Cirsium wulongense Z. C. Jin & Y. S. Chen 2024, sp. nov.

Cirsium wulongense Z.C. Jin & Y.S. Chen, sp. nov. (Fig. 3) Type: — China, Chongqing, Wulong district, Xiannü Shan, 14 August 2021, elev. 1780 m, F. Chen, X.B. Shi & F.F. Xu XLS21-095 (holotype IBSC, isotypes CQNM). Description: —Herbs 30–150 cm tall, perennial. Stems erect, ribbed, pubescent with densely long multicellular hairs. Basal and lower cauline leaves with petioles to 10 cm long, fringed with triangular teeth and with an apical spine ca. 3–5 mm long; leaf blade elliptic, 15–25 × 8–15 cm, pinnatipartite or pinnatisect; segments 6–8 pairs, ± narrowly elliptic or triangular, with numerous unequal triangular teeth laterally and with an apical spine ca. 4 mm long. Cauline leaves sessile, auriculate amplexicaul, elliptic, ovate-elliptic, pinnatilobate to pinnatipartite; segments ca 5 pairs, triangular, with 1–3 unequal triangular teeth laterally and with an apical spine 2–4 mm long; terminal segment largest. All leaves discolorous, abaxially grayish white and densely tomentose and abaxially densely pubescent with crispate multicellular hairs along veins, adaxially green, pubescent with crispate multicellular hairs. Capitula sparsely racemose, nodding. Involucre campanulate, 3–4 cm in diam., sparsely cobwebby. Phyllaries in ca. 7 rows, margin entire, lacking marginal spinules, wings, and scarious appendage, imbricate, outer phyllaries much shorter than inner ones; outer and middle phyllaries lanceolate, 1–1.5 cm long, basal portion linear, apical portion subulate, patent to reflexed, and narrowed into a spine 3 mm long; inner phyllaries lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, ca. 2 cm long, apex acuminate. Florets bisexual. Corolla white, ca. 1.6 cm long, tube ca. 0.6 cm long. Achene brown, ca. 4 mm long. Pappus bristles dirty white, ca. 1.7 cm long. Phenology: —Flowering from August to October. Etymology: —The specific epithet “ wulongense ” is derived from the type locality, i.e. Wulong district in Chongqing, China. The Chinese name is “ ẑĸfi ” (wu long ji). Distribution and habitat: — Cirsium wulongense is currently only known from two localities (Fig. 4). One is the type locality, i.e. Xiannü Shan in Wulong district, Chongqing, China. From the Plant Photo Bank of China (http://ppbc. iplant.cn/tu/2837783), we found that this species also occurs in Zunyi city in Guizhou province. These two localities are very close to each other. It grows in grassy areas at the forest edge at altitudes of 1600–1800 meters. Additional specimens examined:— CHINA, Chongqing, Wulong district, Xiannü Shan, elev. 1651 m, 14 August 2021, F. Chen, X.B. Shi & F.F. Xu XLS21-093 (CBNM, IBSC). Note:— Because its phyllaries lack marginal spinules, wings, and scarious appendage and its leaves abaxially lack spinules, the new species should belong to Cirsium sect. Cirsium.