雪兔子 xue tu zi

Aplotaxis gossypina (Wallich) Candolle; Saussurea gossipiphora var. lilliputa Lipschitz; S. gossipiphora subsp. luxuriosa Lipschitz; S. gossypina Wallich.

Herbs 9-30[-48] cm tall, perennial, monocarpic. Caudex unbranched. Stem solitary, ca. 1 cm in diam., erect, simple. Rosette and lower stem leaves petiolate; leaf blade linear-oblong to narrowly obovate, 5-22 × 0.6-2.8 cm, both surfaces green and sparsely pilose or glabrous, margin sparsely denticulate, apex acute. Middle and upper stem leaves sessile, narrowly ovate-elliptic to linear, gradually smaller upward on stem, both surfaces densely white or pale yellowish lanate, apex acute or acuminate. Capitula numerous, densely clustered on flat stem apex in a synflorescence [4-]7-10 cm in diam., hidden at anthesis in a lanate indumentum, sessile. Involucre cylindric to campanulate, 5-10 mm in diam. Phyllaries in 3-6 rows, apex acute; outer phyllaries ovate, ca. 4 × 3 mm; inner phyllaries narrowly ovate-elliptic to linear, ca. 7.5 × 1.5 mm. Receptacle bristles ca. 2 mm. Corolla bright purple to reddish purple, 7-12.5 mm, tube 2-5.5 mm, limb 5-7 mm, lobes 1.5-2 mm. Achene cylindric, 2-4.5 mm, apically sparsely papillose or glabrous. Pappus pale brown; outer bristles 4-5 mm; inner bristles 8-10 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct. 2n = 36.

Alpine scree slopes, rock crevices; 4200-5000 m. S Xizang (Yadong), ?Yunnan [Bhutan, NE and NW India, ?Kashmir, Nepal].

The whole plant of Saussurea gossipiphora is used medicinally.

No specimens of Saussurea gossipiphora from China were seen by the present authors, and this description is based on material from outside the Flora area and on the revision by Fujikawa (Makinoa, n.s., 8: 46-51. 2010). The record from Yunnan relies only on a picture, which was not seen by the authors, and not on an actual specimen. Also, from a chorological point of view, such a record is improbable and is probably due to a confusion with S. laniceps.