TAXONOMIC TREATMENT
Saussurea daeganensis W. G. Kim & H. T. Im, sp. nov. (
Fig. 1).—TYPE: KOREA. Gangwon-do: Samcheok-si, Hajang-myeon, Jungbong-ri, Mt. Cheongoksan, Jeolgol, elev. 1,030 m, 23 Sep 2020,
H. T. Im & W. G. Kim 228870a & 228870b (holotype: CNU!).
Korean name: Ja-ok-chui (자옥취).
Herbs, perennial. Rhizomes obliquely prostrating with many fibrous rootlets. Stems erect, loosely branched, 3– 5.5 mm in diam. at base, 45–85 cm long, striate on upper part, glabrous except synflorescence. Leaves alternate, radical leaves in rosettes, wither away before blooming; petioles 8– 20 cm long; blades cordate, 8–16 × 6–13 cm, apex acute, acuminate, base cordate, margins toothed; adaxial surface green, pubescent, abaxial surface pale green, glabrous; median and upper cauline leaves gradually smaller upward, petiolate or sessile, blades cordate, ovate, lanceolate. Heads 8–15 in subcorymbose synflorescence, 0.9–1.3 cm in diam.; peduncles 0.2–1.2 cm long; involucre cylindrical, 1–1.7 cm × 4–6 mm, grey-white cobwebby; phyllaries 6–7-seriate, outer phyllaries oval-lanceolate, apex mucronate or acute; middle phyllaries oblong or oblong-lanceolate; inner phyllaries linear. Florets pale purple; corolla tubular, 8.5–10 mm long, wide part and narrow part equal in length, limb 5-lobed. Cypselae cylindrical, 4.5–6 mm long; pappus bristles 2-seriate; outer series 0.4–1.8 mm long; inner series grayish white, 8.5–10 mm long.
Flowering: September to October.
Distribution: Forest bed in high mountain region of Mt. Cheongoksan, Gangwon-do, Korea.
Specimens examined: KOREA. Gangwon-do: Samcheok-si, Hajang-myeon, Jungbong-ri, Jeolgol–Gojeokdae, elev. 1,110 m, 29 Aug 2020, H. T. Im & W. G. Kim 228891, 228886 (CNU).
Some natives around Mt. Cheongoksan have gathered young leaves of
S. daeganensis as wild greens called “Jaok.” Wild animals, especially roe deer, feed on
S. daeganensis, thus fully grown and bolting individuals are rare. As a newly described species,
S. daeganensis can be distinguished from its congeneric species in Korea primarily by the following characteristics: loosely branched glabrous stem (
Fig. 1D); abaxial surface of leaves pale green and glabrous (
Fig. 1G); middle and upper part of outer phyllaries purplish green (
Fig. 1H).
Among the Korean
Saussurea,
S. macrolepis (Nakai) Kitam.,
S. grandifolia Maxim., and
S. tanakae Franch. & Sav. ex Maxim
. are morphologically similar to
S. daeganensis by having loosely branched long stems, radical leaves that wither away before blooming, cordate to ovate leaves with acuminate tip, subcorymbose synflorescence, cylindrical to campanulate involucre with grey-white cobwebby. Major morphological differences between
S. daeganensis and three morphologically similar species are shown in
Table 1. The dichotomous key for the above four
Saussurea species is presented below.
Saussurea daeganensis, however, can be distinguished from other congeneric Korean
Saussurea by having abaxially pale green, glabrous leaves, involucre cylindrical, and purplish green on the middle and upper part of phyllaries with acute apex.