短星火绒草 duan xing huo rong cao

Herbs, perennial, stoloniferous, tomentose or somewhat glabrous; stolons ca. 10 mm, covered with dense brown scaly leaves. Stems many. Basal leaves in dense rosettes, spatulate, 30-40 × 3-5 mm, usually thickish, apex obtuse to subacute; cauline leaves (20-)30-40 × 3-4 mm, usually densely lanate-tomentose, 1-veined, apex shortly mucronate. Capitula 3-5, laxly arranged, 6-8 mm in diam., subtended by bracteal leaves similar to cauline leaves in color and pubescence, but forming a distinct star, obtusely lanceolate. Phyllaries dark brownish, ca. 5 × 1.5-1.7 mm, scarious with a lower greenish part, long pilose hairy, apex acuminate. Achenes of female florets larger than sterile ones of bisexual florets, ca. 1.5 mm, papillose. Pappus setae 4.5-5 mm, barbellate, deciduous as a unit. Fl. Jun-Aug.

Among rocks, open stony ground; 2200-4100 m. W Xizang [India, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan].

This is a relatively rare species in China; it is recorded as fairly common in Kashmir.