芥叶缬草 jie ye xie cao

Plants 30-40 cm tall. Rhizomes reduced; roots fascicled, more than 1 mm in diam. Stems solitary, erect or ascending, glabrous. Basal leaves long petiolate; petiole 3-9 cm; blade broadly ovate or cordate, 1.5-4 × 1.5-4.5 cm, glabrous or hispidulous, subentire. Lower cauline leaves in 2 or 3 pairs; petiole 2-4 cm, clasping and sheathing; blade lyrate; terminal lobe orbicular to broadly elliptic, 2-3 × 1.5-2 cm, margin entire or irregularly sinuous; lateral lobes 2- or 3-paired, remote, broadly ovate, 1.2-1.4 × ca. 0.8 cm, smaller toward base. Upper leaves similar but smaller. Inflorescence capitate at anthesis, 1-2 cm in diam., expanding and lax in fruit; peduncles glabrous or puberulent; bracts and bracteoles linear-lanceolate, margin ciliate basally. Corolla reddish, ca. 6 mm. Stamens and style exserted. Achenes narrowly ovoid, 5-6 mm, glabrous. Fl. Jul, fr. Jul-Aug. 2n = 16, 18.

Mountain slopes; 2800-3000 m. Xinjiang (Yecheng) [Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan; SW Asia (Iran)].

The Chinese record of Valeriana sisymbriifolia Vahl (in FRPS 73 (1): 43. 1986) is referable to V. ficariifolia.