Notes on the Taraxacum (Asteraceae) flora of the Orkney Islands, British Isles (vc 111)

Abstract

We report the results of a visit to Orkney with the purpose of clarifying our knowledge of endemic and localised Taraxacum (Asteraceae) species on the islands. Two new species are described, the Orkney endemic Taraxacum claudiae A.J. Richards and Taraxacum rufofructum A.J. Richards, the latter being based on Taraxacum rubellum auct. angl. non M.P. Christiansen. Taraxacum calophyllum Dahlst., previously overlooked, is recognised as a distinctive endemic relative of Taraxacum duplidentifrons Dahlst. More localities are reported for Taraxacum orcadense Dahlst., endemic to Orkney, and Taraxacum tanylepis Dahlst., also known from the Outer Hebrides. The number of Taraxacum species reported from Orkney now stands at 55, three of which are endemic to those islands.