A new species of Melanoseris (Lactucinae, Cichorieae, Asteraceae) from SW Xizang, China, based on morphological and molecular data. Phylogenetic study of Melanoseris

Melanoseris jilongensis from SW Xizang, China, is described as a species new to science and illustrated. It morphologically resembles M. macrorhiza, but differs in particular in leaf morphology, indumentum and achene characters. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of its systematic position is not congruent with the morphological comparison and moreover incongruent between nrITS and cpDNA datasets. As in other cases of Sino-Himalayan taxa of the Melanoseris lineage, an event of reticulation in the speciation of M. jilongensis seems therefore likely.