ASTERACEAE Tribe GNAPHALIEAE [Draft]

鼠麴草族  shu qu cao zu

Chen Yousheng (陈又生)[1], Zhu Sixin (朱世新)[2]; Randall J. Bayer[3]

Tribe description needed.

Number genera and ca. ?? species: give global distribution; ?? genera and ?? species in China.

1a.       Receptacle with paleae; external florets invaginated by paleae; bisexual florets style unbranched or subulate branched ............................................................................................................  1. Filago

1b.       Receptacle without paleae; bisexual floret’s style apex truncate.

2a.       Bisexual florets mostly fertile; bisexual floret’s style branched.

3a.       Heads with only bisexual florets or with few male florets in outer parts; phyllaries white, yellow, brown or pink, papery .....................................................................................  8. Helichrysum

3b.       Heads with female and bisexual florets; phyllaries yellow, brown or achromatous.

4a.       Female florets multiseriate; anther base obtuse or slightly acute ..............  6. Phagnalon

4b.       Female florets 2- to multiseriate; anthers tailed ....................................  7. Gnaphalium

2b.       Bisexual florets sterile, bisexual floret’s style unbranched to shortly branched.

5a.       Pappus detached; heads corymbose, rarely spicate ...................................  5. Anaphalis

5b.       Pappus connate at base; heads ฑ in dense corymbose, rarely solitary.

6a.       Plant monoecious or dioecious; inflorescences usually with bracteal leaves
.......................................................................................................  4. Leontopodium

6b.       Plant dioecious; inflorescences without bracteal leaves.

7a.       Scapose plant with rosulate leaves; capitula generally corymbose
                                                                                                            2. Antennaria

7b.       Pulvinate herbs; capitula solitary ..............................................  3. Sinoleontopodium

1. FILAGO Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 927. 1753.

絮菊属  xu ju shu

Chen Yousheng (陈又生); Randall J. Bayer

Annual herbs. Stems with fibers in phloem, without resin canals, without pericyclic cambium. Leaves alternate, sessile, tomentose, eglandular. Heads heterogamous, disciform, few together, surrounded by a ray of leaves. Involucral bracts in a few rows, cartilaginous or apically minutely papery, monomorphic, monochromous, brownish, transparent, not enclosing florets; stereome entire. Receptacles cylindric to clavate, glabrous, epaleate. Female florets purple, filiform, outnumbering disc florets. Disc florets perfect, or functionally male; corolla purple; corolla lobes 4, erect; veins ending below lobes. Anthers ecalcarate, with short tails; endothecial tissue polarized; apical appendage flat, as wide as thecae. Achenes brown, monomorphic, terete to compressed, cylindric to obovoid, with 2 vascular bundles, sparsely hairy with short, clavate, myxogenic twin hairs; epidermis smooth. Pappus monomorphic, of free, scabrid capillary bristles in 1 row, basally with patent cilia; apical cells acute. x = 7, 9, 13, 14.

About 46 species: N Africa, W Asia, Atlantic islands, Europe; two species in China.

1a.       Heads ca. 3 mm, few in dense corymbs; phyllaries in 2 or 3 series; bracteal leaves slightly longer than inflorescence ...............................................................................................  1. F. arvensis

1b.       Heads ca. 5 mm, numerous in globose corymbs; phyllaries in 3–5 series; bracteal leaves shorter than inflorescence ............................................................................................  2. F. spathulata

1. Filago arvensis Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1312. 1753.

絮菊  xu ju

Gnaphalium arvensis Willdenow; Logfia arvensis (Linnaeus) J. Holub.

Annual. Stems 5–35 cm tall, erect, paniculately branching, more rarely simple, sometimes forkedly branching in upper portion, with dense whitish or grayish lanate pubescence. Leaves lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 5–15 ื ca. 1.3 mm, acute, with soft lanate pubescence. Calathidia 2–3 mm, ovate or pyramidal, gathered in 2s–10s into numerous heads, arranged at apices of stems and ramuscules and forming paniculate, racemose, more rarely spiciform inflorescences; floral leaves as long as or shorter than heads. Involucre 2- or 3-seriate, involucral bracts stellate-patent after ripening of achenes; external involucral bracts 5–10, linear or lanceolate, cymbiform, ecarinate, slightly acuminate, 2–3 mm, closely surrounding pistillate florets, green, in middle scarious, white transparent at margin, abaxially with thick continuous gray lanate pubescence, glabrous at apex; inner involucral bracts 5, broadly lanceolate, slightly concave, acuminate or obtuse, becoming green in middle, at margin abaxially indistinctly pubescent or glabrous. Achenes oblong-ovate, slightly flattened, light brown, 0.8–1 ื ca. 0.3 mm, glabrous, with sparse, larger than in other species of genus. Pappus of pistillate and bisexual florets, of 12–15 finely crenate bristles. 2n = 28.

Dry slopes, dunes; ca. 1000 m. Xinjiang, Xizang [Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia; Europe].

2. Filago spathulata J. Presl, Delic. Prag. 99. 1822.

匙叶絮菊  shi ye xu ju

Annual. Stems 5–80 cm tall, generally branching from base, with erect or ascending branches, often slightly sinuate, forkedly branching at apex, gray appressed pubescent. Leaves thin, 1.5–2 cm ื 4–6 mm, oblong-spatulate, narrowed to base, obtuse or shortly acuminate, pubescent with long appressed gray tomentum sparsely on both sides. Calathidia ca. 5 mm, ovate, gathered in 10s–15s into dense ฑ orbicular heads, 6–12 mm in diam., arranged in bifurcations of stems and at apices of branches; floral leaves, slightly exceeding heads in length. Involucre 5-seriate; external involucral bracts lanceolate, cymbiform, 5–5.5 ื ca. 1 mm, straight or slightly unbent at apex, thin, subulate acumen, abaxially with distinct light gray lanate pubescence of long hairs; inner involucral bracts 4–4.5 mm, broadly lanceolate, flat, scarious, becoming green in middle, transparent white at margin, long acuminate at apex; innermost involucral bracts lanceolate, shortly acuminate or oblong-ovate, obtuse, flat, transparent-white, glabrous. Bisexual florets 5–7. Achenes 0.5–0.8 ื 0.2–0.4 mm, oblong-obovate, glabrous, finely papillate, external achenes epappose, inner ones bearing a few bristles, pappus of bisexual florets with 12–14 bristles.

Dry slopes, dunes. Xinjiang, Xizang [Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia; Europe].

2. ANTENNARIA Gaertner, Fruct. Sem. Pl. 2: 410. 1791.

蝶须属  die xu shu

Chen Yousheng (陈又生); Randall J. Bayer

Perennials or subshrubs, dioecious, gynoecious, or polygamodioecious, caespitose, stoloniferous, or rhizomatous. Stems erect, without fibers in phloem, without resin canals. Leaves basal and cauline, alternate, petiolate or sessile; blades mostly cuneate, elliptic, lanceolate, linear, oblanceolate, or spatulate, margins entire, abaxial faces usually tomentose, adaxial glabrous or tomentose to sericeous or glabrescent. Heads unisexual, homogamous, discoid, borne singly or in corymbiform, paniculiform, racemiform, or subcapitate arrays. Involucres: staminate campanulate to hemispheric; pistillate turbinate or campanulate to cylindric. Phyllaries in 3–6+ series, usually relatively narrow, unequal, proximally papery or membranous; distally ฑ scarious, often black, brown, castaneous, cream, gray, green, olivaceous, pink, red, white, or yellow, apices usually acute, sometimes obtuse to ฑ truncate. Receptacles flat to convex or ovoid, foveolate, epaleate. Ray florets absent. Disc florets mostly 20–100+, functionally staminate or pistillate; staminate corollas white, yellow, or red, narrowly funnelform or tubular; lobes usually 5, erect to recurved; pistillate corollas white, yellow, or red, narrowly tubular to filiform. Anthers ecalcarate, with short tails; endothecial tissue polarized; apical appendage flat, as wide as thecae. Style bifid; style-branches truncate with obtuse sweeping hairs abaxially not reaching furcation; stigmatic surface separated. Cypselae small, ellipsoid to ovoid, with 2 vascular bundles, sparsely hairy with short, clavate, myxogenic twin-hairs; epidermis smooth. Pappus dimorphic, of free, barbellate, capillary bristles in 1 row, basally with patent cilia; apical cells clavate in disc florets, acute in female. x = 14.

About 71 species: temperate and arctic/alpine regions, mainly North America and Eurasia, a few taxa in South America; one species in China.

1. Antennaria dioica (Linnaeus) Gaertner, Fruct. Sem. Pl. 2: 410. 1791.

蝶须  die xu

Gnaphalium dioicum Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 850. 1753; Antennaria hyperborea D. Don; A. insularis Greene.

