近亲蒲公英 jin qin pu gong ying

Type: China. Xizang: "Zayü Co. [察隅县], middle valley system of Dulong Jiang [独龙长] (Taron River) E branch," 3900 m, 22 Jun 1999, R. Businský & L. Businská s.n., cultivated as JŠ 7434 (holotype, PRA; isotypes, MO, PE, PRA).

Paratype: China. Xizang: ibidem, R. Businský & L. Businská s.n., cultivated as JŠ 7433 (PRA).

A Taraxaco vendibili Kirschner & Štěpánek interlobiis foliorum obscure fusco-violaceis, phyllariis involucralibus externis longioribus, stigmatibus obscurioribus et acheniis longioribus fuscogriseisque differt.

Herbs 12-20 cm tall, ± medium-sized. Petiole pinkish to purplish, short, ± broadly winged; leaf blade deep grayish green and slightly suffused reddish brown, oblanceolate to narrowly oblanceolate in outline, usually 8-14 × 1.5-3 cm, sparsely arachnoid, deeply pinnatilobed, midvein pinkish and adaxially sparsely arachnoid; lateral lobes 4-9, ± triangular, ± patent, distal margin ± straight to slightly sigmoid and entire or with a few teeth, proximal margin straight to ± concave and ± entire but sometimes with several minute teeth; interlobes distinctly colored brownish purple (spot often also covering bases of lateral lobes), broad, margin dentate to lobulate, teeth and lobules of variable length and density and with an attenuate apex; terminal lobe ± broadly triangular to 3-partite, distal margin ± entire, apex acute or mucronate. Scapes pinkish to purplish green at base, ± equaling leaves, ± densely floccose-arachnoid. Capitulum 4-4.5 cm wide. Involucre 1-1.2 cm wide, base rounded. Outer phyllaries 16-20, lanceolate to ovate, outermost ones 9-11 × 3.5-5 mm and 1/2-2/3 as long as inner ones, ± erect-patent, 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 and 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 reddish apical teeth. Stigmas pale greenish to greenish, abaxially blackish pilose. Anthers polliniferous; pollen grains regular in size. Achene grayish brown, 4.8-5 × 1-1.1 mm; body narrow, shortly spinulose in upper ca. 1/4, very gradually narrowing into an almost cylindric 1-1.2 mm cone, spinules ± erect; beak 1-1.2 cm. Pappus dirty white, ca. 7 mm. Fl. late spring to summer. Agamosperm.

● Mountain grasslands; ca. 3900 m. SE Xizang.

Taraxacum consanguineum differs from the closely related T. vendibile primarily in the color and size of achenes and cone length, in the leaf coloration (a dark spot on the interlobes), longer outer phyllaries, and darker color of stigmas.