Taraxacum khatoonae Abedin

Leaves oblanceolate to lanceolate, c. 15–­22 cm long, 3­8 cm wide, green to grey-green, initially woolly but becoming glabrous; lateral lobes in (3–­) 4­–6 pairs, acutely triangular, with distal margins entire, toothed or shortly laciniate, and proximal margins with 1 or 2 acute lobes close to midrib; terminal lobe broadly helmet-shaped in outline to triangular and ± trilobulate; petiole light red-brown; midrib light red-brown and green distally. Scapes 5–8 cm long at anthesis, (30–) 50–60 cm long in fruit, very densely woolly in bud but becoming glabrous in fruit, green. Capitula c. 2–­4 cm diam.; outer bracts lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 7­–15 mm long, 2–­3 mm wide, erect to recurved with narrow (c. 0.2 mm) white or purple borders, ciliolate marginally, callus-tipped; inner involucral bracts linear, 15 mm long, 1–1.5 mm wide. Outer florets with ligule flat, exceeding involucres by 3–­5 mm; anthers with pollen; stigmas lime-green. Achenes narrowly fusiform, (3–­) 4–­5.5 mm long, 0.8 mm wide, apically densely spinulose, verrucate to smooth in lower part, straw-coloured; cone cylindrical, (0.8–) 1–­1.5 mm long; beak 8–11 mm long. Pappus 7–­8 mm long, brownish white.

Growing on alkaline loams in urban weedy habitats and disturbed native vegetation, most commonly in riparian areas.