Perennial dioecious herbs, 3–10 cm tall. Stolons 2–5 cm. Basal leaves 1-nerved, spatulate or rhombic-spatulate, 3–18 ื 3–6 mm, tips mucronate, abaxially gray tomentose, adaxially green glabrous and distally pink or white phyllaries. Cauline leaves linear, 7–13 mm, not flagged (apices acute). Heads 3–7 in corymbiform arrays. Involucres: staminate 5–6.5 mm; pistillate 5–7 mm. Phyllaries distally dark pink to light pink or white. Corollas: staminate 3–4 mm; pistillate 4–5 mm. Cypselae 0.5–1 mm, papillate; pappus 3.5–4.5 mm in staminate florets, 5–6 mm in pistillate florets. Fl. May–Aug. 2n = 28.

Dry slopes on tundra, meadows, conifer forests; 600–2700 m. Gansu, Heilongjiang, Xinjiang [Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia; Europe, North America (Alaska)].

3. Sinoleontopodium Y. L. Chen, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 23: 457. 1985.

君范菊属  jun fan ju shu

Chen Yousheng (陈又生); Randall J. Bayer

Compact cushion-forming, dioecious perennials. Stem without pericyclic cambium, neither with resin canals, nor with fibers in phloem. Leaves alternate, very densely set, concave, hairy with a distal hair tuft adaxially, eglandular, margin entire. Capitula solitary, sessile, unisexual. Involucral bracts in a few rows, with brown, papery lamina; stereome undivided. Receptacle flat, epaleate. Female florets yellow, filiform, pistillate with long apical hairs. Cypselas as in disc florets. Pappus with acute apical cells. Disc florets functionally male with long apical hairs. Corolla yellow; corolla lobes erect, veins reaching ape of lobes. Anthers ecalcarate, with short tails; endothecial tissue polarized; apical appendage flat, as wide as thecae. Pollen gnaphalioid. Style bifid; style-branches obtuse with obtuse sweeping-hairs abaxially, reaching to furcation; stigmatic surface separated. Cypselas glabrous, slightly angular, with 5 vascular bundles; epidermis smooth. Pappus dimorphic, barbellate, capillary bristles in 1 row; basally without patent cilia; apical cells clavate in disc florets, acute in female.

* One species.

1. Sinoleontopodium lingianum Y. L. Chen, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 23: 458. 1985. [Note: nom. inval., 2 types indicated; validation paper by Chen Yousheng & Yang Qiner is in prep./press.]

君范菊  jun fan ju

Pulvinate perennials, 4–5 cm tall, densely white or yellowish lanate. Rhizome slender, woody, ascending or erect, with numerous flowering and sterile stems densely congested. Stems 2–3 cm tall, simple or 2–3(–5) branched above. Leaves sessile, alternate and very densely set; blade ovate-oblong, elliptic-oblong, or oblanceolate, 2–8 ื 1–2.5 mm, apex obtuse, base narrower, margin entire, surfaces white or grayish lanate with a distinct distal hair tuft adaxially. Heads usually solitary, dioecious. Involucre 6–8 ื 4–5 mm. Phyllaries in 5 or 6(or 7) series, pallid brown; outer ones ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 3–5 ื 1.5–2 mm, apex obtuse; middle one oblong-lanceolate or oblanceolate, 7–8 ื 2–3 mm, apex acute; inner ones linear-lanceolate or oblanceolate, 4–5 ื ca. 1 mm, apex fimbriate lacerate. Florets 44–55 per head; corolla yellow, ca. 3 mm, densely white villous in upper part; style slightly exserted, lobes ca. 0.3 mm; ovary ca. 0.5 mm, glabrous. Achenes ca. 1 mm, 1-nerved, sparsely glandular-papillose. Pappus white, serrulate. Fl. Jul.

* Alpine glacial and gravelly slopes or rocky places; 4500–4900 m. Xizang (Milin).

This species is characterized by the pulvinate habit, homogeneous florets and corolla rather densely white villous in the upper part.

4. Leontopodium R. Brown ex Cassini, Bull. Sci. Soc. Philom. Paris 144. 1819.

火绒草属  huo rong cao shu

Chen Yousheng (陈又生); Randall J. Bayer

Perennial herbs. Stem with fibers in phloem, without resin canals, without pericyclic cambium. Leaves alternate, sessile, tomentose to villous, eglandular; margin flat, entire. Capitula heterogamous, disciform, in flat-topped terminal corymbs, surrounded by a whorl of prominent, white woolly leaves. Receptacle flat, epaleate. Involucral bracts papery, monomorphic, monochromous, brownish, transparent; stereome undivided. Female florets yellow, filiform, outnumbering disc florets. Cypselas as in disc florets. Pappus with acute apical cells. Disc florets functionally male; corolla yellow; corolla lobes erect, veins reaching apex of lobes. Anthers ecalcarate, with short tails; endothecial tissue polarized; apical appendage flat, as wide as thecae. Pollen gnaphalioid. Style bifid; style-branches truncate with obtuse sweeping hairs abaxially, not reaching furcation; stigmatic surface separated. Cypsela small, oblong, with 5 vascular bundles, sparsely hairy with short, clavate, not myxogenic twin-hairs; epidermis smooth. Pappus dimorphic, of basally connate, barbellate, capillary bristles in 1 row; apical cells clavate in disc florets, acute in female. x = 7.

About 58 species: Asia, Europe; 36 species (18 endemic) in China.

The application of the following names cannot be ascertained here because we have not seen any specimens:

Leontopodium brachyactis Gandoger, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 44: 420. 1899.

Leonotopodium junpeianum Kitamura, Acta Phytotax. & Geobot. 4: 102. 1935.

1a.       Pappus not white.

2a.       Pappus purplish brown; corolla purplish brown at less in upper part; bracteal leaves linear-lanceolate or linear.

3a.       Leaves linear-lanceolate or linear-oblanceolate, 3–9 mm wide; pappus purplish brown, but yellow in lower part; corolla purplish brown at upper part; achenes ca. 1.8 mm ........  1. L. giraldii

3b.       Leaves linear or linear-lanceolate, 2–4 mm wide; pappus deep purplish brown throughout; corolla purplish red above; achenes less than 1 mm .............................................  2. L. villosum

2b.       Pappus yellowish brown; corolla yellow or purplish red; bracteal leaves oblong-lanceolate or absent.

4a.       Sparse erect herbs; bracteal leaves oblong-lanceolate .......................  3. L. forrestianum

4b.       Compact pulvinate herbs; bracteal leaves absent ...............................  4. L. aurantiacum

1b.       Pappus white or rarely red.

5a.       Compact pulvinate herbs; bracteal leaves absent ...................................  5. L. haastioides

5b.       Erect herbs or subpulvinate herbs; bracteal leaves present.

6a.       Pappus and corolla red above ...................................................................  6. L. roseum

6b.       Pappus white; corolla yellow or white.

7a.       Stems and leaves adaxially densely yellow or brown glandular hairs, or arachnoid pubescent on leaf surfaces.

8a.       Leaf blade linear-lanceolate basally gradually narrower, both surface with grayish or greenish arachnoid pubescence ............................................................  7. L. haplophylloides

8b.       Leaf blade base cordate, auriculate or narrower, abaxially densely white arachnoid tomentose.

9a.       Leaf blade linear or spatulate-lanceolate, veinlets indistinct.

10a.     Perennial herbs; stems not branched; leaves 10–35 ื 1–3 mm .....  8. L. franchetii

10b.     Subshrubs; stems numerous branched; leaves 3–10 ื 0.5–1.5 mm
.............................................................................................  9. L. suffruticosum

9b.       Leaf blade ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, margin even or undulate, veinlets distinct.

11a.     Stems herbaceous or subwoody at base; leaf blade base cordate; bracteal leaves ovate-lanceolate ...................................................................................................  10. L. stracheyi

11b.     Stems woody; leaf blade base narrower or slightly auriculate; bracteal leaves lanceolate or long lanceolate .........................................................................  11. L. artemisiifolium

7b.       Stems and leaves white, gray or yellowish arachnoid pubescent, without glandular hairs.

12a.     Leaf base ampliate and cordate .....................................................  12. L. dedekensii

12b.     Leaf base narrower or equal, or rarely auriculate.

13a.     Subshrubs, stems woody, usually branched ......................................  13. L. sinense

13b.     Perennial herbs, stems herbaceous or woody at lower part, usually not branched.

14a.     Cauline leaves not sheathing at base.

15a.     Rhizome shortly branched, usually without relics of old leaves; stems branched or not branched; inflorescence usually in compound corymbs
                                                                                                14. L. japonicum

15b.     Rhizome long branched, densely covered with relics of old leaves above; stems not branched; inflorescence usually solitary.

16a.     Rhizome and suckers sparsely arranged; bracteal leaves subequal, but usually broader than cauline leaves.

17a.     Flowering stems 12–42 cm; achenes glabrous ........................  15. L. wilsonii

17b.     Flowering stems 5–10(–18) cm tall; achenes papillose .........  16. L. omeiense

16b.     Rhizome and suckers densely arranged and tufted; bracteal leaves distinctly broader than cauline leaves.

