顶戟黄鹌菜 ding ji huang an cai

Herbs 10-30 cm tall, perennial. Taproot with lateral shoot-bearing roots. Stem solitary, slender, erect, branched from lower third or higher up, glabrous, sparsely leafy. Basal and lower stem leaves obovate to oblanceolate, 1-5.5 × 0.5-2 cm, glabrous, base attenuate into a petiole-like portion; first leaves undivided and sinuate-dentate; following leaves runcinately or lyrately pinnatipartite with small lateral lobes and a large obovate terminal lobe; later leaves pinnatisect with lateral lobes 1-4 pairs, opposite or alternate, ± triangular to lanceolate, and apex acute to acuminate, with terminal lobe narrowly triangular to triangular-hastate and small. Middle stem leaves (if any) similar to lower stem leaves; upper stem leaves linear-elliptic to linear, reduced in size. Synflorescence laxly corymbiform, with usually 5-12 capitula. Capitula with 9-14 florets; peduncle capillaceous, 0.5-5 cm, glabrous or sparsely white arachnoid hairy. Involucre narrowly cylindric, ca. 7 mm. Phyllaries abaxially glabrous; outer phyllaries ovate to lanceolate, longest 1-2 mm, apex acute; inner phyllaries 8, adaxially sparsely appressed hairy, midvein subapically plane (or somewhat crested or corniculate?), apex ± acute. Achene dark brown, fusiform, 2-2.5 mm, ribs finally spiculate, apex attenuate. Pappus white, ca. 5 mm. Fl. and fr. Apr-Jul.

● By streams, moist open areas; 2500-4000 m. Sichuan (Heishui, Xiangcheng).

The original description of the little-known Youngia hastiformis, based on a single collection from Heishui Xian, has been supplemented by two collections from Xiangcheng Xian made at somewhat higher elevations (D. E. Boufford et al. 28388A and 28925), which are apparently also referable to this species. See also note under Y. kangdingensis.