无梗风毛菊 wu geng feng mao ju

Saussurea humilis Ostenfeld; S. koslowii C. Winkler.

Herbs 2-6(-10) cm tall, perennial, caespitose, shortly stemmed. Caudex branched, with many sterile and flowering leaf rosettes. Rosette leaves shortly petiolate; leaf blade narrowly elliptic to linear, 2-7 × 0.2-1.5 cm, both surfaces green and densely glandular hairy, abaxially with a prominent straw-colored midvein, base cuneate-attenuate, margin sharply sinuate-dentate, apex acuminate. Stem leaves (if present) similar to rosette leaves. Uppermost stem leaves sometimes tinged purple, subtending capitulum. Capitulum solitary, in center of leaf rosette or terminal on stem, sessile. Involucre campanulate, 1.2-2(-3) cm in diam. Phyllaries in 3-5 rows, blackish purple, villous but glabrescent, apex acute to acuminate; outer phyllaries narrowly ovate, 7-12 × 3-4 mm; middle phyllaries narrowly elliptic, 10-14 × 2-3 mm; inner phyllaries narrowly elliptic-linear, 13-15 × 1-2 mm. Receptacle bristles 1.5-3 mm. Corolla purple, 1.2-1.5 cm, tube 6-8 mm, limb 5-7 mm, lobes 3.5-4.5 mm. Achene cylindric, 2-3.5 mm, glabrous. Pappus dirty white; outer bristles 1-2(-3) mm, scabrid; inner bristles 0.9-1.1(-1.3) cm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.

● Alpine steppes and pastures; 4000-5400 m. Gansu, Qinghai, Xizang.

Some populations of this taxon have purplish leaves subtending the capitulum, thereby showing similarity and possible relationship with S. bracteata from SW Xizang, a member of S. subg. Amphilaena.