柔毛火绒草 rou mao huo rong cao

Herbs, perennial. Rhizome short, with dense rosette leaves in upper part and a flowering stem. Stems erect, 20-32 cm tall, grayish arachnoid pubescent. Basal leaves oblong-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 1.7-4 × 3-4 mm, abaxially densely grayish arachnoid tomentose, adaxially sparsely grayish arachnoid pubescent; upper leaves longer, linear, 3-45 × 2-4 mm, abaxially densely grayish arachnoid tomentose, adaxially green and sparsely grayish arachnoid pubescent or glabrescent, margin reflexed. Capitula 5-10, densely congested, 4-5 mm in diam.; bracteal leaves 12-15, similar to upper leaves in shape, size, and indumentum. Involucre 4-5 mm, outer side densely grayish arachnoid pubescent; phyllaries 3-seriate, apex red-brown, obtuse and lacerate, glabrous. Corolla ca. 3 mm, upper part purplish brown. Achenes less than 1 mm, glabrous. Pappus purplish brown, ca. 4 mm, serrulate. Fl. Aug.

● Alpine meadows; ca. 4000 m. Sichuan (Baoxing).

This is a very rare and distinct species. It is similar to Leontopodium giraldii in its purplish brown florets and pappus but differs in its leaves narrower and longer, pappus purplish brown in all parts, and achenes smaller.