败酱 bai jiang

Fedia scabiosifolia Treviranus; F. serratulifolia Treviranus; Patrinia hispida Bunge.

Herbs, perennial, 30-100(-200) cm tall. Rhizomes horizontal or oblique. Stems erect, yellow-green to yellow-brown, sometimes pale purplish, glabrate basally, hispidulous apically, hairs in 2 bilateral rows. Basal leaves rosulate, wilted at anthesis; petiole 3-12 cm; blade pale green abaxially, dark green adaxially, ovate, elliptic, or elliptic-lanceolate, 1.8-10.5 × 1.2-3 cm, simple to pinnatifid or pinnatisect, surfaces glabrate or hispidulous on veins, base cuneate, margin ciliate, entire to coarsely serrate, apex obtuse or acute. Cauline leaves sessile, broadly ovate to lanceolate, 5-15 cm, reduced above, both surfaces hispidulous to glabrescent, usually pinnatifid or pinnatisect, lateral segments in 2-5 pairs, terminal segment ovate, elliptic, or elliptic-lanceolate, margin coarsely serrate, apex acuminate. Inflorescence corymbiform, lateral branches in 5-7 pairs; peduncles densely hirsute abaxially; involucral bracts linear, ca. 1 mm. Calyx lobes inconspicuous. Corolla yellow, campanulate; tube ca. 1.5 × 1.5 mm, weakly gibbous; lobes ovate, ca. 1.5 × 1-1.3 mm. Stamens 4, longer filaments ca. 3.5 mm, shorter filaments 2-2.7 mm; anthers oblong, ca. 1 mm. Ovary ellipsoid-oblong, ca. 1.5 mm; style ca. 2.5 mm; stigma peltate, 0.5-0.6 mm in diam. Achenes oblong, 3-4 mm, 3-angular, compressed, sterile locules reduced; bracteoles inconspicuous. Seeds ellipsoid, compressed. Fl. Jul-Sep, fr. Sep-Oct. 2n = 22.

Forests, forest margins, thickets, grassy areas, roadsides; (below 100-)400-2600 m. Throughout China except Guangdong, Hainan, Ningxia, Qinghai, Xinjiang, and Xizang [Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia (Far East, Siberia)].