普通蒲公英 pu tong pu gong ying

Type: China. Yunnan: "Zhongdian [中甸] plateau (north), Napa Hai [纳帕海], meadows 7 km to NW of pass," 4000-4230 m, Jun 1995, A. J. Richards s.n., cultivated as JK 4070 (holotype, PRA; isotypes, MO, PE, PRA).

Paratypes: China. Sichuan: "Limes inter Sichuan et Tibet, opp. Dêgê [德格], in oppidi vicinitate meridionali," ca. 3250 m, 4 Jun 1992, L. Businská & R. Businský 3, cultivated as JŠ 5114 (PRA); ibidem, ca. 3500 m, 6 Jun 1992, L. Businská & R. Businský 4, cultivated as JŠ 5119, JŠ 5125 (PRA). Xizang: "Nyingchi [林芝] (= Linchi), in vicinitate orientali," ca. 3400 m, 27 Jul 1992, L. Businská & R. Businský 11, cultivated as JŠ 5103 (PRA); "Yarlung-Tsang-Pu [雅鲁藏布江] (Brahmaputra), regio curvaturae magnae [great bend region]," ca. 3300 m, 21 Jul 1992, L. Businská & R. Businský 10, cultivated as JŠ 5086, JŠ 5090 (PRA); "Zayü Co. [察隅县], Salween - Irrawaddy divide, W below No La Pass," 3600 m, 17 Jun 1999, R. Businský & L. Businská 9, cultivated as JŠ 7443 (PRA); "Zayü Co. [察隅县], E side of Zayü Qu [察隅曲] valley system, the confluence ca. 20 km NE of Zayü town [察隅]," 3550 m, 1 Jul 1999, R. Businský & L. Businská 14, cultivated as JŠ 7439 (PRA); "Zayü Co. [察隅县], upper valley system of Dulong Jiang [独龙长] (Taron River) W branch," 3950 m, 24 Jun 1999, R. Businský & L. Businská 11, cultivated as JŠ 7451 (PRA); "Zayü Co. [察隅县], Mekong - Salween divide (Hengduan Shan Mts.) [横断山脉], W of Doker La Pass," 3650 m, 5 Jun 1999, R. Businský & L. Businská 8, cultivated as JŠ 7432 (PRA). Yunnan: "Zhongdian [中甸] plateau (north), Napa Hai [纳帕海], meadows 7 km to NW of pass," 4000-4230 m, Jun 1995, A. J. Richards s.n., cultivated as JK 4067, JK 4068, JK 4071, JK 4074, JK 4075, JK 4076, JK 4077, JK 4078, JK 4079 (PRA); "Opp. Dêqên [德钦] (= Atuntze), in oppidi vicinitate meridio-orientali," 3300-4200 m, 30 Jun - 1 Jul 1992, L. Businská & R. Businský 7, cultivated as JŠ 5135, JŠ 5137 (PRA); "N of Dali [大理], mountain pass, 3581 m," 8 Oct 2007, P. Sekerka s.n., cultivated as JK 5182 (PRA); "Likiang [丽江]," 1990, J. Soják s.n., cultivated as JK 712 (PRA); "Zhongdian Co. [中甸县], abandoned forest road 16 km NW of Zhongdian [中甸]," 3600-3700 m, 15 May 1999, R. Businský & L. Businská 2, cultivated as JŠ 7447 (PRA). Russia. Altai: "Aigulakskiy chrebet Mts., distr. Usť-Ulagan, meadows at Mortvye Ozera Lake, near Ulaganskiy Pereval Pass," 1850-1990 m, 2 Jul 1988, J. Kirschner s.n., cultivated as JK 52 (PRA); "Distr. Usť-Kan, below Yabaganskiy Pereval Pass," ca. 1300 m, 27 Jun 1988, J. Kirschner s.n., cultivated as JK 36 (PRA); "Distr. Usť-Kan, rocks above Yabaganskiy Pereval Pass," ca. 1950 m, 28 Jun 1988, J. Kirschner s.n., cultivated as T 191 (PRA); "Distr. Onguday, Khabarovka, valley of Malyi Iľgumen river," 29-30 Jun 1988, J. Kirschner s.n., cultivated as JK 59 (PRA); "Distr. Onguday, near confluence of rivers Katun and Chuya," 1 Jul 1988, J. Kirschner s.n., cultivated as T 190 (PRA).

Plantae agamospermae, mediocriter altae, foliis angustis, pinnatipartitis, lobo terminali parvo, lobis lateralibus 4 ad 9 utrinque, parvis, triangularibus usque anguste triangularibus, interlobiis latis dentatis, petiolo late alato, conspicue roseo-purpureo, scapis dense floccosis, phyllariis involucralibus externis 16 ad 20, erectis usque subpatentibus, ovatis usque lanceolatis, stria centrali griseo-viridi et marginibus latis pallidis, in parte superiore rubro-violaceis, stigmatibus sordide luteis vel luteo-viridibus, acheniis angustis, perpallide stramineis, in pyramidem angustam subcylindricam gradatim abeuntibus.

Herbs 12-16(-25) cm tall, ± medium-sized. Petiole pinkish to purplish, short, ± broadly winged; leaf blade grayish green and slightly suffused reddish brown, oblanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate in outline, usually 8-14 × 1.5-2.5(-4) cm, sparsely arachnoid, deeply pinnatilobed, midvein pale green and adaxially sparsely arachnoid; lateral lobes 4-9, triangular, narrowly triangular, or deltoid, 0.8-1.2 × 4-10 mm, ± patent, proximal margin straight to ± concave and ± entire or sometimes with several minute teeth, distal margin ± straight to slightly sigmoid and entire or with a few teeth; interlobes not spotted, 4-8 mm wide, margin dentate, teeth of variable length and density and with an attenuate apex; terminal lobe ± broadly triangular, distal margin ± straight and entire, apex acute or mucronate. Scapes pinkish to purplish green at base, ± equaling leaves, ± densely floccose-arachnoid. Capitulum ca. 4 cm wide, sometimes nodding after anthesis. Involucre 1-1.1 cm wide, base rounded. Outer phyllaries 16-20, lanceolate to ovate, outermost ones 7-10 × 3.5-4.5 mm and 1/2-2/3 as long as inner ones, erect, erect-patent, or loosely appressed, middle part dark grayish green with a gradual transition into a pale whitish green ca. 1 mm wide border, apical 1/4-1/3 usually suffused purplish, margin sparsely ciliate, apex often slightly recurved, usually flat below tip; inner phyllaries 1.2-1.4 cm, apex flat. Ligules golden yellow; outer ligules ± flat, outside striped dark grayish, with black apical teeth; inner ligules with yellow or red apical teeth. Stigmas dirty yellow to greenish. Anthers polliniferous; pollen grains regular in size. Achene very pale yellowish brown to grayish ivory white, 3.5-4.5 × 0.7-0.9 mm; body narrow, relatively densely shortly spinulose in upper 1/5-1/4, very gradually narrowing into a relatively thick subcylindric (0.6-)0.7-0.9 mm cone, spinules ± erect; beak 8.5-10 mm. Pappus slightly yellowish white, 6-7 mm. Fl. late spring to summer. Agamosperm.

Mountain grasslands and pastures, along mountain paths; 3200-4300 m. W Sichuan, SE Xizang, NW Yunnan [Russia].

A marginal member of Taraxacum sect. Parvula, T. vendibile is widely distributed in Yunnan. While the achene characters (color, narrow shape, a very gradual transition of achene body into the cone) clearly belong to this section, the outer phyllary coloration is quite unique. A comparable pattern is found only in the closely related T. consanguineum.