18a.     Leaves linear or subulate, 8–30 ื 0.8–1.4 mm, margin reflexed, adaxially usually green and glabrescent .......................................................................  17. L. andersonii

18b.     Leaves oblanceolate, 7–12 ื 1.5–2 mm, margin not reflexed, densely whitish woolly on surfaces .......................................................................  18. L. microphyllum

14b.     Cauline leaves or some of them sheathing at base.

19a.     Bracteal leaves larger than cauline leaves; heads solitary
                                                                                        19. L. monocephalum

19b.     Bracteal leaves subequal to cauline leaves, or slightly wider; heads usually numerous, very rarely solitary.

20a.     Plant pulvinate; leaves linear-lanceolate, 6–10 ื 0.5–1 mm
............................................................................................  20. L. muscoides

20b.     Plant caespitose with long stems, or pulvinate, or stem solitary; leaves linear-lanceolate, linear-spatulate or spatulate, usually longer and wider.

21a.     Plant caespitose or pulvinate; rhizome stout, with numerous suckers, without sterile rosette stems; or in case with sterile rosette stems, leaves spatulate.

22a.     Leaves lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, rarely elliptic; heads 4–5 mm in diam.; bracteal leaves distinct and forming a star.

23a.     Sheaths as wide as leaf wide ....................................  21. L. delavayanum

23b.     Sheath narrower than leaf wide.

24a.     Leaves oblanceolate-oblong or oblanceolate, 7–15 ื 2–6 mm; flowering stems 1–7 cm tall ..........................................................................  22. L. fangingense

24b.     Leaves linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, 6–25 ื 1–3 mm; flowering stems 6–28 cm tall.

25a.     Plant stoloniferous, stolons slender, elongate, usually branched, terminated by a loose rosette of leaves; achenes pubescent .......................  23. L. jacotianum

25b.     Plant not stoloniferous; stems erect, caespitose, usually not branched; achenes glabrous                                                                                24. L. caespitosum

22b.     Leaves spatulate; heads 4–13 mm in diam.; bracteal leaves indistinct.

26a.     Bracteal leaves numerous, large, forming an irregular star
                                                                                          25. L. pusillum

26b.     Bracteal leaves few, smaller, not forming a star.

27a.     Plant pulvinate, caespitose; heads 1–3, 6–13 mm in diam.  26. L. nanum

27b.     Plant caespitose; heads numerous, ca. 4 mm in diam.
...............................................................................  27. L. stoloniferum

21b.     Plant caespitose or stem solitary; rhizome slender, usually with sterile rosette stems.

28a.     Upper cauline leaves base broadened, usually surrounding stem.

29a.     Cauline leaves linear or ligulate-linear, 1–4 cm; bracteal leaves 9–14, 10–20 ื 1.5–3 mm, forming a star of 2–3 cm in diam.
                                                                                             28. L. souliei

29b.     Cauline leaves lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 5–15 cm; bracteal leaves 10–18, 20–45 ื 3–6 mm, forming multiradiate “star” 5–8 cm in diam.  29. L. calocephalum

28b.     Upper cauline leaves base narrower or equal, not surrounding stem.

30a.     Bracteal leaves ligulate, usually broader at base, apex acute to acuminate  30. L. himalayanum

30b.     Bracteal leaves lanceolate or ovate, rarely linear, apex acute or obtuse.

31a.     Leaves adaxially usually green and glabrescent ..........  31. L. longifolium

31b.     Leaves adaxially as same as abaxially, grayish arachnoid tomentose.

32a.     Plant usually 5–10 cm tall, usually with dense sterile rosettes; leaves oblong, ligulate, lanceolate, or linear-lanceolate
                                                                              32. L. ochroleucum

32b.     Plant usually 15–35 cm tall, not forming dense clusters; leaves lanceolate, linear-lanceolate or oblanceolate.

33a.     Bracteal leaves distinct, ovate-lanceolate, broadened at base, abaxially light green .........................................................................  33. L. conglobatum

33b.     Bracteal leaves much larger than upper cauline leaves, oblong or linear, base not broadened, abaxially no gray or whitish.

34a.     Bracteal leaves similar to upper cauline leaves, linear, apex acuminate, forming a distinct star; phyllaries ca. 4 mm
...........................................................................  34. L. campestre

34b.     Bracteal leaves oblong, linear-lanceolate or rarely linear, not forming a regular star; phyllaries 4.5–6 mm.

35a.     Bracteal leaves few, not forming a star ......  35. L. leontopodioides

35b.     Bracteal forming an irregular star .....................  36. L. smithianum

1. Leontopodium giraldii Diels, Bot. Jahrb. Syst. Beibl. 82: 103. 1905.

秦岭火绒草  qin ling huo rong cao

Perennial. Rhizome stout and branched, densely covered with black-brown relics of leaves, forms rather caespitose of several stems and sterile leaf rosettes. Stems erect and firm, 10–28 cm tall, ash-colored arachnoid-lanate. Leaves discolored on both sides, adaxially glabrate greenish, abaxially densely white arachnoid-lanate; cauline leaves linear-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 30–90 ื 3–10 mm, apex obtuse or acute, basally narrower, basal ones usually larger than upper ones; radical rosette leaves oblong-spatulate or narrowly oblong 20–50 ื 5–8 mm, narrowed in vagina. Involucre leaves similar to upper cauline leaves in shape, size and indumentum, but slightly narrower, forming irregular “star” of 6–8 cm in diam. Heads 6–8 mm in diam., 5–9, in sparse corymbs; peduncles ca. 1 cm, connate with base of bracteal leaves. Involucral bracts in 3 or 4 series, oblong, ca. 4 mm, abaxially densely white tomentose, apex glabrous, purplish brown, obtuse or lacerate. Heads heterogamous; corolla ca. 3 mm, purplish brown above. Achenes glabrous, ca. 1.8 mm. Pappus purplish brown, serrulate, 2–3 mm. Fl. May–Aug, fr. Jul–Sep.

* Subalpine stony scree slopes, grasslands; 2000–3200 m. Shaanxi (Mt. Tabaishan).

A distinct and very rare species endemic to China.

2. Leontopodium villosum Handel-Mazzetti, Oesterr. Bot. Z. 89: 58. 1940.

柔毛火绒草  rou mao huo rong cao

Perennial herbs. Rhizome short, with dense rosette leaves in upper part and a flowering stem. Stems erect 20–32 cm tall, grayish arachnoid pubescent. Basal leaves oblong-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 17–4 ื 3–4 mm, adaxially sparsely grayish arachnoid pubescent, abaxially densely grayish arachnoid tomentose; upper leaves longer, linear, 3–45 ื 2–4 mm, margin reflex, adaxially green, sparsely grayish arachnoid pubescent or glabrescent, abaxially densely grayish arachnoid tomentose. Bracteal leaves 12–15, similar to upper leaves in shape, size and indumentum. Heads 4–5 mm in diam., 5–10, densely congested. Involucre 4–5 mm, outer side densely grayish arachnoid pubescent; phyllaries in 3 series, apex obtuse and lacerate, glabrous, red-brown; corolla ca. 3 mm, upper part purplish brown. Achenes glabrous, less than 1 mm. Pappus purplish brown, ca. 4 mm, serrulate. Fl. Aug.

* Alpine meadows; ca. 4000 m. Sichuan (Baoxing).

A very rare and distinct species similar to Leontopodium giraldii Diels in its purplish brown florets and pappus, but its leaves more narrower and longer, pappus purplish brown in all parts and achenes more smaller.

3. Leontopodium forrestianum Handel-Mazzetti, Anz. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math.-Naturwiss. Kl. 61: 112. 1924.

鼠麴火绒草  shu qu huo rong cao

Perennial. Rhizome slender, with numerous flowering and sterile stems. Stems slender, erect, 2–10 cm tall, simple or branching at base, entire plant gray silky or ash lanate and equally leafy. Leaf blade linear, oblong to oblanceolate, 8–11 ื 1.5–2.5 mm, apex obtuse or acute, basally narrower, sessile, adaxially yellowish green and arachnoid, abaxially white or ash-colored lanuginous. Heads 2–3(–7), 5–7 mm in diam., in dense corymbs, or solitary; bracteal leaves numerous, as large as upper leaves or broader, leaves adaxially sordid yellow tomentose, abaxially densely white tomentose; involucre in 3 series, abaxially yellowish pilose, phyllaries lanceolate, ca. 4 mm, apex acute and brown; marginal florets female, corolla capillary; disc florets male, corolla subtubular, ca. 3.5 mm; achenes papillose; pappus of capillary bristles, yellowish. Fl. Jul–Sep, fr. Sep–Oct.

Alpine grassland, gravelly slopes, thickets; 3500–3800 m. NW Yunnan [Myanmar].

A very rare and distinct species related to the genus Gnaphalium.

