Artemisia subchrysolepis Filatova (1981: 224)

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 : 57

8. Artemisia subchrysolepis Filatova (1981: 224) ≡ Seriphidium subchrysolepis (Filatova) K. Bremer & Humphries ex Ling (1991a: 24) . Type:— KAZAKHSTAN. Almaty Oblast: Junggar gate region, 11 September 1930, E. Cherniakowska 717 (lectotype designated here: LE00052880!; isolectotypes: LE00052879!, LE00052878!).

Perennial herbs or subshrubs, 15–30 cm tall. Stems few or numerous, erect or slightly curved at the base, branching from the upper part, branches 1–3 cm long, closely appressed to the stem. Lower stem leaves ovate, 2-pinnatisect, 2–4 cm long, 1–2.5 cm wide, petiole 1–2 cm long, with 3–4 segments per side, segments further pinnatisect, lobules linear-lanceolate, 2–5 mm long, 0.5–1 mm wide, apex obtuse. Middle stem leaves 1–2-pinnatisect, 1–2 cm long, 0.5–1.5 cm wide, with pinnatifid pseudostipules. Upper stem leaves pinnatisect or undivided, with linear-lanceolate lobules. The grayish-white tomentum on the stems partially sheds at maturity, while the tomentum on the branches and leaves persists, and the leaves have a soft texture. Capitula ovoid, 2–4 mm long, 1–2 mm in diameter. Synflorescence a narrow panicle. Bisexual florets 4–5, with red corollas.

Notes:—In the protologue of Artemisia subchrysolepis, Filatova (1981) designated the gathering E. Cherniakowska 717 at LE as the type. We have traced three sheets of this gathering at LE. All of them have the information given in the protologue and match perfectly the original description. According to Arts. 9.12 and 9.17 of the ICN ( Turland et al. 2018), sheet LE00052880 has been designated as the lectotype, and the other two sheets as isolectotypes.

Filatova (1981) first recorded that the distribution of A. subchrysolepis in Xinjiang, China, without citing any specimens. Filatova (2007) later cited twenty-four gatherings from Xinjiang at LE. We have traced sixty-nine sheets from these gatherings, and identified them as A. borotalensis , A. gracilescens , A. qingheensis and A. terrae-albae , not A. subchrysolepis . Therefore, we have excluded this species from the flora of China in this study.

This species is easily distinguished from other species in A. subg. Seriphidium by its stems 5–15 cm tall, upper branches 1–3 cm long and tightly appressed to the stem, and capitula densely arranged along the branches.