小针裂叶绢蒿 xiao zhen lie ye juan hao

Artemisia amoena Poljakov, Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. 16: 421. 1954.

Subshrubs, 5-25(-35) cm tall, with a thick rootstock, gray arachnoid pubescent, later glabrescent. Lower stem leaves: petiole short; leaf blade ovate or oblong-ovate, 4-8 × 1.5-2(-2.5) cm, 1(or 2)-pinnatisect; segments 3 or 4(or 5) pairs, occasionally middle of lateral lobes 3-lobed; lobules or lobes narrowly linear or narrowly linear-lanceolate, 4-12 × 1-2.5 mm, mucronulate apically. Middle stem leaves pinnatisect; lobes narrowly linear. Upper leaves and leaflike bracts narrowly linear, 4-5 mm. Synflorescence a narrow spikelike panicle. Involucre oblong-ovoid or oblong, 1.5-2 mm in diam.; phyllaries cyst-form, gray pubescent. Florets 4 or 5. Achenes ovoid or obovoid. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct.

● Rocky slopes, Gobi Desert, saline-alkaline soils; low elevations to 1500 m. N Xinjiang.

Seriphidium amoenum contains the anthelmintic α-santonin.