4. Leontopodium aurantiacum Handel-Mazzetti, Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 44, 2: 83. 1928.

黄毛火绒草  huang mao huo rong cao

Perennial pulvinate herbs, ca. 2 cm tall. Rhizome slender, short and numerously branched. Stems numerous, usually shortly branched, with several leaves in middle and rosette leaves at apex, forming a mat of 12–60 cm in diam., entire plant densely covered with brownish yellow tomentum. Leaves sessile, obovate or spatulate-ovate, 4–5 ื 2–2.5 mm, apex acute, base narrower, surfaces densely covered with brownish yellow tomentum. Bracteal leaves 8–12, obovate, apex acute, similar to cauline leaves in shape and size, but densely covered with distinct brownish yellow tomentum on surfaces; bracteal leaves surrounded by rosette of several cauline leaves. Head solitary, ca. 5 mm in diam. Involucral bracts lanceolate, 4–4.5 ื ca. 1.5 mm, abaxially brownish tomentose, with acute, often lacerate apex of dark brown color. Heads heterogamous or dioecious. Corolla orange-yellow, ca. 3 mm. Achenes ca. 0.5 mm, shortly pilose. Pappus yellow to brownish yellow, 3–4 mm. Fl. Jun–Jul.

Alpine stony meadows, gravelly slopes, cliffs; 3600–4000 m. NW Yunnan [N Myanmar].

A very rare and distinct species.

5. Leontopodium haastioides Handel-Mazzetti, Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 44, 2: 84. 1927.

密垫火绒草  mi dian huo rong cao

Leontopodium jacotianum Beauverd var. haastioides (Handel-Mazzetti) R. C. Srivastava.

Perennial herbs forming dense cushions up to 10 cm in diam. Rhizome slender and numerous branched. Shoots numerous, 1.5–3 cm tall, short columnar, with closely imbricate leaves. Leaves spatulate or oblong, 2–6 ื 1–2 mm; tip spreading, thickened, herbaceous and thickly grayish tomentose, apex rounded; base thin, appressed, scarious and sparsely arachnoid below. Capitula solitary, 3–4 mm in diam., dioecious or predominantly female, ebracteate, immersed among leaves; phyllaries lanceolate to oblanceolate, 4–6 ื 0.6–2 mm, acute or obtuse, tips scarious, brownish. Corolla 3–4 mm. Achenes ca. 1.2 mm, papillose or glabrous; male ovary glabrous or sparsely pubescent. Pappus white, ca. 4 mm. Fl. Jul–Aug.

Alpine meadows, stony slopes, snow lines; 4300–5300 m. Sichuan (Muli), Xizang [Bhutan, India (Sikkim)].

6. Leontopodium roseum Handel-Mazzetti, Acta Horti Gothob. 1: 112. 1924.

红花火绒草  hong hua huo rong cao

Perennial herbs similar to Antennaria in habit. Rhizome stout, densely covered with brown decayed leaves with dense radical rosettes of sterile leaves and flowering stems. Stems usually single, erect, 8–35 cm tall, densely white lanuginous. Leaves sessile, spatulate to spatulate-lanceolate, 20–50 ื 3–12 mm, apex rounded, surfaces densely white tomentose. Bracteal leaves 5–8, linear-spatulate, similar to upper cauline leaves, forming a star of 2–5 cm in diam., or rarely compound stars. Heads 5–6 mm in diam., 3–10, in 1 or rarely 2–5 dense corymbs. Involucre ca. 4 mm, white lanate; phyllaries in 2 or 3 series, inner ones lanceolate, apex acute or obtuse, glabrous, light brown or red. Flowers heterogamous; corolla 3–3.5 mm, upper part usually light red, scurfy pilosulose; corolla of male florets narrowly funnel-shaped in upper part, with narrowly triangular lobes; corolla of female florets filiform. Achenes ca. 1 mm, hairy. Pappus serrulate, light red or red, longer than corolla. Fl. Jun–Aug; fr. Aug–Sep.

* Grassy slopes, thickets, dry riverbeds; 1200–3700 m. W Sichuan.

7. Leontopodium haplophylloides Handel-Mazzetti, Acta Horti Gothob. 1: 120. 1924.

香芸火绒草  xiang yun huo rong cao

Perennial herbs. Rhizome short and densely branched, with numerous flowering stems and sterile stems. Stems erect, not branched, 15–30 cm tall, woody in lower part, ash arachnoid pubescent, internodes 5–8 mm, equally densely leafy, lower leaves usually wither away during flowering period. Leaves sessile, blade lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 10–40 ื 1–3.5 mm, apex acuminate or acute, basally narrower, surfaces grayish arachnoid pubescent. Bracteal leaves numerous, lanceolate, adaxially densely white tomentose, abaxially concolored with cauline leaves, forming star of 2–5 cm in diam. Heads ca. 5 mm in diam., 5–7 in dense corymbs. Involucre ca. 5 mm, densely grayish arachnoid tomentose; phyllaries in 3 or 4 series, apex acute, glabrous, dark brown; corolla ca. 3.5 mm. Achenes papillose. Pappus white, serrulate, 3–4 mm. Fl. Aug–Sep, fr. Sep–Oct.

* Alpine meadows, gravelly slopes, thickets, conifer forest margin; 2400–4000 m. Gansu, Qinghai, W Sichuan.

8. Leontopodium franchetii Beauverd, Bull. Soc. Bot. Gen่ve, ser. 2, 3: 258. 1911.

坚杆火绒草  shu gan huo rong cao

Perennial herbs. Rhizome slender, densely with numerous flowering and sterile stems. Stems woody in lower part, internode 3–5 mm, covered with yellow glandular hairs and upper part with arachnoid hairs. Leaves dense arranged, linear, 10–35 ื 1–3 mm, adaxially densely covered with glandular hairs, abaxially with sparse glandular hairs and densely lanate. Bracteal leaves numerous, linear, 5–10 ื 1–2 mm, both surfaces densely lanate. Heads 10–30, 3–5 mm in diam., in dense corymbs. Involucre in 2 or 3 series, abaxially brown, phyllaries lanceolate, ca. 3 mm, apex acute and brown; marginal florets female, corolla capillary, 2–3 mm; disc florets male, corolla light yellow, subtubular, ca. 3.5 mm. Achenes papillose; pappus of capillary bristles, white. Fl. Jul–Sep, fr., Sep–Oct.

* Dry grasslands, scree slopes, sandy river banks; 3000–4000 m. W Sichuan, NW Yunnan.

9. Leontopodium suffruticosum Y. L. Chen, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 19(1): 90, t. 4. 1981.

亚灌木火绒草  ya guan mu huo rong cao

Subshrubs. Bark yellowish brown, furnished with scales. Stem woody, erect, light brown, 20–30 cm tall, numerously branched from base and middle, white arachnoid pubescent or sometimes glabrescent. Leaves sessile, linear-spatulate or linear, 3–10 ื 0.5–1.5 mm, apex obtuse or acute, surfaces white arachnoid tomentose and glandular. Bracteal leaves few, linear, 5–8 mm, forming a star of ca. 1.5 cm in diam. Heads heterogamous or dioecious, 3–5(–7), densely congested; involucre hemispherical, ca. 3 mm, glandular or sparsely arachnoid tomentose; phyllaries in 2 or 3 series, apex acute or obtuse, glabrous, light brown or dark brown; corolla yellow, 2–3 mm. Achenes sparsely pubescent. Pappus white, slightly longer than corollas. Fl. Jun, fr., Aug.

* Dry riverbeds; ca. 3200 m. E Xizang.

This species is similar to Leontopodium franchetii but differs by its subshrub habitat; branchlets numerous, old branches woody, covered with white to grayish white tomentose pubescence and remains of withered leaves; leaves and bracts much shorter, 5–7 mm; bracts and capitula fewer.

10. Leontopodium stracheyi (J. D. Hooker) C. B. Clarke ex Hemsley, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 30: 136. 1894.

毛香火绒草  mao xiang huo rong cao

Leontopodium alpinum Cassini var. stracheyi J. D. Hooker, Fl. Brit. Ind. 3: 279. 1881; L. stracheyi var. tenuicaule Beauverd; L. stracheyi artemisiifolium Ling.

Perennial herbs. Rhizome stout, branched, with numerous flowering and sterile stems. Stems subwoody, erect, usually not branched, (5–)12–60 cm tall, glandular and sometimes arachnoid pubescent; internodes (3–)5–10 mm. Leaves narrowly oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 20–50 ื 3–12 mm, apex acute or acuminate, base sessile and almost auriculate, adaxially green, glandular and sometimes arachnoid pubescent, abaxially densely white tomentose. Bracteal leaves 7–12, similar to upper leaves in shape and size, surfaces white arachnoid tomentose, more densely so above; forming a star of 2–6 cm in diam., or compound stars. Heads 3–11, crowded, usually dioecious. Involucre 4–5 mm, pilose; phyllaries in 2 or 3 series, ovate to oblanceolate, 4–4.5 ื 1–2 mm, with dark brown scarious margin; corollas 3.5–4 mm. Achenes 0.75–1 mm, pubescent; male ovary pubescent. Pappus white. Fl. Jul–Sep, fr. Sep–Oct.

