青海须弥菊 qing hai xu mi ju

Basionym: Saussurea qinghaiensis S. W. Liu & T. N. Ho, Fl. Qinghai. 3: 511. 1996.

Herbs, 80-90 cm tall, perennial. Stem solitary, apically few branched, erect, ca. 5 mm in diam. Basal and lower stem leaves often withered at anthesis, petiolate; petiole to 3 cm; leaf blade 2.5-7 × 3-4 cm, abaxially grayish green, tomentose, adaxially green, pubescent, base truncate, margin sparsely dentate, apex acute. Middle and upper stem leaves sessile, 4-10 × 0.5-3.5 cm, base auriculate, amplexicaul, apex acute to acuminate. Capitula 2-4, very long pedunculate, nodding, in racemiform synflorescence. Involucre broadly hemispheric, 2-3 cm in diam. Phyllaries in 7-9 rows, straw-colored, blackish brown at margin, arachnoid, narrowly ovate-subulate to subulate-filiform, 1-1.5 mm wide, apex long acuminate and reflexed. Corolla bluish purple, 1-1.3 cm, tube 6-7 mm, limb 6-7 mm, lobes 2-3 mm. Achene black, ca. 4 mm, 4-angled, transversely rugose, apex with a denticulate crown. Pappus pale brown, outer bristles ?short, inner bristles to 1.2 cm. Fl. Aug.

● Near mountain streams; ca. 3600 m. S Qinghai (Yushu).

This species has been described as having a row of short outer pappus bristles. However, on the image available to us, no such bristles can be seen. The nodding, large capitula and achene characters are typical for the genus Himalaiella; therefore, this taxon is excluded from Saussurea and included here in Himalaiella.