察隅风毛菊 cha yu feng mao ju

Herbs 60-70 cm tall, perennial. Stem solitary, 1-1.7 cm in diam. at base, erect, simple, hollow. Basal and lower stem leaves petiolate; petiole 1-6 cm; leaf blade narrowly elliptic, 13-16 × 1-2.5 cm, both surfaces green and glabrous, base decurrent, margin coarsely sinuate-dentate, apex acute. Middle and upper stem leaves sessile, gradually smaller upward on stem, 4-9 × 0.2-1.2 cm, margin denticulate or entire, apex acuminate. Uppermost stem leaves linear, 10-15 × ca. 1 mm. Capitula 3 or 4, in a clustered corymbiform synflorescence, sessile. Involucre globose, 2-2.5 cm in diam. Phyllaries in 6 or 7 rows, brown, densely villous, apex acuminate; outer phyllaries triangular-oblong, 9-10 × 2.8-3 mm; middle phyllaries ovate-oblong, 8-10 × 2.5-2.8 mm; inner phyllaries narrowly ovate, 14-15 × ca. 2 mm. Receptacle bristles yellowish brown, 5-6 mm. Corolla dark purple, 1.4-1.5 cm, glabrous, tube ca. 7 mm, limb 7-8 mm, lobes ca. 3 mm. Achene brown, cylindric, 2.8-3(-4) × 0.5-1 mm, glabrous. Pappus yellowish white; outer bristles 5-6 mm; inner bristles 1.1-1.4 cm. Fl. Aug.

● Juniperus forests; ca. 3500 m. SE Xizang (Zayü).

Saussurea megacephala is only known from the type and is very close to S. semifasciata, from which it differs by its petiolate lower leaves, non-decurrent stem leaves, and sessile and glomerate capitula.