藓状火绒草 xian zhuang huo rong cao

Herbs, perennial, subpulvinate. Rhizome slender, many branched, covered with withered petioles. Suckers numerous, erect, somewhat rigid and densely covered with withered leaves at base, or with dense leaves forming rosette at apex. Stems slender, 1-8 cm tall, with 4-8 cauline leaves, entire plant grayish or yellowish lanuginous. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 6-10 × 0.5-1 mm, both surfaces grayish or yellowish lanuginous, base forming a sheath, apex acute or obtuse. Capitula (1-)3-6, ca. 4 mm, densely congested; bracteal leaves 6-10, similar to cauline leaves, forming a star of 1.7-2.5 cm in diam. Involucre subglobose, 4-5 mm, abaxially lanate; phyllaries 2- or 3-seriate, apex dark brown, acute, naked. Corolla 3-4 mm. Achenes oblong, ca. 1 mm, glabrous. Pappus white, 4-5 mm. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Sep.

● Alpine meadows, thickets, Abies forests, rocky places; 4000-4200 m. SE Xizang, NW Yunnan.

This is a very rare species in China.