草地虎耳草 cao di hu er cao

Hirculus pratensis (Engler & Irmscher) Losinskaja.

Herbs perennial, 11-14 cm tall. Stem brown pilose. Basal leaves with petiole 2-3 cm, brown villous; leaf blade ovate, 5-11 × 3-8 mm, abaxially glabrous, adaxially ± brown pilose, base rounded, margin brown ciliate. Cauline leaves with petiole gradually shorter distally on stem, 2-6 mm, brown villous; proximal leaf blades similar to basal ones; distal leaf blades lanceolate to linear, 4-14 × 1.5-2.5 mm, brown pilose or glandular hairy. Cyme subumbellate, 4.5-6.3 cm, 2- or 3-flowered or flower solitary; pedicels 1.5-4 cm, shortly dark brown glandular hairy. Sepals reflexed, ovate, 2-2.5 × 1-1.2 mm, veins 3, not confluent at apex, margin dark brown glandular hairy, apex obtuse. Petals yellow, elliptic to ovate, 4-5 × 2.3-2.8 mm, 4-6-callose near base, 4- or 5-veined, base contracted into a claw 0.5-0.8 mm, apex rounded. Stamens ca. 7 mm. Ovary subsuperior, ovoid, ca. 3 mm; styles erect, ca. 0.7 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.

* Alpine scrub meadows, rock crevices on slopes; 3800-4800 m. W Sichuan, S Xizang, NW Yunnan.

Saxifraga subrhombifolia Irmscher was cited as a synonym of S. pratensis in FRPS, but the former species is a much larger plant (as reflected in the FRPS description) and is probably synonymous with S. diversifolia.