网苞蒲公英 wang bao pu gong ying

Herbs to 10 cm tall. Petiole short, narrow; leaf blade mid-green, broadly oblanceolate, 5-6 × 1.2-2.5 cm, arachnoid, pinnatisect; lateral lobes 5 or 6 approximate pairs, narrowly triangular, ± patent, distal margin and/or interlobes with a large acute tooth or lobule, apex acute to acuminate; terminal lobe often 3-partite with segment apices acute. Scapes ± equaling leaves, arachnoid and densely so below capitulum. Capitulum 3.5-4 cm wide. Involucre 1.4-1.8 cm wide, base broadly rounded. Outer phyllaries 13-17, ± imbricate, ovate to ovate-lanceolate but innermost ones narrowly lanceolate, outermost ones 6-8(-11) × (2-)3.5-4.5 mm and ca. 1/2 as long as inner ones, appressed, median part blackish green to black, usually ± distinctly veined, border distinct, white or apically suffused pinkish, and ca. 1 mm wide, margin subglabrous to ciliate and blackish purple corniculate below apex; inner phyllaries 1.6-1.8 cm. Ligules yellow; outer ligules outside dark striped. Stigmas black. Anthers polliniferous; pollen grains irregular in size. Achene unknown. Pappus white. Fl. summer. Agamosperm.

● Alpine stony grasslands; 4200-4800 m. SE Xizang, NW Yunnan.