中甸垂头菊 zhong dian chui tou ju

Plants white arachnoid-puberulent. Stem solitary, erect, 32-76 cm tall, 8-10 mm in diam. at base. Basal leaves petiolate; petiole to 15 cm, winged; wings entire, wider distally; leaf blade ovate or ovate-oblong, 14-23 × 7-14 cm, herbaceous, both surfaces initially white arachnoid-puberulent, glabrescent in fruit, pinnately veined, with 8-13 pairs of lateral veins, base broadly cuneate, narrowed into a winged petiole, margin entire or denticulate, apex obtuse. Middle stem leaves shortly petiolate or sessile; leaf blade smaller, oblong or elliptic; sheath enlarged, cymbiform, to 10 × 1.5 cm, amplexicaul. Distal stem leaves oblong, 4-8.5 × 2-6 cm, parallel veined, apex obtuse, mucronate; sheath amplexicaul. Capitula 5-13, in lax raceme, to 26 cm, nodding; peduncles equal, to 10 cm. Involucre hemispheric, 8-11 × 20-25 mm, outside white puberulent; phyllaries 14-16, in 2 rows; outer phyllaries lanceolate, 2-3 mm wide, apex acute or acuminate; inner phyllaries oblong, 4-5 mm wide, margin membranous, apex triangular or obtuse. Ray florets yellow; lamina oblong or elliptic, 1-1.3 cm × 4-7 mm, apex rounded, 2- or 3-denticulate; tube ca. 2 mm. Tubular florets numerous, yellow, 5-6 mm; tube 1-1.5 mm; limb broadly campanulate, ca. 2.5 mm wide. Achenes (immature) oblanceolate, apex slightly narrowed. Pappus white, as long as tubular corolla. Fl. Jul-Aug.

● Grassy slopes, stream banks; 3600-4100 m. NW Yunnan.