太行菊 tai hang ju

Chrysanthemum taihangense Y. Ling, Contr. Bot. Surv. N.W. China 1(2): 22. 1939; Opisthopappus longilobus C. Shih.

Herbs, perennial, 10-30 cm tall; stems ascending, purple-red or brown, densely or sparsely appressed pubescent, base somewhat woody. Basal leaves: petiole more than 0.5 cm; leaf blade ovate, broadly ovate, or elliptic, 2.5-3.5 × 2-2.5 cm, 1- or 2-pinnatisect, both surfaces sparsely pubescent or glabrous; primary lateral segments 2- or 3-paired; ultimate segments linear, falcate, lanceolate, or obliquely triangular. Stem leaves similar to basal leaves; uppermost leaves pinnatifid. Capitula 1-3 at apices of branches. Involucre coryliform, ca. 1.5 cm in diam., abaxially glabrous or nearly so; phyllaries in 4 rows, abaxially rather densely pubescent, outer and middle phyllaries linear or oblanceolate, 4-5.5 mm, inner ones narrowly elliptic, 6-7 mm. Ray florets white or pink; lamina linear, ca. 2 cm, apex 3-denticulate. Disk florets yellow, 5-lobed. Achenes obovoid, ca. 1.2 mm, 3-5-ribbed. Corona scales 4-6, mainly abaxial.

● On rocks of mountain slopes, cliffs; 800-1200 m. Hebei, Henan, Shanxi.

The capitula are used to treat diseases of the liver.