假紫果蒲公英 jia zi guo pu gong ying

Type: China. Xinjiang: "Tian Shan [天山], 43°02′16″N, 86°47′16″E, alpine meadows with Stipa purpurea" [Hejing Xian 和静县], 3255 m, 4 Oct 2003, P. Sekerka 03/9, cultivated as JK 4950 (holotype, PRA; isotype, PRA).

A Taraxaco sumneviczii Schischkin, specie valde simili, phyllariis involucralibus minoribus, numerosis, late ovatis usque ovato-lanceolatis, calathiis vix opertis, floribus tubulosis, stigmatibus obscurioribus et pyramide espinulosa bene distinguendum.

Herbs 6-10 cm tall, delicate, base arachnoid and with a tunic. Petiole purplish, 1-2 cm, ± unwinged; leaf blade pale green with a pale greenish midvein, ± narrowly oblanceolate in outline, 4-7 × 0.8-1.2 cm, sparsely to densely arachnoid, deeply pinnatisect; lateral lobes 6-8, ± linear, 4-5 × 1-1.5 mm, ± patent or sometimes slightly curved upward, proximal margin straight to concave and entire, distal margin straight to ± sigmoid and entire or with a single tooth near base; interlobes ± short and narrow, margin entire or very sparsely dentate; terminal lobe ± narrowly triangular, 3-partite, basal segments narrow, 3-4 × ca. 1 mm, and patent, terminal segment narrowly spatulate, 8-10 × 1-2 mm, and apex acute. Scapes green but base pinkish green, ± equaling leaves, ± densely arachnoid. Capitulum 1-1.5 cm wide, remaining unopened. Involucre 6-7 mm wide, base rounded. Outer phyllaries 11-15, dark green, broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, outermost ones 3.5-5 × 2-2.5 mm and ca. 1/3 as long as inner ones, loosely appressed, dark middle part with a gradual transition into a paler to whitish 0.2-0.5 mm wide border, margin sometimes sparsely denticulate and glabrous or sparsely ciliate near apex, apex ± flat or dark callose; inner phyllaries 1.2-1.3 cm, apex ± flat. Ligules ± yellow, short; outer ligules ± tubular, outside striped grayish red; inner ligules usually with yellow apical teeth. Stigmas pale grayish green. Anthers without pollen. Achene reddish brown, 4.4-5.1 × 1-1.2 mm; body densely shortly spinulose in upper ca. 1/3, very gradually narrowing into a thick subconic 0.6-1 mm cone, spinules thin and ± erect; beak ca. 4 mm, ± thick. Pappus white, 5-5.5 mm. Fl. spring. Agamosperm.

● Mountain steppe dry grasslands; 3000-3300 m. Xinjiang (Tian Shan).