Grassland, thickets, sparse forests, gravelly slopes; 2000–4700 m. Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang, NW Yunnan [N India, Nepal].

11. Leontopodium artemisiifolium (H. L้veill้) Beauverd, Bull. Soc. Bot. Gen่ve ser. 2, 5: 142. 1913.

艾叶火绒草  ai ye huo rong cao

Gnaphalium artemisiifolium H. L้veill้, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 11: 492. 1913; Leontopodium maireanum Beauverd ex Handel-Mazzetti.

Perennial herbs. Stems several, woody, erect, not branched, 25–60(–100) cm tall, sparsely covered with brown decayed leaves in lower part, entire stem covered with glandular pilose, upper part usually covered with arachnoid hairs. Cauline leaves 19–35, oblong-lanceolate, 20–50 ื 5–8 mm, apex acute with a short mucro, base narrower, adaxially green and covered with sparse short glandulous hairs, abaxially pale white and densely tomentose. Bracteal leaves 11–13, lanceolate, surfaces densely white tomentose, 10–30 ื 2.5–6 mm. Heads usually 6–12 mm in diam., in dense corymbs at ends of stems or in sparsely compound corymbs. Involucre subglobose, 4–6 mm wide; phyllaries in 3 series, abaxially densely covered with tomentum, apex acute, glabrous and naked; marginal florets female, corolla capillary, 3–4 mm; achenes ca. 1 mm, ฑ papillose; disc florets bisexual, corolla subtubular, 3–4 mm, sterile. Pappus white, ca. 3 mm, serrulate. Fl. Aug–Sep, fr. Sep–Oct.

* Grassland, forest margins, river banks; 2100–3200 m. Sichuan, N Yunnan.

12. Leontopodium dedekensii (Bureau & Franchet) Beauverd, Bull. Soc. Bot. Gen่ve ser. 2, 1: 193. 1909.

戟叶火绒草  ji ye huo rong cao

Gnaphalium dedekensi Bureau & Franchet, J. Bot. (Morot) 5: 70. 1891; G. leontopodium Scopoli var. foliosa Franchet; Leontopodium dedekensii var. microcalathinum Ling; L. foliosum Beauverd; L. franchetii Beauverd ื dedekensii Handel-Mazzetti; L. futtereri (Franchet) Diels; L. hastatum Beauverd; L. micranthum Ling.

Perennial. Rhizome short and stout, with several to numerous stems. Stems 10–45 cm tall, not branched or rarely slightly branched, entire plant densely grayish arachnoid pubescent, equally and densely leafy. Leaves sessile, lower ones usually larger than upper ones; blade linear-lanceolate, 10–40 ื 1.3–6.5 mm, apex obtuse, base cordate, sagittate, or truncate, surfaces densely grayish arachnoid pubescent. Bracteal leaves 14–20, 5–30 ื 2–4 mm, surfaces densely whitish to yellowish arachnoid pubescent, forming a star shape of 2–5 cm in diam. Heads 5–30, 4–5 mm in diam., closely aggregated; involucre 3–4 mm; phyllaries in 3 series, 3–4 mm, spatulate-oblong, apex glabrous, dry membranous, acute or rounded. Heads heterogamous or dioecious; corolla ca. 3 mm. Achenes papillose. Pappus white, serrulate, 3–4 mm. Fl. Jun–Jul, fr. Jul–Sep.

Grassland, thickets, conifer forests; 1400–4100 m. Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Myanmar].

13. Leontopodium sinense Hemsley, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 23: 424. t. 12. 1888.

华火绒草  hua huo rong cao

Gnaphalium nobile Bureau & Franchet; G. sinense (Hemsley) Franchet; Leontopodium arbusculum Beauverd; L. longifolium stoechas Ling; L. niveum Handel-Mazzetti; L. nobile (Bureau & Franchet) Beauverd; L. rosmarinoides Handel-Mazzetti; L. stoechas Handel-Mazzetti; L. stoechas var. minor Ling.

Subshrubs. Rhizome stout, woody. Stems woody, numerous, 30–70 cm tall, usually branched, densely white tomentose. Leaves sessile, oblong, (7–)15–65 ื 2–7 mm, apex acute, forming a sheath at base, surfaces densely yellowish tomentose. Bracteal leaves 5–9, similar to cauline leaves, but usually much larger, sparsely arranged, forming a irregular star of 2.5–7.5 cm in diam., or usually in compound stars. Heads 3–8 mm in diam., 7–20, in 1 or usually 2–5 corymbs. Involucre 3–4 mm, white lanate; phyllaries in 3 series, inner ones oblong, apex obtuse, glabrous, light brown. Flowers heterogamous; corolla 2.5–3 mm. Achenes ca. 1 mm, papillose. Pappus white, serrulate, longer than corolla. Fl. Jul–Sep, fr. Sep–Nov.

* Grassy slopes, thickets, riverbeds, dry mountain slopes; (700–)1300–3600 m. Guizhou, W Hubei, Sichuan, SE Xizang, Yunnan.

14. Leontopodium japonicum Miquel, Ann. Mus. Bot. Lugduno-Batavi 2: 178. 1866.

薄雪火绒草  bao xue huo rong cao

Perennial herbs from tufted rhizomes; stems leafy to apex, erect, 25–55 cm tall. Leaves 20–30, mainly cauline; middle leaves lanceolate to narrowly oblong, 40–65 ื 5–15 mm, acute to acuminate, base abruptly narrowed, sessile, adaxially green, glabrous or thinly woolly, abaxially whitish woolly. Heads several, in dense corymbs at ends of stems and branches; bracteal leaves 5–8, loosely arranged, smaller than upper leaves, adaxially sordid yellow tomentose; involucre subglobose, 4–5 ื ca. 5 mm; phyllaries in 3 series, acute or acuminate, densely hairy abaxially; marginal florets female, corolla capillary, ca. 2 mm; achenes ca. 1 mm, ฑ papillose; disc florets bisexual, corolla subtubular, ca. 3 mm, sterile. Pappus white, ca. 3.5 mm log. Fl. Jun–Sep, fr. Sep–Oct.

Forests, thickets, grassy slopes, dry slopes, pebbly slopes, gravelly grounds; 700–2300 m. Anhui, Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang [Japan].

1a. Text needed .................................................................................................  14a. var. japonicum

1b. Text needed .........................................................................................  14b. var. microcephalum

14a. Leontopodium japonicum var. japonicum

薄雪火绒草(原变种)  bao xue huo rong cao (yuan bian zhong)

Leontopodium japonicum var. xerogenes Handel-Mazzetti.

Diagnosis needed.

Forests, thickets, grassy slopes, pebbly slopes; 700–2300 m. Anhui, Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Zhejiang [Japan].

14b. Leontopodium japonicum var. microcephalum Handel-Mazzetti, Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 44, 2: 67. 1928.

小头薄雪火绒草  xiao tou bao xue huo rong cao

Leontopodium microcephalum (Handel-Mazzetti) Ling.

Stems slender, ca. 1 mm in diam., internodes 5–15 mm. Leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, 15–45 ื 3–4 mm, apex acuminate. Bracteal leaves smaller, oblong-lanceolate, 13–25 ื 3–6 mm. Heads smaller, 2–3 mm, ca. 3 mm in diam., in dense corymbs. Fl. Jun–Aug, fr. Sep–Oct.

* Dry slopes, gravelly grounds; 800–1700 m. Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi.

15. Leontopodium wilsonii Beauverd, Bull. Soc. Bot. Gen่ve, ser. 2, 4: 28. 1912.

川西火绒草  chuan xi huo rong cao

Leontopodium chuii Handel-Mazzetti; L. wilsonii var. maius Beauverd.

Perennial herbs. Stems woody, erect, not branched, 12–42 cm, entire plant light gray tomentose, densely arranged with leaves in upper part, densely covered with brown decayed leaves in lower part. Leaves sessile, linear-lanceolate, 24–35 ื 2–2.8 mm, apex acute, base narrower, adaxial surface green, covered with light gray pilose, abaxial surface densely covered with light gray tomentum, lateral veins not distinct. Bracteal leaves 15–20, densely arranged, oblong, apex acute, larger than upper leaves, surfaces densely grayish white tomentose, forming a star of 4–5.5 cm in diam. Heads 7–11, 4–5 cm in diam. Involucral bracts ovate, 2- or 3-seriate, ca. 4 mm, apex obtuse, black brown adaxially, abaxially white tomentose. Florets dioecious or heterogamous; corolla ca. 3 mm. Achenes glabrous, oblong, ca. 1 mm. Pappus white, serrulate, ca. 3 mm. Fl. Jun–Aug, fr. Sep–Oct.

