Taraxacum sarcidanum
Arrigoni DandelionLeaves lanceolate to oblanceolate, 5–12 cm long, 15–30 mm wide, glabrescent; lateral lobes in 4–6 pairs, falcate, proximal margins entire, distal margins of the upper 2 to 3 lobes with 2 or 3 (–4) falcate lobules; petiole light purple, sometimes narrowly winged. Scapes 4–10 cm long at anthesis, 15–26 cm long in fruit. Capitula 2.5–3.5 cm diam.; outer bracts ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 8–12 mm long, 2.0–2.5 mm wide, erecto-patent to recurved, narrowly white-bordered (c. 0.2 mm wide), ciliolate marginally, thickened to callose at tips; innermost bracts linear, 14–16 mm long, 1.5–2.5 mm wide, callus-tipped. Outer ligules flat, exceeding involucre by 3–6 mm; anthers with pollen; stigmas greenish-yellow. Cypselas broadly fusiform, c. 4 mm long, 0.8–1.3 mm wide, bright red-brown, with spines less than 0.3 mm long and straight to slightly incurved at apex, squamulose to verruculose in lower two thirds; cone c. 1 mm long; beak c. 9 mm long; pappus c. 6 mm long. Flowers Sept.–May.
MonT. Also naturalised Qld, NSW. Native to Sardinia, Italy. Found in natural grassland and grassy woodland, rarely in disturbed urban vegetation.
This species has characteristically elongated shallowly dissected leaves in early flowering, corresponding well with Arrigoni’s illustration. Later flowering plants have more deeply dissected leaves.
