Taraxacum erythroboreale (Asteraceae), a new species of presumably intersectional hybrid nature with broad distribution in North European Russia (Taraxacum Notulae Rossiae Boreali Europeae II)

Abstract

Taraxacum erythroboreale Efimov, a new apomictic species, is described and illustrated. It occurs in Russia (North of the European part), in the Murmansk and Vologda regions, in the Komi Republic, being locally very abundant. It occupies mainly dry sandy roadsides and other similar ruderal places, and seems benefiting from the anthropogenic disturbance of the land. The new species may belong either to the section Erythrosperma (H. Lindb.) Dahlst., or have originated from the hybridization between this section and some species of an Asiatic section like Stenoloba Kirschner et Štěpánek or Dissecta (Soest) R. Doll. The new species displays rather wide morphological polymorphism as to the presence/absence of purplish achene pigmentation, shape of outer phyllaries, corniculation of phyllaries, and in some other traits.