金仙草 jin xian cao

Inula chrysantha Diels, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 29: 614. 1901; I. wardii J. Anthony.

Subshrubs. Rhizome stout, with several caespitose stems and dense pubescent shoots. Stems 30-50 cm tall, branched, densely leafy, pubescent; axillary buds densely white pubescent. Leaves linear-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 15-55 × 3-12 mm, abaxially grayish pubescent and glandular, adaxially sparsely pubescent, base rounded or slightly cordate, margin serrulate, apex acute or obtuse. Capitula terminal on stems or branches, solitary, 15-35 mm in diam. Involucre broadly campanulate, 10-13 × ca. 15 mm; phyllaries in 5 or 6 series, outer ones shorter, oblanceolate or lingulate, leathery below, herbaceous above, usually reflexed, abaxially glandular and pubescent, inner linear-lanceolate, dry membranous, margin ciliate, apex acuminate. Ray florets in 1 series; lamina oblong-linear, yellow, ca. 10 mm, apex 3-dentate. Disk florets: corolla slenderly tubular, ca. 8 mm, glandular outside; lobes deep yellow, lanceolate, apex acute; anthers apex acuminate, base caudate. Achenes cylindric, ca. 2.7 mm, striped, densely pubescent, apex truncate. Pappus white, later slightly yellowish, in 2 series; inner ones of serrulate bristles; outer ones of 5-8 chaffs, ca. 0.3 mm. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Aug-Sep.

● Grasslands, forest margins; 2500-3000 m. Sichuan.