Seseli acaule (R. H. Shan & M. L. Sheh) V. M. Vinogradova.

Plants 4–8 cm, acaulescent, dwarf, rosette, often diffuse. Taproot undivided. Leaf sheath broadly ovate, margin scarious and pubescent; leaf rachis broad, shallowly grooved; blade oblong, 1–3 × 0.7–1.2 cm, 2-pinnatisect; pinnae 4 pairs; ultimate segments linear-elliptic, 2–3 × 0.8–1 mm, apex apiculate, 2-furcate, glabrous. Upper leaves sessile, sheaths broadly lanceolate, clasping, blade small, 3-lobed. Terminal umbel to 7.5 cm across, sessile, appearing as a group of simple umbels; lateral umbels 0.7–2 cm across, peduncles 0.5–1 cm; rays 7–10, 0.8–1 cm; bracts 1–2; bracteoles 10–20, lanceolate, 3–6 × 0.5–1 mm, unequal; umbellules 15–20-flowered; pedicels 2.5–3 mm. Calyx teeth triangular-lanceolate, ca. 0.8 × 0.5 mm. Petals white, glabrous. Fruit oblong, slightly dorsally compressed, 2–2.5 × 1.5–1.8 mm, gray-brown, densely scaly-tomentose; vittae 2–3 in each furrow, 4–6 on commissure. Fl. and fr. Jul–Aug.

This rather poorly known species is recorded only from a few localities.

Two of us (Pimenov & Kljuykov, FOC 14: 129. 2005) treat this as Seseli acaule.

Dry grassy places; 2300–2600 m. C Xinjiang (Hejing).