Artemisia saissanica (Krasch.) Filatova (1966: 127)

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 : 52-53

3. Artemisia saissanica (Krasch.) Filatova (1966: 127) ≡ Artemisia mongolorum subsp. saissanica Krascheninnikov (1949b: 2783) ≡ Seriphidium saissanicum (Krasch.) K. Bremer & Humphries ex Ling (1991a: 6) . Type:— KAZAKHSTAN. Kurshim District: near the Markakol Lake, 20 August 1912, V. Reznichenko 456 [first-step lectotype designated by Filatova (1982); second-step lectotype designated here: LE01280794!; isolectotype: LE01280795!].

Subshrubs, 50–70 cm tall. Stems few, erect or slightly curved at the base, branching from the middle part, branches 10–20 cm long, ascending or slightly spreading, with secondary branches 3–5 cm long. Lower stem leaves oblong-ovate or oblong, 2-pinnatisect, 3–7 cm long, ca. 2.5 cm wide, petiole 3–5 cm long, segments further pinnatisect, lobules spatulate, 4–7 mm long, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, apex obtuse. Middle stem leaves 1–2-pinnatisect, 2–4 cm long, 1–2 cm wide, with linear pseudostipules. Upper stem leaves undivided, lobules lanceolate. The grayish-green tomentum on the stems, branches, and leaves almost completely sheds at maturity, and the leaves have a slightly thick and rigid texture. Capitula ovoid, 2–4 mm long, 1–2 mm in diameter. Synflorescence a spreading panicle. Bisexual florets 4–6, with yellow corollas.

Notes:—In the protologue of Artemisia mongolorum subsp. saissanica, Krascheninnikov (1949b) did not cite any gathering. Filatova (1982) later designated the gathering V. Reznichenko 456 at LE as the lectotype. We have traced two sheets of this gathering at LE, both of which perfectly match the original description. According to Arts. 9.12, 9.17 and 9.19 of the ICN ( Turland et al. 2018), Filatova’s (1982) lectotypification should be further narrowed. Therefore, sheet LE01280794 has been designated as the lectotype, and the other sheet as the isolectotype.

Filatova (2007) first recorded the distribution of A. saissanica in Xinjiang, China, and cited six gatherings at LE: A.A. Yunatov et al. s.n., Shumakov s.n., A.A. Yunatov et al. 1216, A.A. Yunatov et al. 1263-1264, A.A. Yunatov et al. 1547, and A.A. Yunatov et al. 1856. We have traced ten sheets from the latter four gatherings and identified them as A. nitrosa , not A. saissanica . However, since the voucher specimens for A.A. Yunatov et al. s.n. and Shumakov s.n. are not found, it remains unclear whether A. saissanica is distributed in China.

When examining A. saissanica specimens collected from Xinjiang, China, and identified by Filatova at LE, some specimens not cited by Filatova (2007) were also identified as A. sawanensis . Although A. saissanica is somewhat similar to A. nitrosa and A. sawanensis in habit and stem height, it can be easily distinguished by its secondary branches, which are 3–5 cm long (vs. 1–2 cm long or absent), soft (vs. slightly rigid) leaves, and nearly glabrous (vs. pubescent) stems and branches at maturity.

Excluded species

The following species were reported to be distributed in China but were confirmed in this study to have no distribution there.