林生假福王草 lin sheng jia fu wang cao

Basionym: Lactuca diversifolia Vaniot, Bull. Acad. Int. Géogr. Bot. 12: 245. 1903; Paraprenanthes gracilipes C. Shih; P. sylvicola C. Shih; Prenanthes diversifolia (Vaniot) C. C. Chang (1934), not Ledebour ex Sprengel (1826).

Herbs 0.5-1.5 m tall, annual. Stem glabrous or apically glandular hairy. Lower stem leaves with petiole 4-9 cm, slender cuneately winged, base not clasping; leaf blade triangular, triangular-ovate, or broadly lanceolate, 7-18 × 4-24 cm, usually undivided, glabrous or sparsely glandular hairy, base cuneate, truncate, cordate, or hastate, margin sinuate and mucronately dentate, apex acute. Middle and upper stem leaves with a shorter narrow to broader winged petiole; leaf blade with a rather cuneate base, undivided and otherwise similar to lower leaves or lyrately pinnatipartite to lyrately pinnatisect; lateral lobes if present 1 or 2(or 3) pairs, triangular-ovate to elliptic; terminal lobe triangular-ovate to lanceolate, apex acute. Uppermost leaves sessile, elliptic to narrowly rhombic, undivided, base narrow and not clasping, apex acute. Synflorescence narrowly paniculiform, with some to numerous capitula. Capitula with 4-6 florets. Involucre 10-11 × 1.5-2 mm. Outer phyllaries ovate-triangular to lanceolate, largest ca. 3 × 0.5 mm, apex acute; inner phyllaries 5, apex acute to obtuse. Florets purplish red to sometimes whitish. Achene ca. 4 mm, attenuate into an almost beaked apex. Pappus 5-6 mm. Fl. and fr. Feb-Aug.

● Mountain valleys, forests; 500-2500 m. Chongqing, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang.

Paraprenanthes diversifolia has often not been recognized properly in the past but confused with P. sororia. However, it is very well characterized by its small capitula with only 5 inner phyllaries and 4-6 florets. In contrast, leaf shape and indumentum do not actually distinguish it from P. sororia (see also note there) and P. pilipes.