紫花绣线菊 zi hua xiu xian ju

Shrubs to 1.2 m tall. Branchlets much branched in upper part, red or red-brown, terete, glabrous; buds brownish, small, with several scales, glabrous, apex shortly acuminate. Petiole 6–8 mm, slightly narrowly winged; leaf blade glaucous green abaxially, yellow-green when dry adaxially, ovate, 3–7 × 1–3 cm, glabrous on both surfaces, without papillae abaxially, midvein and 6–8 pairs of lateral veins prominent, base truncate to subrounded, margin crenate to doubly serrate, slightly revolute, apex obtuse or acute. Corymbs terminal, long pedunculate, compound, 5–7 × 5–6 cm, densely numerous flowered; rachis and pedicels pubescent; pedicels 2–4 mm; bracts linear or linear-lanceolate, 2–4 mm. Flowers bisexual, 6–7 mm in diam. Hypanthium broadly turbinate, glabrous or puberulous abaxially. Sepals triangular-ovate, 1.5–2 mm. Petals dark purple-red, orbicular, much longer than sepals. Stamens ca. 20, unequal, longer ones nearly equaling petals; anthers brown-purple. Disk annular, with prominent lobes. Styles shorter than stamens; stigma capitate. Follicles erect, glabrous. Fl. May–Jul, fr. Aug–Sep.

Mixed forests, thickets on slopes; 2800--3300 m. Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan.