Taraxacum natschikense Komarov (1930: 199)

Kirschner, Jan, Štěpánek, Jan & Buryy, Vladimir V., 2025, Towards a revision of Taraxacum sect. Borealia (Compositae, Crepidinae) in Siberia and the continental Far East, with special reference to the dandelions of the Altai and Kamchatka, Phytotaxa 679 (1), pp. 1-147 : 134

58. Taraxacum natschikense Komarov (1930: 199) Type:—[ RUSSIA, Kamchatka] Kamchatka, bassein r. Avachi, vershina r. Poperechnoi , zona al’piyskaya [Avacha River basin, upper

Poperechnaya River , alpine zone], 30 Jul 1908 [12 Aug 1908, Gregorian Calendar], V. Komarov 681/1881 ( LE, no. det. 6041,

holotype). Etymology:— Named after Nachiki River (and Nachikinskaya Gora or Nachikinskiy Khrebet) in central Kamchatka .

Plants robust, to 18 cm tall. Petiole winged to broadly winged, ± glabrous, often slightly purplish, tunic ± absent. Leaves ± greyish mid-green, subglabrous, oblanceolate, ca. 7–14 × 1.3–3.0 cm, undivided, apex obtuse, margins subentire to irregularly denticulate (there is an incomplete early leaf, pinnatipartite, with lateral segments patent, triangular, distal margin sigmoid with a broad base to 9 mm wide and acuminate apex, interlobes distinct); mid-vein usually purplish proximally. Scapes brownish green, subglabrous, sparsely arachnoid just below capitulum, overtopping leaves. Capitulum yellow, probably ca. 2.5–3 cm wide. Involucre black-green, ca. 7–8 mm wide and ± narrowly rounded at base. Outer phyllaries probably ca. 11–13, appressed, subimbricate, ovate to narrowly ovate, 5.5–7.0 × 2.8–3.9 mm, surface evenly black-green, border indistinct, membranous, ca. 0.2 mm wide, or ± invisible, apex ± flat or callose; inner phyllaries ca. 10–11 mm long, black-green, ± corniculate. Outer ligules canaliculate (?), faintly striped purplish outside. Stigmas discoloured. Pollen present, pollen grains irregular in size. Achenes unknown. – Agamospermous. – Fig. 94 .

Diagnostic notes:—The original material of T. natschikense is very incomplete and difficult to evaluate. A single fragment of an early leaf is deeply divided, while the other leaves are totally undivided. In spite of the problematic character of the type specimen, the material can be characterized by the following character combination: Outer phyllaries very dark, black-green, broad, ovate, almost unbordered or with an indistinct border, almost not corniculate, petiole ± broadly winged, stigmas discoloured, pollen present. It is a doubtful name, however, with a limited possibility of the future interpretation without epitypification.

The description of achenes given in the protologue may be disregarded as there are no reasonably developed achenes, and the description refers to extremely early fruits.

Distribution:—Known from southern Kamchatka.

Figures

FIGURE 94. Taraxacum natschikense. The upper part of the holotype specimen (LE, no. det. 6041).