Taraxacum sect. Erythrosperma (H. Lindb.) Dahlst.

Taxonomy: Fam. Compositae// Genus: Taraxacum// Section: Erythrosperma (H. Lindb.) Dahlst.

Determined as Taraxacum laevigatum (Willd.) DC. 1813 Cat. Horti Monsp.: 149; Hayek 1931. Prodr. Fl. Pen. Balc. 2 : 831 according to the botanical key provided by Gajić in Josifović (1975); Taraxacum Section Erythrosperma Dahlst. – Taraxacum erythrospermum group (aggregate) according to Richards & Sell. in Tutin et al., 1976 (Flora Europaea Vol. 4). In the later, Taraxacum laevigatum (Willd.) DC. is included within the erythrospermum group. According to The Euro+Med PlantBase (source: Kirschner, Štepánek & Greuter, 2007+), Taraxacum erythrospermum aggr. is invalid name (status: invalid designation), while Taraxacum laevigatum is misapplied for Taraxacum sect. Erythrosperma (H. Lindb.) Dahlst.

Lifeform: Perrenial; hemicryptophyte according to the Raunkiær system.

Distribution in Europe: Widespread in Europe (The Euro+Med PlantBase, source: Kirschner, Štepánek & Greuter, 2007+).

Habitat: Found typically in dry and open habitats: dry grasslands and sparse bushland, on rocks and rocky terrains with shallow soil.

Flowering period: Spring MAR, APR, MAY.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – habit. Hilly region between the Gorge of “Kochanska” River and the Kochani landfill, 13.03.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – capitulum. Hilly region between the Gorge of “Kochanska” River and the Kochani landfill, 13.03.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – basal leaves. Hilly region between the Gorge of “Kochanska” River and the Kochani landfill, 13.03.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – habitat. Hilly region between the Gorge of “Kochanska” River and the Kochani landfill, 05.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – habit. Hilly region between the Gorge of “Kochanska” River and the Kochani landfill, 05.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – capitulum with involucre. Hilly region between the Gorge of “Kochanska” River and the Kochani landfill, 05.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – capitulum. Hilly region between the Gorge of “Kochanska” River and the Kochani landfill, 05.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – capitulum with ripe achenes. Hilly region between the Gorge of “Kochanska” River and the Kochani landfill, 05.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – achenes. Hilly region between the Gorge of “Kochanska” River and the Kochani landfill, 05.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – leaves and fruiting capitula. Hilly region between the Gorge of “Kochanska” River and the Kochani landfill, 05.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – leaves. Hilly region between the Gorge of “Kochanska” River and the Kochani landfill, 05.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – habit. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 13.03.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – capitulum . Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 13.03.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – capitulum with involucre. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 13.03.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – habit. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 10.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – achenes. Gorge of “Kochanska” River, 10.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – habit. Osogovo, mountain ridge between the gorges of “Kochanska” River and “Orizarska”River, 11.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – capitulum. Osogovo, mountain ridge between the gorges of “Kochanska” River and “Orizarska”River, 11.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – capitulum with involucre. Osogovo, mountain ridge between the gorges of “Kochanska” River and “Orizarska”River, 11.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – capitula. with ripe achenes Osogovo, mountain ridge between the gorges of “Kochanska” River and “Orizarska”River, 11.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – achenes. Osogovo, mountain ridge between the gorges of “Kochanska” River and “Orizarska”River, 11.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

*Taraxacum* sect. *Erythrosperma* – leaves. Osogovo, mountain ridge between the gorges of “Kochanska” River and “Orizarska”River, 11.04.2021. Photo by Trajche Dimitrovski.

References:

Rod Taraxacum Wigg. Gajić, M. in Josifović (1975). Flora SR Srbije VII. Srpska Akademija Nauka i Umetnosti, Beograd, pp. 296 – 301.

Taraxacum erythrospermum aggr. Kirschner, J., Štepánek, J. & Greuter, W. (2007+): Taraxacum. – In: Greuter, W. & Raab-Straube, E. von (ed.): Compositae. Euro+Med Plantbase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published on the Internet http://ww2.bgbm.org/EuroPlusMed/PTaxonDetail.asp?NameId=7532829&PTRefFk=7700000 [Accessed 17.10.2021].

Taraxacum sect. Erythrosperma. Kirschner, J., Štepánek, J. & Greuter, W. (2007+): Taraxacum. – In: Greuter, W. & Raab-Straube, E. von (ed.): Compositae. Euro+Med Plantbase – the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity. Published on the Internet http://ww2.bgbm.org/EuroPlusMed/PTaxonDetail.asp?NameId=7532813&PTRefFk=7700000 [Accessed 17.10.2021].

Taraxacum Weber. Richards, A.J. & Sell, P.D. in Tutin, T.G., Heywood, V.H., Burges, N.A., Moore, D.M., Valentine, D.H., Walters, S.M. & Webb, D.A. (1976). Flora Europaea. Volume 4: Plantaginaceae to Compositae (and Rubiaceae). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 332 – 343.

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