木里堇菜 mu li jin cai

Herbs perennial, to 28 cm high, lacking stolons. Rootstock vertical, to 3 cm, densely articulate, with numerous dark brown fibrous roots. Stems 1-5, 0.5-1 mm in diam., glabrous, very rarely 1- or 2-branched. Leaves broadly ovate or triangular, very rarely orbicular, 1.5-4.5 × 2-8 cm, papery, both surfaces green and glabrous, base truncate to widely cuneate, rarely widely cordate, 3-pedatipartite to 3-5 mm from base; middle partition rhombic or broadly linear, base cuneate or narrowly cuneate, apex acuminate, undivided, margin 2- or 3-dentate in upper part, sometimes 2- or 3-fid to 6-7 mm from base, lobes laxly 2- or 3-incised-lobulate; lateral partitions rarely undivided, margin 2- or 3-dentate, rarely entire, often unequally 2- or 3-fid, lobes 2- or 3-lobulate. Basal leaves 1-4, sometimes withered, long petiolate; petioles 2.5-14 cm, glabrous. Cauline leaves similar to basal ones but petioles shorter and blades smaller upward. Stipules 2, leaflike, subulate or linear, 4-22 × 0.5-3 mm, free, glabrous, margin entire, rarely base 1-denticulate. Flowers axillary, yellow, ca. 1.5 cm in diam.; pedicels 2-4.5 cm, slender, glabrous, near apex 2-bracteolate; bracteoles filiform, very small. Sepals green, narrowly linear, 3-5 × ca. 0.5 mm, glabrous, margin entire, apex acuminate; appendages very short, glabrous. Petals glabrous; upper ones oblong-spatulate, 8-10 mm, 3-4 mm wide in upper part, apex rounded; lateral ones oblong-spatulate, 10-12 mm, 2.5-3.5 mm wide in upper part, apex rounded, at throat with 2-4 black striae; lower petal broadly oblong-spatulate, 5-7 mm, 2.5-3 mm wide in upper part, apex obtuse or cuspidate, at throat densely black striate, shortly spurred; spur yellow, ca. 0.5 mm. Ovary ovoid, glabrous; style shortly clavate, base geniculate, 1-1.5 mm; stigma capitate, thick, slightly 2-lobed, glabrous. Capsule ovoid or globose, glabrous, ca. 4.5 mm, ca. 2.5 mm in diam. Seeds ovoid, ca. 0.8 × 1.5 mm. Fl. Jul, fr. Sep.

● Forest margins, moss-covered rock crevices; ca. 2500 m. SW Sichuan (Muli).

This is a very rare and critically endangered species.