Taraxacum koraginicola Komarov (1930: 201)

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 : 138-141

62. Taraxacum koraginicola Komarov (1930: 201) Type:—[ RUSSIA, Kamchatka] Ov. Koraginskiy ( Beringovo more), srednee techenie r. Anotovan, rechnye berega [Karaginskiy Island

(Bering Sea), middle stream of Annotovan River, river banks], 17 Jul 1928, L. D. Kanakin 293 ( LE, no. det. 6087, holotype). Etymology:— Named according to the Karaginskiy Island near the eastern coast of Kamchatka in the Bering Sea. Note:— The name T. koraginicola is entirely based on a single, non-flowering specimen. The following description is therefore rather fragmentary .

A plant of robust appearance, up to 20 cm tall. Petiole ± broadly winged, subglabrous, tunic ± absent. Leaves subglabrous, oblanceolate, ca. 4–11 × 1.5–2.5 cm, undivided, usually remotely sinuate-dentate or with several short, patent, broadly triangular lobules, apex subacute. Scapes sparsely arachnoid, overtopping leaves at later, fruiting stage. Flowers absent. Outer phyllaries ± appressed, ± lanceolate, ca. 6–7 × 2.5–3.0 mm, surface ± evenly blackish green, border invisible or very narrow, whitish-membranous, apex with short obtuse black horns; inner phyllaries ca. 14–15 mm long, blackish green, flat to corniculate. Achenes light greyish stramineous-brown, 5.7–6.0 × 1.1–1.3 mm, body subsparsely, shortly spinulose in upper 1/4–1/3, gradually narrowing into a long, subcylindrical to narrowly subconical to subcylindrical cone 1.6–1.8 mm long, 0.4–0.5 mm thick at base, ca. 0.3 mm distally; beak thin, 9.5–10.5 mm long, pappus ± white, ca. 6.5 mm long. – Fig. 99 .

Diagnostic notes:—There are several character complexes (leaf colour, flowers, well developed outer phyllaries) missing from the type (and the only) specimen. However, achenes are present, well developed; they are long, up to 6 mm, with an unusually long cone (1.6–1.8 mm). The latter character is diagnostic.

Distribution:—Known from one or possibly two localities in the region of Kamchatka (Karaginskiy Island and Bystrinskiy District).

Specimens examined:— Less certain identification:— RUSSIA. Kamchatka, Bystrinskiy District, NW. part of the Bystrinskiy Nature Park , 56°27.714’N, 157°56.513’E, 1110 m, 24 Jul 2014, V. V. Buryy (herb. V. V. Buryy, no. det. 36936) .

Note:—It is the narrow subconical to subcylindrical cone that makes an otherwise useless original material of T. koraginicola remarkable. In the rich material from Kamchatka, we came across only a single specimens with very similar achenes, not contradicting the other characters that could have been observed on the type specimen. However, the taxon hidden under the name T. koraginicola requires further study based on newly collected material.

Unclear names

Figures

FIGURE 99. Taraxacum koraginicola. General habit and achenes (partly damaged). Note the extremely long, subcylindrical cone (LE, no. det. 6087, holotype).