黑果蒲公英 hei guo pu gong ying

Type: China. Yunnan: "South end of Zhongdian [中甸] Plateau, ca. 45 km S of Zhongdian," 3200 m, Jun 1995, A. J. Richards s.n., cultivated as JK 4039 (holotype, PRA; isotypes, PRA).

Paratype: China. Yunnan: ibidem, A. J. Richards s.n., cultivated as JK 4040 (PRA).

Plantae agamospermae phyllariis involucralibus imbricatis numerosis, anguste ovatis usque anguste lanceolatis, arcte adpressis, pallide marginatis ciliatis ecorniculatis, ligulis luteis, stigmatibus luteis, antheris polline carentibus, acheniis nigricantibus crassis, corpore superne dense squamuloso, in pyramidem crassam 1.2-1.4 mm longam subabrupte transiente.

Herbs 10-18 cm tall. Petiole greenish or pink, narrow, sparsely arachnoid; leaf blade mid-green, narrowly oblong-oblanceolate, 5-11 × 1-2 cm, sparsely arachnoid, pinnatisect; lateral lobes 3-5 pairs, narrowly triangular, ± patent to subrecurved, proximal margin concave and entire, distal margin sigmoid or straight and often with 1-3 teeth, apex subacute; interlobes narrow, margin entire or denticulate; terminal lobe narrowly triangular, elongated. Scapes ± overtopping leaves, sparsely arachnoid. Capitulum 3-3.5 cm wide. Involucre 1-1.1 cm wide, base rounded. Outer phyllaries 15-19, blackish green, imbricate, narrowly ovate to narrowly lanceolate, often from an ovate basal part abruptly narrowing into a narrow apical part, outermost ones 4.5-7.5(-8.5) × 2.2-3 mm and ca. 2/5 as long as inner ones, appressed, dark middle part with a ± gradual transition into greenish white 0.3-0.7 mm wide border, margin ciliate, ± flat below apex; inner phyllaries 1.3-1.5 cm, apex flat. Ligules yellow; outer ligules ± flat, outside striped gray purplish; inner ligules with purplish apical teeth. Stigmas yellow. Anthers without pollen. Achene dark gray to blackish but straw-colored when unripe, 4.1-4.4 × 1.2-1.3 mm; body apically with ± dense squamules, subabruptly narrowing into a ± cylindric 1.2-1.4 × ca. 0.4 mm cone; beak 6-7 mm. Pappus yellowish white, 5-6 mm. Fl. summer. Agamosperm.

● Alpine meadows; ca. 3200 m. NW Yunnan.

Taraxacum atrocarpum is characterized by yellow stigmas, male sterility, and thick blackish achenes. The other known species without pollen in the section are T. suberiopodum and T. delicatum. The former has large (5-5.5 mm) achenes, beak ca. 1 cm, and black stigmas. The latter has more numerous outer phyllaries and black stigmas. Taraxacum centrasiaticum, in which the presence of pollen remains unknown, has only 10 or 11 outer phyllaries with glabrous margin, stigmas blackish green, and achenes with a short (0.7-0.8 mm) cone.