99. Ligulariopsis Y. L. Chen, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 34: 631. 1996.
假橐吾属 jia tuo wu shu
Authors: Yilin Chen & Bertil Nordenstam
Herbs, perennial. Rhizomes robust, short, with many fibrous roots. Stem with relict petioles at base. Leaves alternate, papery, basal leaves persistent by anthesis, long petiolate, oblong-cordate or broadly ovate-cordate, base cuneate, decurrent into winged petiole; petiole basally expanded and subamplexicaul, but not vaginate. Median leaves similar to lower leaves but smaller, shortly petiolate; petiole winged, gradually expanded from middle to base into leaflike ovate auricles, amplexicaul. Capitula discoid, in terminal racemes; peduncles with 2 bractlets. Involucres cylindric or narrowly campanulate, 1.5-2 mm in diam., not calyculate; phyllaries uniseriate, 4, linear-lanceolate, margin narrowly scarious. Receptacle foveolate. Florets 4, discoid, distinctly overtopped by disk, bisexual; corolla yellow, tubular limb narrowly campanulate, 5-lobed; lobes lanceolate, apex acute. Anthers linear, exserted from corolla, basally obtuse, apex with lanceolate appendages, antheropodium cylindric. Style branches excurved, obtuse or truncate, papillose. Achenes cylindric, glabrous, ribbed. Pappus purple-brown, uniseriate, serrulate, caducous.
● One species: China.
This genus is not only in aspect but also in the head arrangement closely related to Ligularia; however, it differs by its petioles winged, expanded and subamplexicaul, but not vaginate at base; capitula discoid, in terminal racemes; and florets 4, all tubular. The genus is also related to Parasenecio but differs by its anthers obtuse, not caudate at base; stem leaf base with relict petioles; and basal leaves persistent by anthesis.
