蜀西香青 shu xi xiang qing

Rhizome thickish, erect or ascending, upper leaves dense, withered, with terminal rosette leaves and stems. Stems erect, 5-30 cm, slender, herbaceous, simple, arachnoid tomentose. Rosette leaves lanceolate or obovate-elliptic, 2-9 × 0.3-1.3 cm, sometimes up to 20 cm, base attenuate to a long or short, winged, sheathlike petiole, margin flat, apex rounded or acute, with short cusp; lower leaves homomorphic with rosette leaves, smaller, withered or persistent in efflorescence; middle and upper leaves somewhat expanding, or erect and adherent to stem, oblanceolate-oblong or linear, 20-40 × 3-5 mm, abruptly narrow at base, apex acuminate, with withered long cusp; all leaves tomentose on both surfaces, sometimes with capitate glandular hairs, lower parts convexly 3-veined. Capitula numerous, densely compound corymbiform. Involucre broadly campanulate, 5-7 × 5-6 mm; phyllaries 5- or 6-seriate; outer phyllaries light brown, ovate, ca. 3 mm, tomentose; middle ones white in upper parts, oblong or obovate-oblong, 4.5-5 × 1.5-2 mm, apex acute or rounded; innermost ones linear, ca. 3 mm, with a ca. 2/3 of full length claw; phyllaries of male capitula often long and narrow. Receptacle with fimbrillate appendage. Predominantly female capitula with numerous marginal female florets, center with 2-4 male florets; predominantly male capitula with male florets only. Corolla tube 2.3-3 mm. Pappus exceeding corolla, incrassate at tip of apex in male florets, serrulate. Achenes oblong, ca. 1 mm, papillose. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Jul-Sep.

● Alpine or subalpine ridges, grasslands, and forests; 3000-4200 m. W Sichuan.