刺株小苦荬 ci zhu xiao ku mai

Herbs to 40 cm tall, perennial, rosulate, with shoot-bearing lateral roots. Stem solitary, grayish green, erect, ± branched from middle, very sparsely white echinulate. Rosette leaves oblanceolate, 3.5-5.5 × 1-1.5 cm, lyrately pinnatifid, abaxially very sparsely white echinulate on midvein, adaxially glabrous, base attenuate into a winged petiole-like portion, margin entire to sinuate; lateral lobes 2 or 3 pairs, ovate to suborbicular; terminal lobe ovate to orbicular, much larger than lateral ones. Stem leaves 2, similar to basal leaves but smaller. Synflorescence laxly paniculiform to corymbiform, with some capitula. Capitula with ca. 10 florets; peduncle wiry, ca. 1.5 cm to several cm, sparsely white echinulate. Involucre cylindric, ca. 8 mm. Outer phyllaries lanceolate, longest ca. 2 mm, apex acute; inner phyllaries abaxially very sparsely echinulate on midvein, apex acute to obtuse. Florets yellow. Achene pale brown, fusiform, ca. 4 mm, apex attenuate into a slender ca. 2 mm beak. Pappus white, ca. 6 mm. Fl. and fr. Sep.

● Mountain slopes; ca. 4000 m. SE Xizang (Mainling).

Only known from the type and of unclear relationship, this taxon is probably not a member of Ixeridium in its revised circumscription.