Ligusticopsis pteridophylla (Franchet) Leute.

Plants 30–80 cm, glabrous. Rootstock swollen at nodes, small globose, internodes slender. Stem erect, striate and hollowed. Basal and lower petioles 15–20 cm; blade ovate, 15–20 × 10–15 cm, ternate-2–3-pinnate, primary pinnae 5–7 pairs, remote; ultimate segments obovate or flabelliform, ca. 10 × 5 mm, acute at apex, margins crenate. Upper leaves reduced. Umbels terminal and lateral, 5–7 cm across; bracts 8–10, linear; rays 13–20, subequal, 2–3 cm; bracteoles 6–10(–12), linear. Calyx teeth obsolete. Petals white or purplish tinged, base cuneate. Fruit oblong, ca. 5 × 3 mm, dorsal and intermediate ribs prominent, lateral ribs narrowly winged; vittae 3 in each furrow, 4–6 on commissure. Seed face plane. Fl. Aug–Sep, fr. Sep–Oct. 2n = 44*.

This species is used in NW Yunnan (Dali area) as a regional substitute, known as “hei gao ben,” for the traditional Chinese medicine “gao ben” (see Ligusticum sinense and L. jeholense).

Forests, grassy slopes, streamsides, rock crevices; 1800–3600 m. S Gansu, W Sichuan, E Xizang, Yunnan.