TITLE Novelties in Asteraceae of Taiwan: Blumea linearis and Senecio tarokoensis
AUTHOR Ching-I Peng
Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
Wen-Pen Leu
Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei 115, Taiwan
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ABSTRACT Two new species of Asteraceae, Blumea linearis C.-I Peng & W. P. Leu and Senecio tarokoensis C.-I Peng, from Taiwan are described and illustrated. Senecio tarokoensis is very rare, presently known only from three populations on semishaded to open, moist rocky ridges and cliff faces in the limestone mountains of Taroko National Park, ca. 1,000_2,000 m, in eastern Taiwan. It is a very distinct member of sect. Flexicaulis C. Jeffrey & Y. L. Chen. Although it is somewhat similar to S. fukienensis Ling ex C. Jeffrey & Y. L. Chen of southeastern China, it differs in having simple stems, triangularly ovate to lanceolate lower and middle cauline leaves (vs. oblong-elliptic or narrowly so), long petiole (vs. leaves auriculate and amplexicaul), and ray florets more numerous (8_12 vs. 7_8) with much longer corollas (15_17 mm vs. 7.5_9.5 mm). Blumea linearis, also endemic to Taiwan, is sporadic from sea level to 700 m mainly in the eastern half of Taiwan. It is a member of sect. Macrophyllae DC. and is somewhat similar to B. lanceolaria, but differs in having rugose and herbaceous (vs. smooth and somewhat succulent), linear to linear-lanceolate (vs. oblong to oblanceolate), narrower (2.5_3.5 cm vs. 4_8 cm wide) leaves, which are green and pilose to short-villous (vs. dark green and glabrous) on the upper surface and lack the small auricles on the leaf bases and petioles.
KEYWORD Asteraceae; Blumea linearis; Limestone flora; New species; Rare species; Senecio tarokoensis; Taiwan; Taxonomy;
ARTICLE INFO Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica, Volume 40 Number 1 January 1999, page 53-60, 8 pages
PUBLISHER Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China