拉萨虫实 la sa chong shi

Plants 15-20 cm tall. Stem terete, finely ribbed, much branched; branches crowded, 10-20 cm. Leaves linear, 2-3 cm × 2-3 mm, subfleshy, 1-veined, base attenuate, apex pungent, mucronate. Spikelike inflorescence terete, crowded, usually 3-5 × ca. 0.7 cm; bracts usually lanceolate to ovate, equaling or broader than utricle, slightly keeled abaxially, rough, usually 1-veined, base rounded, margin broadly membranous, apex acute, mucronate. Perianth segment 1, oblong or broadly elliptic, ca. 1.4 × 0.4 mm. Stamen 1; filament 1-1.5 × as long as perianth. Utricle sublustrous, oblong-obovate, 4-5 × 3-3.5 mm, glabrous, base subcordate, apex obtuse-emarginate; wing ca. 1.7 mm wide, margin irregularly shallowly toothed; beak ca. 1 mm, apices 2, ca. 1/2 as long as beak. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.

* Sandy places on riversides; ca. 3600 m. Xizang (Lhasa).

Corispermum lhasaense is very closely related to C. falcatum. Additional studies would be desirable to clarify the status of this little-known entity.