盐津大戟 yan jin da ji

Herbs, erect, 24-30 cm tall. Stem 3-5 mm thick, upper parts many branched. Leaves alternate; stipules absent; petiole absent or nearly so; leaf blade obovate, 6-8 × 2-3.5 cm, base attenuate, margin entire, apex rounded, slightly emarginate; midrib prominent abaxially, lateral veins 4-6 pairs, not reaching margin. Primary involucral leaves 3 or 4, ovate-rounded, 4-6 × 2-2.8 cm, base slightly emarginate, lowermost rounded or subtruncate, apex rounded, primary rays 3 or 4, ca. 4 cm; cyathophylls 2, rounded, 1.6-2.5 × 1.5-2.5 cm, base subtruncate, apex rounded. Cyathium sessile; involucre cuplike, ca. 3 × 3-3.5 mm, lobes ovate-rounded or rounded, ciliate; glands 4, rounded, funnel-shaped, concave at middle, apex 2-horned, veins visible abaxially and conspicuous. Bracteoles absent. Male flowers many, not exserted from involucre. Female flower: ovary slightly exserted from cup, smooth, glabrous; styles free, persistent; style arms 2-lobed. Capsule subglobose, ca. 6 mm, densely micropunctate, glabrous. Seeds ellipsoid, 3-4 × ca. 2.5 mm, yellow; caruncle absent. Fl. and fr. Apr.

● Yunnan (Yanjin).