辽东蒲公英 liao dong pu gong ying

Taraxacum liaotungense f. lobulatum Kitagawa.

Herbs 10-15 cm tall. Petiole ± green, arachnoid at base, winged in most leaves but unwinged in inner ones; leaf blade slightly grayish mid-green with a light green midvein, linear-oblanceolate, 7-10 × 1-1.5 cm, sparsely arachnoid, pinnatifid to pinnatisect; lateral lobes (4 or)5 or 6(or 7) pairs, ± triangular to oblong-triangular, 4-8 mm, sometimes from broad base abruptly narrowed into a lingulate distal part, recurved or subpatent, proximal margin entire, distal margin straight to ± concave and entire or with a single tooth; interlobes sometimes faintly spotted light brownish pink, 3-8 × 2-3 mm, margin entire or with a few unequal teeth or lobules; terminal lobe narrowly triangular to narrowly helmet-shaped or 3-partite, distinctly developed, 1-2.3 × 0.8-1.5 cm, distal margin often dentate or incised, apex subacute to acute. Scapes ?brownish green, subequaling leaves, arachnoid. Capitulum ca. 2.5 cm wide. Involucre 7-8 mm wide, base ± rounded. Outer phyllaries 15-19, mid-green to light green with darker middle part and a gradual transition into a whitish border, ± not imbricate, linear-lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, outermost ones 6-7 × 1.7-2 mm and ca. 1/2 as long as inner ones, ± appressed, margin sparsely ciliate or glabrous, apex with a blackish purple thick horn to 1.3 mm; inner phyllaries 1-1.1 cm, apex corniculate. Ligules yellow; outer ligules flat, outside striped dark gray. Stigmas dark. Anthers polliniferous; pollen grains irregular in size. Achene pure deep brown, 4.2-5.2 × 1.3-1.4 mm; body tuberculate throughout, apically densely tuberculate-squamulose, ± gradually narrowing into a subconic 0.9-1.2 mm cone; beak 5-8 mm. Pappus yellowish to brownish white, 6-7 mm. Fl. spring. Agamosperm.

● Dry grasslands; below 100-400 m. Liaoning.