矮鼠麴草 ai shu qu cao

Omalotheca stewartii (C. B. Clarke ex J. D. Hooker) Holub.

Herbs. Stems erect, 5-10 cm tall, base tufted and lanate, upper part unbranched. Basal leaves tufted and in rosette, persistent at anthesis, sessile, linear, 10-30 × 1-2 mm, densely white tomentose abaxially, less so adaxially; cauline leaves few, linear, ca. 10 × 1 mm, both surfaces white lanate. Capitula few, 2-3 mm in diam., pedunculate, in racemes. Involucre ca. 6 × 5 mm; phyllaries 2- or 3-seriate, brown or only apex brown; outer ones obovate, 2-3 × ca. 2 mm, abaxially lanate, apex obtuse; inner ones linear-oblong, 5-6 × 1-1.5 mm, abaxially sparsely pubescent or glabrous, apex acute. Female florets: corolla filiform, 3-4 mm, apex 3-toothed, glabrous. Bisexual florets few; corolla tubular, ca. 4 mm, limbs 5-toothed, glabrous. Achenes cylindric, 1-2 mm, sparsely pubescent. Pappus white, ca. 4 mm, sericeous, distinct, falling separately. Fl. Jun-Sep.

Alpine meadows; 2500-4000 m. N Xinjiang, W Xizang [Afghanistan, India, Pakistan; SW Asia (Caucasus, Turkey)].