Scabiosa bretschneideri Batalin, Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada 14: 184. 1895; Bassecoia bretschneideri (Batalin) B. L. Burtt; Pterocephalodes bretschneideri (Batalin) V. Mayer & Ehrendorfer.

Herbs, perennial, 8-40 cm tall. Taproots columnar, 3-20 mm in diam. Leaves basal, rosulate; petiole 3-10 cm; leaf blade oblong to oblanceolate, 5-20 cm, pinnatifid to bipinnatisect; segments linear, both surfaces glabrous or puberulent. Scapes white puberulent, more densely so near inflorescence. Capitula solitary, terminal, oblate, 2.5-3 cm in diam.; involucral bracts 2-layered, 10-14, broadly linear, outside white puberulent; receptacles disklike, densely white hairy; bracts brown, linear-lanceolate, 4-6 mm, pubescent, apex acuminate; involucels ellipsoid-obovoid, 4-5 mm, 8-ribbed, densely white hirsute, membranous at apex, dentate. Calyx segmented into 8 brown setae, setae 1-1.2 cm, hispidulous above. Corolla pale rose to purple-red, tubular, 12-15 mm; tube 7-10 mm, densely white villous; limb with 4 obtuse lobes, slightly 2-lipped; upper lip slightly larger, ca. 2.5 mm; 3 lobes of lower lip ca. 2 mm, with several brown veins. Stamens 4, inserted at upper part of corolla; filaments ca. 5 mm, obviously exserted. Stigma capitate. Achenes ellipsoid, ca. 4 mm, apex tapering into a rostrum, 8-veined, sparsely villous; persistent calyx 8-setose. Fl. Jul-Aug, fr. Sep-Oct.

● Mountainous rocky crevices, grassy slopes in forests; 1600-3400 m. W Sichuan, SE Xizang (Nangxian), N Yunnan.