On the basis of rich material from Asia, a recently described group of dandelions, Taraxacum sect. Stenoloba Kirschner et Štěpánek, is revised taxonomically. Four previously described species are recognized: T. sinomongolicum, newly typified, T. mongoliforme, with a lectotype replacing the original holotype now not extant, and a new epitype, T. scariosum, a new combination of Leontodon scariosus Tausch, replacing the frequently confused names, T. asiaticum, newly typified, and T. stenolobum, and T. multisectum, a taxon for the first time compared with other members of the section. Three new species are described: T. abax occupies a large range from S Siberia and Mongolia to NE China, T. abalienatum and T. odibile are known from Mongolia and SE Siberia. Taraxacum abax and T. abalienatum represent core species of the section Stenoloba, whilst T. odibile exhibits a mixture of characters of sections Stenoloba and Leucantha. All the known members of the section Stenoloba are agamosperms. Taraxacum mongoliforme, T. abax and T. scariosum proved to be triploid with 2n = 24. This account includes detailed descriptions and an identification key.
On the basis of the authors’ collections and cultivated material from Asia, a recently described group of dandelions, Taraxacum sect. Suavia, is revised. In addition to three species described previously (T. haneltii, T. sumneviczii and T. formosissimum), six new species from Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan are recognized. Three of them, T. suave, T. stupendum and T. margaritarium, possess most of the features characterizing the section Suavia, one, T. suasorium, is regarded as intermediate between sections Suavia and Leucantha, whilst the remaining two, T. nobile and T. venustius, exhibit some characters of another related section (T. sect. Stenoloba). The members of the section Suavia are agamospermous. Detailed descriptions, drawings and an identification key are given.
Six populations of Hieracium echioides subsp. echioides var. tauscheri from the Danube Basin between Bratislava and Budapest (locations: Balinka, Čenkov, Devín, Dorog, Győr, Pilis) were analysed using allozyme and karyological analysis. Five allozyme systems (EST, LAP, 6PGDH, PGM, and SKDH) were used to analyse the genetic structure of the examined populations. Analyses revealed low genetic variation both within- and among populations. Four multilocus allozyme phenotypes were detected; three populations (Čenkov, Devín and Győr) possessed phenotype I exclusively, while phenotype II was found only in the Balinka and Dorog populations. Two different phenotypes were found in the population of Pilis (phenotypes III and IV). However, due to the complex banding patterns generated for EST, allelic interpretationwas not possible, and the Balinka and Dorog populations appeared to possess different phenotypes. All populations proved to be tetraploid (2n = 36) and agamospermous. The geographic distribution pattern of the analysed populations (one allozyme phenotype at several isolated localities) may reflect a more common occurrence of the taxon in the past. Landscape changes, caused by changes in human management of the country, may have resulted in a loss of suitable localities, mainly open sandy habitats. These changes may have caused the reduction and fragmentation of H. *tauscheri habitat.
A long-standing problem with the taxonomic status and synonymy of the names Taraxacum nigricans (Kit.) Reichenb. and T. alpestre (Tausch) DC. is resolved. These two names, the oldest ones referable to high mountain dandelions in Central Europe, are typified, and a detailed comparison of these species’ morphology, genotype make-up, karyotypes and distribution is provided, together with a discussion of other cases of similar and probably closely related agamospermous taxa of Taraxacum and Hieracium. Taraxacum nigricans (2n = 32) and T. alpestre (2n = 32) are endemic to the Nízke Tatry Mts, Slovakia, and the Krkonoše/Karkonosze Mts, Czech Republic/ Poland, respectively. These are shown to differ in a series of minor but constant morphological, allozyme and karyotype features, and their treatment as separate agamospermous species is supported. A detailed analysis of cultivated and wild material from the Carpathians revealed the existence of a sexual taxon very close to the above two species and endemic to the region of the Bucegi Mts, Romania. It is described as a new species, T. carpaticum Štěpánek et Kirschner. Two new agamospermous species, apparently allied to T. nigricans, are described: T. rupicaprae Štěpánek et Kirschner, a species characterized by orange-ochraceous achenes and confined to the High Tatra Mts, and T. elegantissimum Štěpánek et Kirschner (2n = 24), which has substantially broader outer bracts and is known from the Rodna, Retezat and Fagaras Mts, Romania. Another three species are described that are morphological similar to T. carpaticum: T. pastorum (the Fagaras Mts, Romania), T. iucundum (the Retezat Mts, Romania) and T. pseudoalpestre (the Fagaras Mts, Romania).
A taxonomic concept for the Hieracium nigrescens agg. (H. alpinum ≥ H. murorum) in the Western Carpathians is proposed. Three taxa at the species level are recognized, i.e. Hieracium jarzabczynum, H. mlinicae and H. vapenicanum. One new combination, Hieracium mlinicae (Hruby et Zahn) Chrtek f. et Mráz (H. nigrescens subsp. mlinicae Hruby et Zahn) is published. All taxa should be considered as endemic to the Western Carpathians (both the Polish and Slovakian parts). Detailed descriptions, drawings, lists of localities, distribution maps and determination key are provided along with a comparison with the last comprehensive account of the group (by Zahn 1936). Several lectotypes were chosen for the taxa recognized by Zahn within H. nigrescens s.l.