假垂穗蒲公英 jia chui sui pu gong ying

Type: China. Ningxia: "Haiyuan County [海原县], Jiangyang Qu," 7 Sep 1956, Yellow River Expedition 5240 (holotype, PE, no. det. 24853).

Paratypes: China. Gansu: "Near Mawu [马坞], Minhsien [岷县], on weedy summit," 2600 m, 27 Jun 1938, T. P. Wang, 4613 (PE, no. det. 24832). Ningxia: "Haiyuan County [海原县], Nanhua Mt. [南花山]," 10 Jul 1956, Yellow River Expedition 5307 (PE, no. det. 24854); "Jingyuan County [泾源县]," 18 Jul 1956, Yellow River Expedition 5419 (PE, no. det. 24852); "Lung-ti-kuo, in marg. viae" [probably Longde Xian 隆德县], ca. 2600 m, 5 Jul 1930, D. Hummel, S. Hedin Expedition 3933c (S, no. det. 23066 et no. det. 23030).

Plantae agamospermae, in comparatione Taraxaci nutantis Dahlstedt (e Taraxaco sect. Biennibus R. Doll) foliis argutius regulariusve divisis, calanthidio minore ca. 4.5 cm diametro, phyllariis involucralibus exterioribus numero restricto fere 15 ad 21, brevioribus latioribusque, 1.2-1.5 cm longis et 3-4.5 mm latis, granis pollinis diametro imparibus.

Herbs 20-40 cm tall, usually robust. Petiole ± purplish, 5-13 cm, winged; leaf blade probably light green, narrowly oblanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 10-30 × 2.5-3.5 cm, sparsely arachnoid with long hairs, undivided but margin regularly dentate or pinnatilobed; lateral lobes 3 or 4 pairs, lobulelike and broadly to narrowly triangular, to 1 cm, remote, patent, margin entire; interlobes long, broad, margin irregularly sparsely dentate; terminal lobe narrowly triangular, large, apex subacute, basal segments narrowly triangular and patent. Scapes brownish green, overtopping leaves, very densely arachnoid (almost tomentose), with thickened pale brownish hair base near capitulum. Capitulum ca. 4.5 cm wide. Involucre 1-1.2 cm wide, base flat-rounded. Outer phyllaries (13-)15-21, not imbricate, narrowly lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 12-15 × 3-4.5 mm, ± erect, middle part dark olivaceous green and probably slightly pruinose, with gradual transition into pale green 0.3-1 mm wide border, margin remotely denticulate and long ciliate, apex blackish green corniculate; inner phyllaries 1.7-1.8 cm. Ligules light brownish orange, becoming brownish violet when dry; outer ligules outside striped dark gray; floret tube puberulent. Stigmas blackish purple, originally probably light brownish gray. Anthers polliniferous (sometimes sparsely); pollen grains irregular in size. Achene (only not fully ripe ones available) light brown, 4.7-5 × 1.2-1.6 mm; body ± densely spinulose and squamulose above, spinules short, obtuse, and ± tuberculate to smooth below, ± subgradually narrowing into a conic 0.7-1 mm cone; beak probably long. Pappus dirty white. Fl. summer. Agamosperm.

● Mountain grasslands, pastures, along paths; 2300-2800 m. S Gansu, Ningxia.