Hieracium richianum Szeląg, 2020

Hieracium richianum Szeląg View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1−2 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 )

Type: ― ROMANIA. Eastern Carpathians, Ciucaş Mts., Mt. Muntele Roşu , grassy slope with Rhododendron kotschyi and Bruckenthalia spiculifolia , 1740 m a.s.l., 25 July 2015, Z. Szeląg ( holotype KRAM ; isotypes CL , Herb. Hierac. Z. Szeląg ).

Description: ―Phyllopodous. Stem robust, monocephalous or bicephalous, up to 30 cm high; in the lower third with numerous, pale, 2–3 mm long simple hairs and scattered stellate hairs; in the middle part with sparse, pale, 2–3 mm long simple hairs and numerous stellate hairs. Peduncles with quite numerous, pale, dark-based, 1–2 mm long simple hairs, numerous stellate hairs and sparse, black, 0.2–0.6 mm long glandular hairs. Synflorescence branch (if present) monocephalous, up to 8 cm long, in axil of uppermost cauline leaf. Rosette leaves 6–10, up to 12 cm long and up to 3 cm wide, lanceolate or oblanceolate, tapered to a long, winged petiole, remotely, sharply denticulate; the outer rosette leaves obtuse at apex (often withering at anthesis), the inner rosette leaves subacute at apex; on both surfaces with scattered, pale, 0.5–2 mm long simple hairs, and a few stellate hairs especially along a midrib; on the margins with numerous, pale simple hairs up to 2 mm long, mixed with sparse yellowish glandular hairs and a few stellate hairs. Cauline leaves 4–6, sessile, ±semi-amplexicaul, gradually reduced in size upwards, lanceolate, acute at apex, sharply, irregular dentate, with a protruding white midrib; lower cauline leaves similar in shape and indumentum to inner rosette leaves; uppermost cauline leaves linear, bract-like, covered by dense, pale, simple hairs up to 2 mm long mixed with sparse microglands and stellate hairs. Involucres 12–14 mm long, globose at base, covered by quite dense indumentum. Involucral bracts in three rows; the outer bracts squarrose (visible in living plants) ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ); lanceolate, obtuse at apex, dark green, with subdense, pale, dark-based simple hairs 2.5–4.0 mm long, and scattered to numerous, dark-based, yellowish, 0.2–0.4 mm long glandular hairs. Ligules flat; outer up to 15–18 mm long, yellow, glabrous at apex. Styles yellow with dense, black microtrichomes. Achenes almost black, 3.7–4.0 mm long. Pappus pale-grey. Pollen in anthers few, spherical and of varying size. Flowering: end of July and beginning of August.

Affinity: ― Hieracium richianum is similar to H. slovacum Chrtek in Chrtek & Marhold (1998: 203) from the Western Carpathians but differs in its ( 1) shorter involucres, ( 2) less dense and shorter indumentum of the peduncles, ( 3) broader and in part obtuse at apex rosette leaves, ( 4) shorter and completely pale simple hairs on the stem, and ( 5) ligules glabrous at apex. The morphological differences between both species are stable in garden-cultivated plants.

Distribution and habitats: ―Endemic to the Ciucaş Mountains in the Eastern Carpathians, Romania. The populations of H. richianum comprised tens of plants spread along a tourist path from the Muntele Roşu hut to Mt. Gropoşoarele, at 1670−1750 m a.s.l. They were growing in subalpine grasslands amongst Rhododendron kotschyi and Juniperus alpina thickets, and on south-facing slope with Bruckenthalia spiculifolia .

Chromosome number and mode of reproduction: —2n = 4x = 36, agamospermous ( Musiał et al. 2018: 77, as Hieracium fritzei agg.).

Etymology: —The new species is named in honour of Dr. Tim Rich, Cardiff, an expert of the genus Hieracium Linnaeus (1753: 799) , and co-author of valued monographs on the British Hieracia ( Tennant & Rich 2008; Rich & Scott 2011; McCosh & Rich 2018).