矮丛蒿 ai cong hao

Artemisia frigidoides H. C. Fu & S. Y. Zhu.

Herbs, perennial, caespitose, 5-15(-20) cm tall, shortly and capitately branched apically or stems not branched, yellowish sericeous-puberulent. Lower and middle stem leaves: petiole 6-10 mm. Lowermost leaf blades ± palmately 3-5-lobed. Middle stem leaves: leaf blade elliptic or ovate, 5-10 × 5-10 mm, ± 1- or 2-palmatisect; segments 1 or 2 pairs; lobes or lobules linear or narrowly linear-lanceolate, 3-6 × 1.5-2 mm. Uppermost leaves and leaflike bracts 3-5-lobed or entire; bracts linear or linear-lanceolate. Synflorescence a dense, short, ± spikelike panicle. Involucre hemispheric, subglobose, or ovoid-campanulate, 3-4 mm in diam. Marginal female florets 5-7. Disk florets 15-22, bisexual; corolla limb puberulent. Achenes obovoid or obovoid-ellipsoid. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct.

Rocky hills, desert steppes; middle or low elevations. NW Nei Mongol, N Xinjiang [Mongolia, S Russia].