* Grasslands, thickets, rocks, 2000–2500 m. S Gansu, Sichuan.

The specimens identified as Leontopodium jacotianum var. minum (Beauverd) Handel-Mazzetti from Gansu belong to this species.

16. Leontopodium omeiense Ling, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 10: 172. 1965.

峨眉火绒草  e mei huo rong cao

Perennial herbs. Rhizome slender and usually branched, subwoody, erect or procumbent, densely covered with brown decayed leaves with dense radical rosettes of sterile leaves and numerous filiform radicals. Stems solitary or 3 or 4, usually 5–10(–18) cm tall, not branched, with 5–15(–30) leaves, entire plant covered with light gray tomentum, but nearly glabrous on abaxial surface of leaves. Stems sometimes not developed and forming sessile heads, not exceeding ca. 3 cm in height. Leaves sessile, lanceolate, lanceolate-oblong, or oblong-spatulate, 20–25 ื 2.5–4.5 mm, apex obtuse or acute, base narrower, adaxial surface covered with sparse light gray tomentum and appeared greenish, abaxial surface white, densely covered with light gray tomentum, lateral veins not distinct. Bracteal leaves 9–12, densely arranged, oblong, apex acute or obtuse, larger than upper leaves, surfaces densely grayish white tomentose, forming a star of 3–5.5 cm in diam. Heads 5–9, 4.5–5.5 mm in diam. Involucral bracts ovate, ca. 3-seriate, ca. 4 mm, apex obtuse, brown to almost black adaxially, abaxially often green. Calathidia unisexual, dioecious or heterogamous; corolla ca. 3 mm, male floret corolla funnelform; female floret corolla filiform. Achenes papillose. Pappus white, longer than corolla, serrulate. Fl. May–Jun., fr. Jun–Aug.

* Moist rocks; 1800–2800 m. SE Gansu, W Sichuan.

17. Leontopodium andersonii C. B. Clarke, Compos. Ind. 100. 1876.

松毛火绒草  song mao huo rong cao

Gnaphalium andersonii (C. B. Clarke) Franchet; G. subulatum Franchet; Leontopodium bonatii Beauverd; L. stracheyi subulatum Handel-Mazzetti; L. subulatum (Franchet) Beauverd; L. subulatum var. bonatii (Beauverd) Handel-Mazzetti.

Perennial herbs. Rhizome short and stout, branched, densely covered with black-brown relics of leaves. Stems 5–30 cm, erect, 1–3 mm in diam., usually not branched, white sericeous, with leaves densely arranged; leaves much denser in sterile young stems. Leaves linear to subulate-linear, 8–30 ื 0.8–1.4 mm, apex acute or obtuse, margin reflexed, adaxially sparsely arachnoid or nearly glabrous, green, abaxially densely white tomentose. Bracteal leaves numerous, equal or longer than cauline leaves, oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, apex acute, surfaces densely covered with white to yellowish tomentum. Heads 10–40, 3–4 mm in diam., in dense corymbs. Involucre 3–4 mm, abaxially densely tomentose; phyllaries in 3 series, abaxially yellowish tomentose; marginal florets female, corolla capillary; disc florets male, corolla subtubular, 2.5–3 mm; achenes papillose; pappus of capillary bristles, white. Fl. Aug–Sep, fr. Sep–Oct.

Dry grassland, sparse forests, gravelly slopes, wasted fields; 1000–3600 m. Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan [Laos, Myanmar].

18. Leontopodium microphyllum Hayata, J. Coll. Sci. Imp. Univ. Tokyo 25(19): 127, pl. 17. 1908

小叶火绒草  xiao ye huo rong cao

Perennial herbs. Stems slender, slightly woody, branched; branches procumbent at base, densely woolly. Cauline leaves oblanceolate, 7–12 ื 1.5–2 mm, apex acute, base sessile, abruptly narrowed at base, densely whitish woolly on surfaces. Bracteal leaves 7–10, radiate, generally unequal, linear-lanceolate, 6–12 ื 1.5–2 mm, densely white woolly. Heads 4–9; involucre hemispheric, ca. 3 ื 4 mm, bracts 3-seriate, subequal, oblong, acute to obtuse; corolla of outer florets ca. 2.5 mm; corolla of central florets tubular, ca. 2.5 mm. Achenes oblong, glabrous or papillose, ca. 1 mm. Pappus bristles white, ca. 2.5 mm. Fl. Jul–Sep.

* Rocky slopes; 3200–3800 m. Taiwan.

19. Leontopodium monocephalum Edgeworth, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, Bot. 20: 73. 1846.

单头火绒草  dan tou huo rong cao

Leontopodium evax Beauverd var. fimbrilligerum (J. R. Drummond) Beauverd; L. fimbrilligerum J. R. Drummond.

Stoloniferous, forming mats, 4–10 cm; stolons slender, with scattered recurved scales or small non-sheathing leaves, ฑ prostrate, terminated by a loose rosette of leaves. Leaves spatulate to oblong-oblanceolate, 7–18 ื 2–3.3 mm, obtuse, rarely brown apiculate, dilated a base, yellowish, rarely grayish, tomentose. Flowering stems 0.5–6 cm. Capitula 1–10, dioecious (in our specimens), central one 5–7 mm wide; radiating bracts oblanceolate or spatulate, to 14 ื 3(–4) mm, grayish yellow to brown villous (or sericeous) adaxially, sometimes with concealed apiculus. Phyllaries oblanceolate, rarely ovate-oblanceolate, 4–6.2 ื 1–2 mm, with blackish, scarious, deeply lacerate margins. Corollas 3.3–4.2 mm. Achenes pubescent; male ovary sparsely pubescent.

Alpine gravelly slopes, meadows; 4000–5000 m. Xizang [India, Nepal].

20. Leontopodium muscoides Handel-Mazzetti, Anz. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math.-Naturwiss. Kl. 59: 252. 1922.

藓状火绒草  xian zhuang huo rong cao

Perennial subpulvinate herbs. Rhizome slender, numerously branched, covered with withered petioles. Suckers numerous, erect, somewhat rigid and densely covered with withered leaves at base, or with dense leaves forming rosette at apex. Stems slender, 1–8 cm tall, with 4–8 cauline leaves, entire plant grayish or yellowish lanuginous. Leaves sessile, linear-lanceolate, 6–10 ื 0.5–1 mm, apex acute or obtuse, base forming a sheath, surfaces grayish or yellowish lanuginous. Bracteal leaves 6–10, similar to cauline leaves, forming a star of 1.7–2.5 cm in diam. Heads (1–)3–6, ca. 4 mm, densely congested. Involucre subglobose, 4–5 mm, abaxially lanate; phyllaries in 2 or 3 series, apex acute, dark brown, naked; corolla 3–4 mm. Achenes glabrous, oblong, ca. 1 mm. Pappus white, 4–5 mm. Fl. Jul–Aug, fr. Sep.

* Alpine meadows, thickets, Abies forests, rocky places; 4000–4200 m. SE Xizang, NW Yunnan.

A very rare species in China.

21. Leontopodium delavayanum Handel-Mazzetti, Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 44, 2: 85. 1927.

云岭火绒草  yun ling huo rong cao

Perennial pulvinate herbs. Rhizome stout, prostrate, usually numerously branched, densely covered with brown relics of leaves. Stems numerous, erect, not branched, 6–13 cm tall, equally leafy, whitish arachnoid pubescent. Leaves lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 20–45 ื 3–6 mm, apex acute, base forming sparse sheaths surrounding stem, surfaces whitish arachnoid pubescent, more sparse in adaxial surface, with 2 distinct lateral nerves nearly parallel to midnerve. Bracteal leaves 11–16, linear-oblong, 10–25 ื 3–7.5 mm, forming multiradiate “star” 4–6.5 cm in diam., surfaces densely white or yellowish tomentose, apex acuminate, base broader. Heads 6–20, closely aggregated, ca. 5 mm in diam. Involucre ca. 4 mm, white tomentose; phyllaries in 3 series, apex dark brown, acute or lacerate, glabrous, margin membranous. Heads heterogamous or diclinous; corolla ca. 3 mm. Achenes sparsely pilose. Pappus white, serrulate, ca. 4 mm. Fl. Jul–Aug, fr. Sep–Oct.

Alpine gravelly slopes, rocky places; 3400–4000 m. W Yunnan [Myanmar].

