergeeva ( TAK , no. det. 15792, holotype ). ? = Taraxacum sect. Oligantha auct., an Soest (1963: 8) . Type : — Taraxacum oliganthum Hand. -Mazz. Type: —[ Turkey ] In monte Tauro, 1836, T. Kotschy 322 (W, no. det. 8799, lectotype , designated by Soest 1977: 236 ; isotypes : K, no. det. 8817, G, no. det. 18802, G-BOIS, no. det. 18850, BM!, BP!, PRC, no. det. 26930, W, no. det. 20727) . Description: —Flowers and leaves develop simultaneously. Plants usually small. Plant base densely hairy. Middle leaves usually aranose. Leaves deeply lobate but lobation uncomplicated and lobes sparsely toothed. Leaf lobes often patent. Midrib without striatulate pattern, leaf blade unspotted. Petioles narrow, unwinged. Scapes unbranched, growing from the centre of leaf rosette, aranose, particularly below the capitulum. Involucre with subconical to rounded base, narrow, usually up to 6 mm wide. Flowers yellow. Florets usually few (usually less than 30). Ligules flat. Pollen usually present. Outer phyllaries callose to corniculate or with horns at the apex, inner phyllaries usually corniculate. Outer phyllaries 6 to 10, imbricate or at least slightly imbricate, usually tightly appressed or appressed, lanceolate to ovate, short, usually less than 5–6 mm . Outer phyllaries with narrow or broad paler borders, sparsely to densely aranose outside, sometimes inside, and often long ciliate. Achenes usually pale greyish straw brown, with several (not always clearly visible) longitudinal ridges, almost smooth or very sparsely spinulose above, spinules few, remote, achenes 5–6.5 mm long, medium thick, very gradually and indistinctly narrowing to the cone, or cone not developed. Cone, when developed, thick, broadly conical or indistinct, 0.2–1.2 mm long. Rostrum thick, 0.2–4.0 mm long, persistent. Pappus 4.5–6 mm long, white to yellowish, deciduous. Receptacle glabrous or with a few aranose hairs. Plants apomictic, sexuality not yet safely proven.—Main flowering season: summer (in high mountains). Main habitat: alpine to subnival.