红果黄鹌菜 hong guo huang an cai

Lactuca erythrocarpa Vaniot, Bull. Acad. Int. Géogr. Bot. 12: 319. 1903.

Herbs 30-100 cm tall, annual. Stem solitary, slender, erect, branched from near base; branches closely and nearly regularly spaced, sparsely pubescent or glabrous. Basal leaves oblanceolate, to 8 × 3 cm, lyrately pinnatisect, glabrous or pubescent with multicellular hairs, base attenuate into a petiole-like portion, margin sinuate-dentate; lateral lobes (1 or)2 or 3 pairs, elliptic to narrowly elliptic, upper lobe largest, apex acute; terminal lobe broadly ovate to broadly triangular, much larger than lateral lobes, apex acute. Stem leaves similar to basal leaves but rather lanceolate, gradually smaller upward on stem and finally reduced and bractlike. Synflorescence paniculiform-corymbiform, with several to many capitula. Capitula with 10-15 florets; peduncle capillaceous. Involucre cylindric, 4-6 mm. Phyllaries abaxially glabrous; outer phyllaries triangular-ovate, longest ca. 1 mm, apex acute; inner phyllaries ca. 8, adaxially appressed pubescent, midvein subapically plane, margin narrowly white scarious, apex acute. Anther tube green. Style branches yellow upon drying. Achene red, broadly fusiform, 2-2.5 mm, compressed, lateral ribs especially in marginal achene conspicuously wide, ribs finely spiculate, apex attenuate into a stout 0.2-0.4 mm beak. Pappus white, 2.5-3 mm, caducous. Fl. and fr. Apr-Aug. 2n = 16*.

● Densely grassy areas on mountain slopes, wastelands on plains or in ravines; 400-1900 m. Anhui, Chongqing, Fujian, Gansu, Guizhou, Hubei, ?Hunan, Jiangsu, ?Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang.

Distinction between Youngia erythrocarpa and the following species, Y. rubida, appears problematic, and their delimitation should be reassessed.