牛眼菊 niu yan ju

Herbs, perennial, 50-70 cm tall. Stems erect, purplish red, usually not branched or branched at upper part, pubescent or subglabrous. Lower leaves obovate-lanceolate, base gradually narrower and petiolate; middle leaves oblong to lanceolate, base gradually narrower, apex acute; upper leaves smaller, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, surfaces pubescent, base gradually narrower, sessile, margin entire or sparsely serrulate, apex acute. Capitulum solitary and terminal on stems or branches. Involucre hemispheric; phyllaries green, herbaceous, ovate-lanceolate, abaxially pubescent, apex acuminate. Corolla yellow. Ray florets female, 2-3 mm wide, apex 2-4-dentate. Disk florets bisexual; corolla tubular, ca. 4 mm, 5-lobed. Achenes in ray florets trigonous, 3-4 mm; achenes in disk florets columnar, 3-4 mm, glabrous. Pappus of irregularly incised scales. 2n = 20.

Cultivated in China [native to C Europe].