22. Leontopodium fangingense Ling, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 10: 175. 1965.

梵净火绒草  fan jing huo rong cao

Perennial subpulvinate herbs. Rhizome slender, prostrate, usually numerously branched, densely covered with brown relics of leaves. Stems numerous, erect, usually not branched, 1–7 cm tall, equally leafy, whitish arachnoid pubescent. Leaves oblanceolate-oblong or oblanceolate, 7–15 ื 2–6 mm, apex acute, base narrower, adaxial surface whitish arachnoid pubescent or nearly glabrescent, abaxial surface whitish arachnoid tomentose. Bracteal leaves 6–8, similar to cauline leaves in shape and size, forming multiradiate “star” 2.5–3.5 cm in diam., surfaces densely white or yellowish tomentose. Heads (1–)3–7, closely aggregated, 4–5 mm in diam. Involucre subglobose, ca. 4 mm, white tomentose; phyllaries in 3 series, apex dark brown, acute, glabrous, margin membranous. Heads heterogamous or dioecious; corolla ca. 3.5 mm. Achenes glabrous. Pappus white, serrulate, ca. 4 mm. Fl. May–Jul, fr. Jul–Aug.

* Moist rocky places on mountain peaks; 2100–2300 m. Guizhou (Mt. Fangjingshan).

23. Leontopodium jacotianum Beauverd, Bull. Soc. Bot. Gen่ve, s้r. 2, 1: 190. 1909.

雅谷火绒草  ya gu huo rong cao

Perennial herbs, stoloniferous, forming mats, 6–28 cm, grayish tomentose; stolons slender, elongate, usually branched, terminated by a loose rosette of leaves. Leaves lanceolate, 6–25 ื 1–2 mm, apex acute to acuminate, usually brown apiculate; rosette leaves linear, ligulate-spatulate, or oblanceolate, 1–3 mm wide; cauline leaves lanceolate to ligulate or linear with margins recurved, 1–3 mm wide. Flowering stems 2–25 cm. Capitula 4–9(–18), all female or predominantly male or female, usually densely crowded; radiating bracts lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, 8–25 ื 2.2–7 mm, often long acuminate, more densely whitish (rarely yellowish or brownish) tomentose than cauline leaves. Phyllaries lanceolate to oblanceolate, 3–5 mm, brown scarious adaxially; corolla 3–3.5 mm. Achenes pubescent; male ovaries pubescent or subglabrous. Pappus white. Fl. Jul–Aug, fr. Aug–Sep.

Alpine meadows, gravelly slopes; 3500–4400 m. S Xizang [Bhutan, India, Kashmir, Nepal].

A very rare species in China.

1a. Text needed ................................................................................................  23a. var. jacotianum

1b. Text needed ...............................................................................................  23b. var. paradoxum

23a. Leontopodium jacotianum var. jacotianum

雅谷火绒草(原变种)  ya gu huo rong cao (yuan bian zhong)

Diagnosis needed.

Alpine meadows, gravelly slopes; 3500–3600 m. S Xizang [Bhutan, India, Kashmir, Nepal].

23b. Leontopodium jacotianum var. paradoxum (Drummond) Beauverd, Bull. Soc. Bot. Gen่ve, s้r. 2, 4: 27. 1912.

密生雅谷火绒草  mi sheng ya gu huo rong cao

Leontopodium paradoxum J. R. Drummond, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 77. 1910.

Perennial herbs. Rhizome branched, up to 8 cm, with numerous flowering stems and sterile stems. Stems 3–12 cm tall, erect, densely covered with brown relics of leaves at lower part. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, 6–13 ื 1–1.5 mm, apex acute, adaxially green and sparsely ash arachnoid pubescent, abaxially densely whitish tomentose. Bracteal leaves densely grayish lanate, forming a star of 2–3 cm in diam. Fl. Jul–Aug, fr. Sep–Oct.

Alpine gravelly slopes; 3500–4400 m. SE Xizang [India (Sikkim), Nepal].

24. Leontopodium caespitosum Diels, Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 5: 189. 1912.

丛生火绒草  cong sheng huo rong cao

Leontopodium jacotianum var. caespitosum (Diels) Handel-Mazzetti; L. jacotianum var. minum (Beauverd) Handel-Mazzetti; L. wilsonii var. minum Beauverd.

Perennial herbs. Rhizome stout, long, usually branched, with numerous flowering stems and sterile stems. Stems woody, erect, branched or not branched, 12–25 cm, entire plant light gray arachnoid pubescent, densely arranged with leaves in upper part, densely covered with brown decayed leaves in lower part. Leaves sessile, lanceolate, 10–25 ื 1.5–3 mm, apex acute, base narrower, adaxial surface green, glabrous, abaxial surface densely covered with light gray tomentum, lateral veins not distinct. Bracteal leaves 6–10, oblong, apex acute, 14–30 ื 2–4.5 mm, surfaces densely grayish white tomentose, forming a star of 3–4.5 cm in diam. Heads 6–10, 4–5 cm in diam. Involucral bracts lanceolate, 2- or 3-seriate, ca. 4 mm, apex obtuse, apex black brown, abaxially white tomentose; corolla ca. 3 mm. Achenes glabrous, oblong, ca. 1 mm. Pappus white, serrulate, ca. 3.5 mm. Fl. Jul–Aug, fr. Sep–Oct.

Moist grassland, alpine meadows, gravelly places; 3300–3600 m. SW Sichuan, NW Yunnan [Myanmar].

25. Leontopodium pusillum (Beauverd) Handel-Mazzetti, Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 44, 2: 97. 1928.

弱小火绒草  ruo xiao huo rong cao

Leontopodium alpinum Cassini var. pusillum Beauverd, Bull. Soc. Bot. Gen่ve ser. 2, 2: 251. 1910; Leontopodium alpinum Cassini var. frigidum Beauverd; L. evax Beauverd.

Perennial subpulvinate herbs. Rhizome slender and numerously branched, with dense radical rosettes of sterile leaves and numerous flowering stems. Stems 2–7 cm tall, densely leafy, with dense white tomentose. Leaves spatulate to oblong-spatulate; radical leaves 10–25 ื 2–4 mm, cauline leaves sessile, 10–20 ื 2–3 mm, apex obtuse, narrower at base, surfaces with dense white tomentose. Bracteal leaves numerous, similar to cauline leaves, congested, forming star of 1.5–2.5 cm in diam. Heads 5–6 mm in diam., (1–)3–7, densely congested. Involucre 3–4 mm, abaxially white lanate; phyllaries in 3 series, apex acute, glabrous, usually dark brown; corolla 2.5–3 mm. Achenes glabrous or slightly papillose. Pappus white, serrulate. Fl. Jul–Aug, fr. Aug–Sep.

Alpine meadows, gravelly slopes, salt lake banks; 3500–5600 m. Alpine grasslands, rocky scree slopes, saline shores; 3500–5000 m. Qinghai, W Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang [India (Sikkim)].

26. Leontopodium nanum (J. D. Hooker & Thomson ex C. B. Clarke) Handel-Mazzetti, Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 44, 2: 111. 1927.

矮火绒草  ai huo rong cao

Antennaria nana J. D. Hooker & Thomson ex C. B. Clarke, Compos. Ind. 100. 1876.

Perennials. Plants forming small clusters. Rhizome short to 2 cm, densely covered with brown decayed leaves with dense radical rosettes of sterile leaves and numerous filiform radicals, rhizome emitting 1–5 creeping and branching brown scaly stolons, up to 10 cm. Stems solitary, more rarely 2 or 3, usually to 5 cm tall, rarely higher, with 3–7 leaves, entire plant covered with light gray lax tomentum, and violet below, stems often not developed at all, and then, a plant along with sessile heads, not exceeding 1.5–2 cm in height. Leaves oblong-spatulate to spatulate oblong; radical leaves to 20 ื ca. 5 mm; cauline leaves erect, to 1.5 cm and narrower, equally pubescent on both sides. Floral leaves not different from cauline ones, erect, not exceeding head, but more often shorter, not forming a “star.” Heads very compact, 6–15 mm in diam., (1–)3–5. Involucral bracts lanceolate, ca. 6 mm, thinly acute and scarious at apex, brown to almost black, abaxially often green. Flowers unisexual, dioecious or heterogamous, in staminate florets corolla ca. 4 mm, pappus ca. 6 mm; in pistillate ones, corolla ca. 6 mm, pappus 8–9 mm. Pappus white, slightly exceeding corollas and involucral bracts and forming a prominent compact white cap. Fl. May–Jun, fr. Jun–Aug.

Alpine meadows, thickets, marshes; 2100–5000 m. Gansu, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang [India, Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Pakistan].

27. Leontopodium stoloniferum Handel-Mazzetti, Acta Horti Gothob. 12: 235. 1938.

匍枝火绒草  pu zhi huo rong cao

Perennial herbs. Rhizome branched, with stolons up to 7 cm, with rosette suckers and flowering stems. Stems erect, 3–14 cm tall, usually solitary and not branched, white tomentose; internodes 3–10 mm. Leaves on suckers spatulate-lanceolate, 10–20(–30) ื 2.5–4.5 mm, apex obtuse, surfaces with dense white tomentose; cauline leaves spatulate or spatulate-linear, 10–20 ื 2–5 mm, apex obtuse, surfaces with dense white tomentose. Bracteal leaves 6–10, similar to upper cauline leaves in shape, size and indumentum, forming a star of 1.2–2.5 cm in diam. Heads ca. 4 mm in diam., 3–6, densely congested. Involucre 4–5 mm, densely white arachnoid tomentose; phyllaries in 2 or 3 series, obovate-lanceolate, apex obtuse or lacerate, glabrous, dark brown; corolla ca. 3 mm. Achenes pubescent. Pappus white. Fl. Sep, fr. Oct.

