A survey, Li, 1984

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 : 12-13

A survey of characters that can be observed on the lectotype and isotype plants

The above type specimens have quite well developed flower heads, and the features of outer phyllaries, inner phyllaries, florets and floret parts are easily recognizable. Leaves are present, mostly as an undivided morphotype, but some basic attributes are available.Achenes are absent, and it is questionable whether or not the achene picture in Ledebour (1833, plate 34) reflects the current herbarium type material; we leave this name without achene description, for the time being. The following basic characters were observed:

• • •

Plants up to ca. 15 cm tall in flower.

Petiole winged in early leaves, almost unwinged in later ones.

Leaves narrowly oblanceolate in outline, outer leaves ± pinnatilobed, with ± patent, broadly deltoid-triangular • • •

• • • • • segments, inner leaves undivided, often dentate.

Scapes arachnoid below capitulum, ± overtopping leaves.

Involucre blackish green, ca. 8 mm wide and rounded at base.

Outer phyllaries ca. 11–15, appressed to loosely appressed, subimbricate, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, relatively short, ca. 4.5–6 (–7) × 3–3.5 mm, surface black-green, with a relatively distinct, ± sharply delimited whitish or whitish-membranous border (0.2–) 0.4–0.8 mm wide, apex with obtuse horns to ca. 1 mm long (phyllaries vary in the surface colour intensity and the width and colour of their border). – Fig. 2 .

Inner phyllaries ca. 10–13 mm long, often coalescing, black corniculate or shortly horned.

Capitulum yellow, ca. 3–3.5 cm wide.

Outer ligules ± flat, striped pinkish grey outside.

Stigmas dark discoloured.

Pollen present, pollen grains irregular in size (agamospermy probable).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Taraxacum ceratophorum sensu stricto. A, detail of flower heads with involucre (A, LE, the specimen 2 in the above survey). B, C, a comparison with a similar morphotype of T. ceratophorum s. str. from Alaska (Kukak Bay, 1–5 Jul 1899, F. V. Coville & T. H. Kearney 1890, US 1185949, det. by G. E. Haglund).