Artemisia compacta Fischer ex Candolle (1837: 102)

Jin, Guang-Zhao, Sheludyakova, Mariya, Abduraimov, Ozodbek, Feng, Ying & Ge, Xue-Jun, 2025, A Taxonomic Revision of Artemisia Subgenus Seriphidium (Asteraceae-Anthemideae) in China, Phytotaxa 686 (1), pp. 1-103 : 12-13

5. Artemisia compacta Fischer ex Candolle (1837: 102) ≡ Seriphidium compactum (Fischer ex DC.) Poljakov (1961b: 175) . Type:— RUSSIA. Altai: Chuya River region, 1832, Fischer s.n. [lectotype designated by Filatova (1984): LE 01081378!].

Perennial herbs, 15–40 cm tall. Stems few or numerous, erect or slightly curved upward from the base, branching from the middle to upper part, branches 3–10 cm long, obliquely upward. Lower stem leaves ovate, 2–3-pinnatisect, 1.5–4 cm long, 1–3 cm wide, petiole 2–3 cm, with 3–6 segments per side, segments further pinnatisect, lobules narrowly linear, 2–4 mm long, 0.5–1 mm wide, apex obtusely pointed. Middle stem leaves 2-pinnatisect, 1.5–2.5 cm long, 1–2 cm wide, nearly sessile, with pinnatifid pseudostipules. Upper stem leaves pinnatisect, 1.5–2.5 cm long, 0.5–1.5 cm wide. The grayish-white tomentum on the stems and branches partially sheds at maturity, while the tomentum on all leaves persists and the leaves have a slightly soft texture. Capitula ovoid or ovoid-oblong, 2–4 mm long, 2–3 mm in diameter, densely clustered. Synflorescence a narrow raceme-like panicle. Phyllaries in 4–5 series, outer phyllaries small, ovate, abaxially grayish-white pubescent, apex pointed, margins narrowly membranous, middle and inner phyllaries slightly longer, elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate, abaxially subglabrous, margin broadly membranous, apex obtuse. Bisexual florets 3–5, corolla red. Anthers linear, apical appendages linear-lanceolate or linear, with a shortly acuminate base. Style short, slightly bifurcated at the apex, ciliate.Achenes with inconspicuous fine longitudinal lines, 0.8–1.5 mm long, 0.3–0.8 mm in diameter, obovoid.

Distribution and habitat:— Artemisia compacta is distributed in Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang, China ( Figure 5 ). Some authors reported that this species is also distributed in Inner Mongolia and Ningxia ( Ling 1991b, Fu 1993, Ling et al. 2011), but no voucher specimens from both provinces were found in this study. It grows in rocky slopes and semideserts at elevations of 1800–3200 m.

Phenology:—Flowering and fruiting from August to October.

Taxonomic notes:—In the protologue of Artemisia compacta, Candolle (1837) cited specimens collected by F.E.L. Fischer from Siberia. Filatova (1984) later designated the gathering “ Altai, ad Tschujam, 1832, Fischer s.n. ” at LE as the type. We have traced one sheet of this gathering at LE, which matches the same collection details as cited by Filatova (1984) and fully corresponds to the original description by Candolle (1837). According to Art. 9.10 of the ICN ( Turland et al. 2018), Filatova’s (1984) typification should be regarded as the lectotype, and we have corrected this.

Specimens examined:— China. Xinjiang: Urumqi, Baiyanggou , grassland beside a stream, 1800 m, 1 September 1987, F. Konda et al. 368 ( PE) ; Gansu: without precise location, s.a., s.d., Tso-Pin Wang 6226 ( NAS) ; Sunan, Dahe Town , near grassland, 2700 m, 28 August 1967, Hexi Exped. 313 ( PE) ; ibid., 2540 m, 3 August 1967, Hexi Exped. 135 ( PE) ; Qinghai: Guide , weedy plain, 3200 m, 6 October 1936, T.P. Wang 6276 ( PE) .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Distribution map of Artemisia compacta in China.