密花橐吾 mi hua tuo wu

Stem erect, 60-100 cm tall, 5-10 mm in diam. at base, proximally glabrous, distally shortly yellowish brown pilose. Basal leaves petiolate; petiole 15-50 cm, glabrous, base sheathed; leaf blade ovate-cordate or reniform-cordate, 9.5-19 × 9-22 cm, both surfaces shortly pilose or abaxially hairy only along veins, palmately veined, margin irregularly dentate, apex triangular, obtuse; sinus ca. 1/3 as long as leaf blade, narrow; basal lobes 5-6 mm, coarsely dentate on outer margin, lowermost with larger teeth. Middle to distal stem leaves similar but smaller, shortly petiolate; sheath narrower, margin entire. Synflorescence racemose, lax, 15-35 cm; leaflike bracts narrowly lanceolate, margin entire or denticulate; peduncles to 5 mm, shortly yellowish brown pilose. Capitula numerous; supplementary bracts linear-lanceolate. Involucre narrowly cylindric, ca. 1 cm × to 4 mm, outside glabrous; phyllaries 5 or 6, in 2 rows, oblong, 2-3 mm wide, apex acute. Florets 5-14, all tubular, extending from involucre, 1-1.2 cm; tube 5.5-7 mm. Pappus pale yellow, 4-5 mm, as long as tube of tubular corolla. Fl. Aug-Oct.

● Grassy slopes, forest understories; 3200-3300 m. NW Yunnan.