西疆短星菊 xi jiang duan xing ju

Basionym: Conyza roylei Candolle, Prodr. 5: 381. 1836; Brachyactis roylei (Candolle) Wendelbo; B. umbrosa (Karelin & Kirilov) Bentham; C. umbrosa Karelin & Kirilov; Erigeron umbrosus (Karelin & Kirilov) Boissier.

Herbs, annual, 3-35 cm tall. Stems erect or ascending, sometimes procumbent, green or tinged pinkish, branched from base or upper part, densely leafy, densely stipitate glandular, densely hirsute-villous. Leaves: surfaces ± densely stipitate glandular, hirsute-villous; basal withered and fallen at anthesis, long petiolate, blade obovate or obovate-oblong, 0.5-4 × 0.3-1.5 cm, base cuneate to attenuate, margin coarsely serrate, apex obtuse or arched; cauline shortly petiolate, blade obovate, base attenuate to cuneate; upper reduced, margin coarsely serrate or subentire. Capitula numerous, in racemiform or racemose-paniculiform synflorescences, 1-1.2 cm in diam. Involucre campanulate; phyllaries 3- or 4-seriate, membranous, linear-lanceolate, shorter than or equaling disk florets, abaxially densely stipitate glandular, sparsely villous, margin narrowly scarious, outer shorter than inner, 5-7 × 0.6-1 mm. Ray florets numerous, reduced to tube, white, 2.2-2.6 mm, sparsely hairy above, apex oblique, ciliate, or sometimes laminate; disk florets yellow, 3.5-3.6 mm, tube 2.4-2.8 mm, limb shortly funnelform, upper tube and limb hairy, lobes ovate, 0.25-0.4 mm. Achenes lanceolate, compressed, 1.8-2.2 mm, strigose. Pappus yellowish to cinnamon, 2-seriate, 3.6-3.9 mm, inner ± equaling disk corolla. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.

Among rocks and shrubs; 1800-4300 m. N Xinjiang, N and W Xizang [Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Uzbekistan; SW Asia (Iran)].