小头须弥菊 xiao tou xu mi ju

Aplotaxis nivea Candolle, Prodr. 6: 541. 1838; Saussurea cirsium H. Léveillé; S. crispa Vaniot; S. deltoidea (Candolle) Schultz Bipontinus var. nivea (Candolle) C. B. Clarke; S. deltoidea subsp. polycephala (C. B. Clarke) H. Koyama; S. deltoidea var. polycephala C. B. Clarke; S. microdeltoidea Kitamura; S. nivea (Candolle) Schultz Bipontinus (1846), not Turczaninow (1837).

Herbs (0.3-)0.5-1.8 m tall, biennial. Stem solitary, 5-10 mm in diam., erect, simple or branched. Lower stem leaves petiolate; leaf blade lyrately pinnately parted, abaxially grayish green, with dark veins, and tomentose, adaxially green, scabrous or sparsely arachnoid, and gland-dotted; lateral lobes 1 or 2 pairs, oblong-triangular; terminal lobe triangular-hastate, 7-11 × 5-11 cm, margin dentate, apex acute. Middle and upper stem leaves petiolate; leaf blade triangular-hastate, narrowly ovate, or elliptic. Capitula numerous, in a racemiform to paniculiform synflorescence, subsessile to pedunculate. Involucre campanulate, 1-2(-2.5) cm in diam. Phyllaries in 4 or 5 rows; outer phyllaries ovate-elliptic, 3-5 × 1.5-2 mm, arachnoid tomentose and gland-dotted, with an orbicular fimbriate appendage; middle phyllaries narrowly ovate-elliptic, 5-9 × 1.5-2 mm, with an apical appendage; inner phyllaries narrowly ovate to linear, 12-13 × 1-1.5 mm, apex acuminate and without an appendage. Receptacle bristles 4-5 mm. Corolla purple, 0.9-1.2 cm, tube 5-7 mm, limb 4-6 mm, lobes 2-3 mm. Achene black, obconic, 2-3.5 mm, 4-angled, apically muricate, apex with a denticulate crown. Pappus bristles straw-colored, 8-10 mm. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct. 2n = 34.

Grasslands on mountain slopes, forests and forest margins in mountain valleys; 200-2800 m. Guizhou, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [NE India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, N Thailand, N Vietnam].

There are intermediate forms between Himalaiella deltoidea and H. nivea in those areas where both species occur. Further investigation is needed to clarify the status of these two taxa.