蟹甲草 xie jia cao

Cacalia forrestii (W. W. Smith & J. Small) Handel-Mazzetti.

Rhizomes slender, woody, scabrous. Stem solitary, 60-80 cm tall, striate, densely glandular pubescent at base, with laxly paniculate synflorescence branches in upper part, densely glandular pubescent. Leaves petiolate, often crowded in lower part, usually 3. Radical leaf 1, large; petiole 3-5 cm, not winged, densely pubescent; leaf blade cordate, 10-12 × 14-17 cm, abaxially densely villous on veins, adaxially villous, ± reticulate, apex obtuse. Stem leaves usually 1, rarely 2, similar to radical leaves but smaller, sessile or subsessile, elliptic-triangular. Capitula numerous, pendulous, narrowly paniculate; peduncles 0.5-5 cm, puberulent; bracteoles 1-4. Involucres campanulate, 1.3-1.4 cm; phyllaries 8 or 9, subbiseriate; outer phyllaries 3 or 4, larger, puberulent. Florets 10-16; corolla pale pink-white. Anthers caudate at base. Style branches excurved, truncate, penicillate-papillose. Achenes cylindric, 5-6 mm, glabrous, 5-ribbed. Pappus white, ca. 8 mm. Fl. Aug, fr. Sep-Oct.

● Forest understories; 2300-3700 m. SW Sichuan, Yunnan.

Parasenecio forrestii is quite similar to P. begoniifolius in aspect, but the form of the leaves and indumentum are different.