紊蒿 wen hao

Artemisia intricata Franchet, Nouv. Arch. Mus. Hist. Nat., sér. 2, 6: 50. 1883; Elachanthemum intricatum (Franchet) Y. Ling & Y. R. Ling; ?E. intricatum var. macrocephalum H. C. Fu.

Herbs, annual, with robust taproots; stems much branched from base, reddish or yellow-brown, sparsely pubescent. Leaves sessile; leaf blade elliptic or broadly ovate, 1-3 × 0.5-1.5 cm, pinnatisect, both surfaces sparsely pubescent; lateral segments 3-paired, linear; distal leaves 3-5-divided or entire. Synflorescences racemelike, forming lax panicle. Capitula pedunculate. Involucres hemispheric, 5-6 mm in diam.; phyllaries in 3-5 rows, ovate or broadly ovate, equal or outer ones somewhat shorter, with green midvein, abaxially sparsely pilose, scarious margin hyaline. Florets many, bisexual, yellow, 5-lobed, with a distinct tube and cupular limb. Achenes obliquely obovoid, 10-20-striate. Fl. and fr. Sep-Oct.

Deserts, steppes; 1300-1400 m. Gansu, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang [Mongolia].