植扶橐吾 zhi fu tuo wu

Stem erect, often purplish red, to 150 cm tall, to 1.5 cm in diam. at base, hollow, proximally glabrous, distally shortly brown pilose and white arachnoid-puberulent. Rosette of leaves not seen. Proximal stem leaves petiolate; petiole to 24 cm, white arachnoid-puberulent; leaf blade oblong or ovate-oblong, 35-40 × 25-30 cm, abaxially pubescent, adaxially glabrous, pinnately veined, lateral veins more than 27 pairs, prominent on both surfaces, base subtruncate, margin regularly dentate, apex rounded. Middle to distal stem leaves petiolate; petiole to 10 cm, without sheath; leaf blade smaller, oblong or ovate-oblong. Synflorescence racemose, to 80 cm, distally clustered, proximally lax; leaflike bracts linear, white arachnoid-puberulent, proximal ones to 5.5 cm × ca. 1 mm, smaller distally; peduncles unequal, proximally to 5 cm, with 5 capitula, distal ones with 1 capitulum. Capitula numerous, nodding; supplementary bracts linear. Involucre campanulate or turbinate, 8-10 × 5-7 mm, outside blackish gray, white arachnoid-puberulent; phyllaries 7 or 8, in 2 rows, oblong or lanceolate, apex acute or acuminate; inner phyllaries white membranous at margin. Ray florets 3-5, yellow; lamina oblanceolate, 5-9 × ca. 2 mm; tube ca. 6 mm. Tubular florets numerous, higher than involucre, 6-7 mm; tube as long as limb. Achenes brown, oblong, ca. 5 mm. Pappus pale yellow, as long as tubular corolla. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.

● Grassy slopes; below 3600 m. S and SW Sichuan.