紫花阔叶柴胡 zi hua kuo ye chai hu

Bupleurum longiradiatum Turczaninow var. porphyranthum R. H. Shan & Yin Li.

Plants 80–120 cm, perennial. Stem rigid, erect, solid, much-branched from base, with profuse elongate and slender branches, base without fibrous remnant sheaths. Lower leaves many; blade lanceolate, slightly falcate, base tapering into petiole. Cauline leaves many; blade broadly ovate elliptic or broadly lanceolate, 8–25 × ca. 10 cm, base narrow, clasping, margins slightly incrassate. Apical leaves small and narrow, lanceolate, sessile. Inflorescence much-branched, branches remote and slender; umbels 2–9 cm across; bracts 5, narrowly lanceolate, ca. 2 × 1 mm; rays 5–8, 2–7 cm, unequal, filiform; bracteoles 5–6, lanceolate, ca. 2 × 1 mm, equal, apex acute; umbellules 5–15 mm across, 10–15-flowered; pedicels 8–10 mm in flower, 14–18 mm in fruit, very slender. Petals dark purple. Stylopodium low-conic, dark purple. Fruit oblong, dark purplish-brown, 4.5–6 × 2.8–3.3 mm; vittae 3 in each furrow, 6 on commissure. Fl. and fr. Aug–Oct.

Woods, shady slopes, wet places; 800–1500 m. Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Sichuan.

This rather poorly known taxon is recorded only from a few collections. It is similar to, and perhaps conspecific with, Bupleurum longiradiatum. It also has reputed medicinal value.