3. Taraxacum sect. Stenoloba Kirschner & Štepánek, Folia Geobot. 39: 261. 2004.
深裂蒲公英组 shen lie pu gong ying zu
Leaves usually pinnatisect to deeply dissected. Outer phyllaries usually numerous, ovate-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, most often loosely appressed to recurved at apex or ± patent, narrowly pale bordered, outer and/or inner ones usually corniculate to horned. Florets yellow. Achene narrow, almost smooth below, ± densely spinulose in upper ca. 1/4; body usually gradually to subgradually narrowing into a ± thin cylindric or rarely subcylindric usually 0.9-1.2 × 0.2-0.3 mm cone, spinules minute; beak 7-9 mm, thin.
About seven species: China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia; four species (two endemic) in China.
Members of this section usually occur in dry substeppe to steppe habitats with a center of distribution in Mongolia and Russia (S Siberia).
The name Taraxacum sect. Sinensia Soest (Wentia 10: 9. 1963) was often used for T. sect. Stenoloba (e.g., Soest in K. H. Rechinger, Fl. Iranica 122: 238. 1977; FRPS 80(2): 16. 1999). The former name is a taxonomic synonym of T. sect. Leucantha (Kirschner & Štěpánek, Taxon 46: 96. 1977).
The name Taraxacum heterolepis Nakai & Koidzumi ex Kitagawa (Bot. Mag. (Tokyo) 47: 829. 1933) is based on a holotype specimen that lacks important characters and cannot be safely classified, not even to the section. It is accepted in FRPS (80(2): 80. 1999) as the correct name for T. multisectum (see below) but differs from the latter in the shape and posture of outer phyllaries and in important achene features.
Type material of the name Taraxacum falcilobum Kitagawa (Rep. Inst. Sci. Res. Manchoukuo 2: 312. 1938), also referred to this group in FRPS (80(2): 19. 1999), was not traced, and the protologue does not give relevant information as to its taxonomic position. The name is therefore listed among names awaiting further study.
Representatives of this section often appear under the name Taraxacum asiaticum, the lectotype of which (Kirschner & Štěpánek, Preslia 83: 498. 2011) proved to belong to T. scariosum (see below), a taxon often called T. stenolobum. Taraxacum asiaticum was reported to occur in a number of Chinese provinces (FRPS 80(2): 19. 1999), but a revision of the material is required.
