珍珠蒿 (奇蒿)

Perennial herbs, 80-150 cm tall, puberulous or glabrescent. Petiole of lowermost and middle cauline leaves 0.2-0.5 cm long, blade thick chartaceous, ovate, ovate-elliptic, ovate-lanceolate, lanceolate, 9-12(-15)×2.5-4(-5.5) cm, glabrescent, occasionally trifid at apex, serrate; uppermost leaves and leafy bracts sessile, elliptic or elliptic-lanceolate. Heads oblong or ovoid, 2-2.5 mm in diam., inflorescences narrow to broad panicles, involucral bracts scarious throughout, glabrous. Outer florets 4-6. Central florets 6-8. Achenes obovoid or obovoid-oblong. Fl. and fr. Jun-Nov.

HSINCHU: Wufeng, Peng 8391; Shihlu, Wang 77. MIAOLI: Tapachienshan, Peng 8451. HUALIEN: Yenhai Forest Road, Peng 13330; Chingshuishan, Liao 444.

Southern and central China. Taiwan, on hills from 800 to 1,750 m.

Used as an antiphlogistic and for promoting urine and for curing hepatitis and cholecystitis.