藏南蒲公英 zang nan pu gong ying

Type: China. Xizang: "Tibet meridionalis, ca. 55 km situ occid a Gongbo-Gyamda [工布江达]," ca. 4000 m, 29 Jul 1992, L. Businská & R. Businský 12, cultivated as JŠ 5099 (holotype, PRA; isotype, PRA).

Plantae laminis foliorum glaberrimis, phyllariis involucralibus externis lineari-lanceolatis usque anguste lanceolatis, atro-viridibus ecorniculatis dense ciliatis immarginatis, ligulis externis intus albis, centralibus pallide flavescentibus, stigmatibus griseo-viridibus, et praecipue acheniis badio-rubris vel ochraceo-badio-rubris, omnino grosse spinulosis, spinulis suberectis vel saepissime sursum arcuatis falciformibus insignes.

Herbs 10-20 cm tall. Petiole greenish or pale pinkish, narrow, very sparsely arachnoid at base; leaf blade light green to mid-green, linear to ± oblong-linear, (4-)7-12 × 0.9-2 cm, ± glabrous on both surfaces, undivided to pinnatifid or pinnatisect; lateral lobes or teeth (3 or)4-6 pairs, ± triangular to ± linear, 2-7 × ca. 1.5 mm, ± recurved to patent, proximal margin ± straight and entire, distal margin entire and ± concave; interlobes broad, margin entire or with a single tooth; terminal lobe elongated, base sagittate, apex subacute. Scapes overtopping leaves, arachnoid. Capitulum 2.5-3 cm wide. Involucre 7-9 mm wide, base narrowly rounded. Outer phyllaries usually 11-15, dark blackish olivaceous, ± not imbricate, narrowly lanceolate to ± linear-lanceolate, outermost ones (4-)5-7(-8) × 1.5-2 mm and 2/5-1/2 as long as inner ones, appressed to ± loosely appressed, paler border not developed or greenish, inconspicuous, and to 0.1 mm wide, margin ± densely whitish to yellowish ciliate, apex flat; inner phyllaries 1.2-1.4 cm, apex flat. Ligules white; outer ligules ± flat, outside striped light grayish purple; inner ligules ± pale yellowish, with grayish purple apical teeth. Stigmas gray-green. Anthers polliniferous; pollen grains irregular in size. Achene reddish brown to ochraceous reddish brown when fully ripe, 3.9-4.2 × ca. 1.1 mm; body densely spinulose throughout, less densely at base, subabruptly narrowing into a subcylindric 0.8-1 mm cone, spinules coarse, erect to sickle-shaped pointing upward, and usually laterally compressed; beak ca. 6 mm. Pappus pale yellowish white, ca. 6 mm. Fl. summer. Agamosperm.

● Alpine meadows; ca. 4000 m. S Xizang.

Taraxacum austrotibetanum is distinct in having white florets, ± densely ciliate narrow outer phyllaries, and reddish brown achenes with a conspicuous spinulosity. Taraxacum roseoflavescens differs from it in glabrous outer phyllaries and leaf shape. Taraxacum przevalskii and T. tibetanum differ from T. austrotibetanum in their yellow floret color. Taraxacum przevalskii also differs in its ovate-lanceolate, 4-6 mm wide outer phyllaries and T. tibetanum in its glabrous outer phyllaries.