Taraxacum subhuelphersianum

Leaves oblanceolate to lanceolate, 20–27 cm long, 3.5–6 cm wide, dark grey-green, sparsely hairy; polymorphic during the flowering period: in the early flowering period lateral lobes in (2)3 or 4 pairs, deltoid; distal margins mostly entire but sometimes with 1 or 2 teeth, proximal margins entire, not dissected to the midrib and thus with broad interlobe areas, terminal lobe helmet-shaped in outline, sometimes shallowly lobed, much larger than the lateral lobes; in the later flowering period lateral lobes in 3 or 4 pairs, narrowly deltoid to sickle-shaped, distal margins with 2–5 acute teeth, proximal margins entire or with up to 3 acute teeth, dissected to the midrib and thus with narrow interlobe areas which may be extended with numerous acute teeth and filiform lobules, terminal lobe triangular to sagittate, sometimes acutely trilobed, the margins often with broad acute teeth, not markedly larger than the lateral lobes; petiole rose-purple, unwinged, midrib rose-purple basally grading to green distally. Scapes 9–19 cm long at anthesis, 22–30 cm long in fruit, woolly-hairy in bud becoming glabrous with maturity except just under the capitulum, red basally grading to green distally. Capitula 2–2.5 cm diam., outer involucral bracts lanceolate, 6.5–9 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, abruptly deflexed form the base, clearly bordered, apices dark, not callosed; innermost involucral bracts linear, 15–16 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, sporadically callosed. Outer florets with a terminally narrowed and slightly incurved ligule, exceeding the involucre by c. 3 mm; anthers without pollen of with a few small grains; stigmas yellow. Achenes turbinate, 3–5.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide with straight spines less than 0.3 mm long at the apex, smooth to the base, light brown; cone cylindrical c. 0.5 mm long; beak 6.5 -7 mm long. Pappus 4–6 mm long. Flowers and fruits mainly Sept.–Apr.