Artemisia rhodantha Ruprecht (1869: 52)

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 : 37-39

21. Artemisia rhodantha Ruprecht (1869: 52) ≡ Seriphidium rhodanthum (Ruprecht) Poljakov (1961b: 175) . Type:—

KYRGYZSTAN. Naryn Province : near Chatir Kol, 26 July 1867, Osten-Sacken s.n. [lectotype designated by Filatova

(1982): LE 00052863!].

= Artemisia skorniakowii Winkler (1890: 331) ≡ Artemisia lehmanniana var. skorniakovii (C. Winkl.) Poljakov (1961a: 623) ≡ Seriphidium skorniakovii (C. Winkl.) K. Bremer & Humphries ex Ling (1991a: 28) . Type:— TAJIKISTAN. Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, near Karakul Lake, 5 August 1878, S. Aschurbajew & Kuschakewicz s.n. [lectotype designated here: LE00053058!; isolectotype: LE00053060!].

= Artemisia skorniakowii var. ramosa Winkler (1890: 331) , syn. nov. Type:— TAJIKISTAN. Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, near Karakul Lake , 5 August 1878, Kuschakewicz s.n. (lectotype designated here: LE00053059 !).

= Artemisia skorniakowii var. pleiocephala Winkler (1890: 332) , syn. nov. Type:— TAJIKISTAN. Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, near Karakul Lake , 5 August 1878, Kuschakewicz s.n. (lectotype designated here: LE00053063 !; isolectotype: LE00053061 !).

Perennial herbs, 4–15 cm tall. Stems numerous, often tufted, erect or slightly curved upward at the base, branching from the upper part, branches 2–8 cm long, obliquely upward. Lower stem leaves suborbicular or broadly ovate, 2–3-pinnatisect, 1–2.5 cm long, 0.5–1.5 cm wide, petiole 0.5–2 cm long, with 3–5 segments per side, segments further pinnatisect, lobules narrowly linear, 2–3 mm long, 0.5–1 mm wide, with obtuse tips. Middle stem leaves ovate or oblong, 2-pinnatisect, 1–2 cm long, 0.5–1 cm wide, subsessile, with linear pseudostipules. Upper stem leaves pinnatisect, with linear lobules. 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, 3–4 mm long, 1.5–2.5 mm in diameter. Synflorescence a narrow, spike-like panicle. Phyllaries in 4–5 series, outer phyllaries small, elliptic-lanceolate, middle and inner phyllaries long elliptic or lanceolate, outer and middle phyllaries tomentose, margins membranous, inner phyllaries semi-membranous, nearly glabrous. Bisexual florets 5–7, corolla red. Anthers linear, apex appendages lanceolate or linear. Styles short, slightly forked at anthesis, tips truncate, ciliate. Achenes with inconspicuous fine longitudinal lines, ovoid or obovoid. Figure 29 .

Distribution and habitat:—This species is distributed in Gansu and Xinjiang, China ( Figure 30 ). It grows in rocky slopes, steppes, and terraces at elevations of 1500–3700 m.

Phenology:—Flowering and fruiting from August to October.

Taxonomic notes:— Poljakov (1961a) treated A. skorniakowii as a variety of A. lehmanniana Bunge (1851: 340) and noted its similarity to A. rhodantha . However, A. skorniakowii was later reduced to synonymy of A. rhodantha by Ikonnikov (1963). Nevertheless, Filatova (1993) recognized A. skorniakowii as a separate species and considered A. skorniakowii var. ramosa Winkler (1890: 331) and A. skorniakowii var. pleiocephala Winkler (1890: 332) as synonyms of A. skorniakowii .

When examining their type specimens, it was found that A. skorniakowii can be easily distinguished from A. lehmanniana by its stems 4–20 cm tall (vs. 30–65 cm tall), lower leaves 2-pinnatisect (vs. 3-pinnatisect), middle stem leaves 2-pinnatisect, with linearly pseudopetioles (vs. 2–3-pinnatisect, with pinnatifid pseudopetioles), and upper leaves pinnatisect (vs. 2-pinnatisect).

Additionally, A. skorniakowii , A. skorniakowii var. ramosa , A. skorniakowii var. pleiocephala and A. rhodantha share the same primary distinguishing characteristics in their stem height, leaf type, branch length, position and dispersion range, and capitulum shape. The first three taxa were all collected from the same type location. Therefore, this study supports treating them as the same species.

Specimens examined:— China. Gansu: Aksai, Changcaogou , 1700 m, 8August 1991, R.F. Huang 3406 ( HNWP) ; ibid., 1800 m, 8 August 1991, T.N. He 3114 ( HNWP) ; Xinjiang: Hejing, Ulastai , 2500 m, 2 August 1958, Xinjiang Exped. 6347 ( IBSC, PE) ; Akto, Qiaerlong , 2800 m, 10 September 1989, S.G. Wu et al. 5112 ( HNWP) ; Akto, Subas , s.a., 2 September 2013, Y.S. Chen 13-2265 ( PE) ; ibid., 3500 m, 12 August 1995, Anonymous ATZ 9528 ( XJA) ; ibid., 3500 m, 12 June 1995, Anonymous ATZ 9530 ( XJA) ; Taxkorgan, Red Flag Lapp Port , 4000 m, 11 July 1987, B.S. Li et al. 10624 ( PE) ; ibid., 4000 m, 17 July 1978, Xinjiang Exped. 6347 ( XJBI) ; Akto, Clark Wacker , 3400 m, 5 July 1987, B.S. Li et al. 10375 ( PE) ; Taxkorgan, Agero , 4200 m, 14 September 1981, B.S. Li et al. 11548 ( PE) ; Hejing, ravine of Bayinbuluke grassland, 2560 m, 6 August 1958, A.R. Li & J.N. Zhu 6405 ( PE, XJBI) ; Taxkorgan, alluvial fan 70 km south of Taxkorgan , 3560 m, 18 August 1983, Krim T 220 ( XJBI) ; ibid., s.a., 18 August 1983, Krim T 237 ( XJBI) ; ibid., 3730 m, 19 August 1983, Krim T 238 ( XJBI) ; Taxkorgan, hillside 65 km north of Taxkorgan , 3920 m, 19 August 1983, Krim T 267 ( XJBI) ; Akto, Bulunkou , 2850 m, 20 August 1983, Krim T 294 ( XJBI) ; ibid., 3400 m, 28 June 1978, Xinjiang Exped. 703 ( XJBI) ; Taxkorgan, 87 km south of Taxkorgan , 3220 m, August 1983, Krim T 59 ( XJBI) ; Taxkorgan, 106 km south of Taxkorgan , 3810 m, 15 August 1983, Krim T 68 ( XJBI) ; Ucha, Geegon Town , 3300 m, 30 July 1978, Xinjiang Exped. 2182 ( XJBI) ; Akqi, Taraca Braque , 2600 m, 4 September 1992, B. Wang 92-1911 ( XJA) ; Yecheng, Akazidaban , 3150 m, 5 August 2019, L. Zhou Yc 20190808 ( SHI) ; Taxkorgan, Malang Daban , 3748 m, 8 July 2020, Y.L. Zhang & L. Zhou TX202007115 ( SHI) ; Taxkorgan, Dabdar , 4035 m, 7 July 2020, Y. L. Zhang & S.Y. Tian TX202007081 ( SHI) .

Figures

FIGURE 29. Artemisia rhodantha (photographed by Guang-Zhao Jin). A. habit; B. root; C. capitula; D. stem leaves (from left to right: lower, middle and upper leaf).

FIGURE 30. Distribution map of Artemisia rhodantha in China.