滇北缬草 dian bei xie cao

Plants up to 30 cm tall. Rhizomes reduced; roots fascicled, ± thickened, clavate, ca. 1.5 mm in diam. Stems erect or ascending, simple or rarely branched, densely villous below, sparsely villous to glabrate above. Basal and lower cauline leaves usually wilted at anthesis; occasionally lower 1 or 2 cauline pairs persistent; petiole to 2.5 cm; blade obovate-orbicular, ca. 2 × 1.5 cm; middle cauline leaves: petiole 1-3 cm, sparsely villous; blade pinnatisect, sparsely hispidulous adaxially, hirsute abaxially; terminal segment elliptic to linear-elliptic, 10-20 × 3-11 mm, margin usually serrate; lateral lobes 2 or 4, similar but smaller; uppermost 1 or 2 pairs of cauline leaves smaller, subsessile or sessile, otherwise similar. Inflorescence paniculiform, flowers and fruit in remote, terminal, dichasial clusters; peduncles to 15 cm, lax in fruit; bracts leaflike to linear-subulate; bracteoles linear, entire. Corolla funnelform, 2.5-3.5 mm; tube ca. 2 mm; lobes oblong-ovate. Stamens and style prominently exserted. Achenes ovoid-lanceolate, 2.5-3 mm, puberulent on anterior side, glabrous on posterior side. Fl. and fr. Jul.

● 2600-2800 m. NE Yunnan.