白花鬼針

Stems erect, 25-85 cm long, subtetragonous, loosely crisped-pilose in upper part. Median leaves opposite, 12-19 cm long inclusive of petiole (1.5-5 cm long, wingless), usually ternate or pinnatisect, sparsely puberulous on both surfaces, lateral segments ovate, acute, base narrowed into a short petiolate portion, margins mucronulate-serrate, terminal segments ovate or ovate-oblong, short-acuminate, base attenuate or linear-lanceolate, small. Heads discoid, 8-9 mm across; peduncles to 3-10 cm long. Involucral bracts 7 or 8, spatulate, 3-4 mm long in anthesis, 5 mm long in fruit, outer ones oblong, 5.5 mm long, inner ones to 9 mm long, lanceolate. Disc florets: corolla tubular, 4.5 mm long, 5-dentate. Achenes numerous, 50-70, linear, 7-13 mm long, ca. 1 mm wide, 4-angled, short-strigose. Pappus awns 3 or 4, 1.5-2.5 mm long.

TAIPEI: Chuwei, Peng 7507; Pinglin, Shen 1843. TAICHUNG: Pahsienshan, Liu 867. NANTOU: Lienhua-chih, Lin 234; Fenghuangshan, Chen 252. KAOHSIUNG: Tenchih, Lin 345. TAITUNG: Lanyu Is., Peng 10658.

Widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Taiwan, roadsides and cultivated fields from low to middle elevations.