宽舌垂头菊 kuan she chui tou ju

Ligularia arnicoides Candolle ex Royle, Ill. Bot. Himal. Mts. 251, t. 60, f. 2. 1835; Senecio arnicoides (Candolle ex Royle) Wallich ex C. B. Clarke.

Stem solitary, erect, 10-15(-45) cm tall, 3-6 mm in diam. at base, proximally glabrous, distally white and black pilose. Basal leaves petiolate; petiole to 5 cm, base sheathed; leaf blade ovate or ovate-oblong, 3-8 × 2.5-6 cm, thin, herbaceous, glabrous or abaxially hairy along veins, pinnate veins prominent abaxially, base cuneate or subrounded, margin coarsely dentate, apex acute. Middle stem leaves shortly petiolate, base sheathed, amplexicaul; leaf blade ovate, 3-7 × 2-6 cm, glabrous, base cuneate or rounded, margin coarsely dentate, apex obtuse. Distal stem leaves sessile, ovate, base cordate, amplexicaul. Distalmost stem leaves bracteal, lanceolate to oblong, both surfaces hairy. Capitula 1-4, in lax raceme, nodding; peduncles 2-3.5 cm, white pilose. Involucre hemispheric or broadly campanulate, 9-20 × 20-40 mm, outside black pilose; phyllaries ca. 14, in 2 rows, 3-10 mm wide, apex acute, white ciliate; outer phyllaries lanceolate; inner phyllaries broadly ovate, margin broadly membranous. Ray florets yellow; lamina broadly elliptic, 1.5-2.7 cm × 6-9 mm, apex obtuse, 3-dentate. Tubular florets numerous, 6-9 mm; tube 1-3 mm; limb narrowly campanulate. Achenes brown, cylindric, 5-6 mm, ribbed. Pappus white, as long as tubular corolla. Fl. Aug.

Gravelly areas on mountains; 3600-4600 m. S and SW Xizang [Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan].