粗状灯心草 cu zhuang deng xin cao

Plants perennial, 35--60(--70) cm tall. Rhizome horizontal, 2--3 mm in diam., robust. Stems terete, channeled, 3--5 mm in diam. from base to middle, usually hollow. Cataphylls few, maroon. Basal leaves 1 or 2, cauline leaves 1 or 2; leaf sheath auricles inconspicuous; leaf blade lanceolate or linear-lanceoate, 14--30 cm × 8--12 mm, shorter on basal leaves than on distal cauline ones, thickly papery to thinly leathery, margin undulate or serrulate, apex acute. Inflorescences arched to slightly pendulous, 4--7 cm; involucral bract linear-lanceolate, 9--14 cm × 2--5 mm, apex acuminate to apiculate; heads 4--10, subglobose, 1.2--1.8 cm in diam., 6--20-flowered. Perianth segments yellowish white, lanceolate, 6--7 × 1.5--2 mm, subequal, vein 1, apex obtuse or acute. Stamens 6; filaments 1.2--2 mm; anthers 1.5--2 mm. Style 2.5--3 mm; stigmas 0.8--1 mm. Capsule chestnut brown, shiny, trigonous ovoid, 4--5 mm, 3-septate, apex beaked; beak ca. 0.5 mm. Seeds ellipsoid, 0.7--0.8 mm, both ends appendaged; appendages 0.5--0.8 mm, striate, apex acute. Fl. Jun--Aug, fr. Aug--Oct.

* Thickets, grassy slopes, mountain summits; 3000--4000 m. Yunnan.