* Moist streamside; 2900–3600 m. Sichuan (Daofu).

28. Leontopodium souliei Beauverd, Bull. Soc. Bot. Gen่ve, Ser. 2, 1: 191. 1909.

银叶火绒草  yin ye huo rong cao

Perennial herbs. Rhizome prostrate, with 1 to several flowering stems and several sterile rosette suckers. Flowering stems slender, 6–25 cm tall, not branched, white arachnoid pubescent. Leaves on rosette suckers linear-lanceolate, usually larger than cauline ones, 15–40 ื 1–3 mm, apex acute, adaxially green and glabrescent, abaxially white arachnoid pubescent. Cauline leaves linear or ligulate-lanceolate, 10–40 ื 1–3 mm, apex acute, surfaces white arachnoid pubescent. Bracteal leaves 9–14, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 10–20 ื 1.5–3 mm, surfaces densely white arachnoid tomentose, forming a star of 2–3 cm in diam. Heads 5–7 mm in diam., 4–15(–20); phyllaries in 3 series, 3.5–4 mm, abaxially densely yellowish lanate, apex obtuse, glabrous, dark brown; corolla 3–4 mm. Achenes pubescent or glabrous. Pappus white, ca. 4 mm, serrulate. Fl. Jul–Aug, fr. Sep.

* Grassland, thickets, sparse forests; 2700–4500 m. Sichuan, Xizang, NW Yunnan.

29. Leontopodium calocephalum (Franchet) Beauverd, Bull. Soc. Bot. Gen่ve ser. 2, 1: 189. 1909.

美头火绒草  mei tou huo rong cao

Gnaphalium leontopodium Linnaeus var. calocephalum Franchet, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 39: 131. 1892; Leontopodium calocephalum var. depauperatum; L. calocephalum var. uliginosum Beauverd.

Perennial herbs. Rhizome slender, prostrate, usually branched. Stems erect, not branched, 10–50 cm tall, arachnoid pilose. Leaves lanceolate, linear-lanceolate, 50–150 ื 2–12 mm, apex acuminate, base forming sparse sheaths surrounding stem, adaxially green, glabrous or sparsely pilose, abaxially white tomentose, with 2 distinct lateral nerves nearly parallel to midnerve. Bracteal leaves 10–18, linear, 20–45 ื 3–6 mm, forming multiradiate “star” 5–8 cm in diam., surfaces densely white or yellowish tomentose, apex acuminate, base broader. Heads 5–20, closely aggregated, 5–10 mm in diam. Involucre 4–6 mm, white tomentose; phyllaries in 4 series, apex dark brown, acute or rounded, glabrous. Heads heterogamous or diclinous-dioecious; corolla 3–4 mm. Achenes pilose. Pappus white, serrulate, ca. 4 mm. Fl. Jul–Sep, fr. Sep–Oct.

* Alpine meadows, grasslands, thickets, marshes, conifer forests, gravelly slopes, lake banks; 2600–4200 m. Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan.

30. Leontopodium himalayanum Candolle, Prodr. 6: 276. 1838.

珠峰火绒草  zhu feng huo rong cao

Leontopodium himalayanum var. pumillum Ling.

Plant densely tufted, (3–)7–32 cm; offsets sheathed below by many old leaf bases, terminated by loose tuft of few leaves. Offset leaves linear-spatulate, sometimes brown apiculate; cauline leaves linear to linear-lanceolate, 18–70 ื 1–4 mm, apex acute or subobtuse, less often apiculate, grayish tomentose. Capitula crowded, (4–)7–12(–20), discoid or disciform; disciform capitula usually all similar, sometimes central one predominantly male and remainder predominantly or entirely female; bracts ligulate, usually dilated at or near base or sometimes linear-lanceolate, apex acute or acuminate, basal half at least of upper surface more densely white or yellowish gray tomentose than leaves or very rarely villous, outer ones 12–40 ื 2–7.5 mm. Inflorescence 3–7 cm in diam. Involucre 5–7 mm in diam.; phyllaries oblong, 3.5–6 ื 1–2.5 mm, with black brown scarious margin; corolla 3.3–4 mm. Achenes 1.5–2 mm, glabrous or sparsely pubescent; male ovaries always glabrous. Pappus white, ca. 4 mm. Fl. Jul–Aug.

Alpine gravelly slopes, meadows; 3000–5100 m. Xizang, NW Yunnan [India, Kashmir, Myanmar, Nepal].

31. Leontopodium longifolium Ling, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 10: 177. 1965.

长叶火绒草  chang ye huo rong cao

Leontopodium linearifolium Handel-Mazzetti, Acta Horti Gothob. 1: 115. 1924, not (Weddell) Bentham & J. D. Hooker (1873); L. longifolium f. angustifolium Ling.

Perennial herbs. Rhizome short, with flowering and sterile stems. Flowering stems erect, 2–25 cm tall, not branched, gray silky or ash lanate. Leaves in lower part usually larger than these in upper part; blade linear, spatulate-linear, 20–130 ื 1.5–9 mm, apex obtuse, basally narrower and forming indistinct sheaths at base, both surfaces densely gray silky or ash lanate, sometimes adaxially nearly glabrous and green. Bracteal leaves 6–10, oblong to lanceolate, 10–20 ื 3–6 mm, apex acute, forming a “star” of 3.5–5 cm in diam., surfaces densely gray silky or ash lanate. Inflorescence of 3–30 aggregate heads in corymb. Heads 6–9 mm in diam. Involucral bracts ovate-lanceolate, ca. 5 mm, white lanate outside; apex acute, usually dark brown; corolla ca. 4 mm. Achenes glabrous or papillose. Pappus white, serrulate, slightly longer than corolla. Fl. Jul–Aug, fr. Sep–Oct.

* Grassy slopes, thickets, rocks; 1100–4800 m. Gansu, Hebei, Nei Mongol, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Xizang.

32. Leontopodium ochroleucum Beauverd, Bull. Soc. Bot. Gen่ve, ser. 2, 6: 146. 1914.

黄白火绒草  huang bai huo rong cao

Leontopodium alpinum Cassini var. debile Beauverd; L. alpinum var. hedinianum Beauverd; L. fischerianum Beauverd; L. leontopodinum Handel-Mazzetti; L. melanolepis Ling.

Perennials. Rhizome shortly branching, densely covered with black-brown relics of leaves, forms rather caespitose of numerous stems and sterile leaf rosettes and sometimes gives long, up to 10 cm, herbaceous brown scaly, often branching, stolons. Stems erect and firm, 5–15 cm tall, with 4–8 remote leaves, ash-colored arachnoid-lanate or tomentose in upper half, sometimes glabrescent in lower half. Leaves concolored ash lanate on both surfaces, sometimes glabrate greenish abaxially, without a distinct nerve; cauline leaves oblong, ligulate, lanceolate, or linear-lanceolate, 10–250 ื 2–4 mm, apex obtuse or acute; radical rosette leaves oblong-spatulate or narrowly oblong 20–40 ื 2–4.5 mm, narrowed in vagina. Involucre leaves distinct, oblong-elliptic or lanceolate, loosely tomentose adaxially, pallid yellow, sometimes even ash- to sulfur-colored in dried plant; ash lanate abaxially, forming rather regular multiradiate “star,” 1.5–2(–2.5) cm in diam. Heads 5–7 mm in diam., 5–7(–12), densely aggregated. Involucral bracts lanceolate, 4–5 mm, abaxially yellowish lanate or greenish, with prominent brown or almost black shining apex; heads heterogamous and unisexual-dioecious. Corolla 3–4 mm. Achenes glabrous or papillose. Pappus dirty white, in sterile bisexual florets, 3–5 mm; in pistillate florets 4–5 mm. Fl. May–Aug, fr. Jul–Sep.

Mountain tundra, humid or dry meadows, stony fields of slopes; 2200–5000 m. Qinghai, Xizang, Xinjiang [India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia].

33. Leontopodium conglobatum (Turczaninow) Handel-Mazzetti, Acta Horti Gothob. 1: 114. 1924.

团球火绒草  tuan qiu huo rong cao

Leontopodium sibiricum Cassini var. conglobatum Turczaninow, Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. 20: 9. 1847; L. ochroleucum Beauverd subsp. conglobatum (Turczaninow) V. M. Khanminchun; L. ochroleucum var. conglobatum (Turczaninow) Grubov.

Perennials. Rhizome short, with solitary stem or multiheaded without stolons, with bundle of filiform radicals, forming small fasciculate clusters of 2 or 3 stems and sterile bundles of leaves. Stems erect and firm, (10–)15–30(–45) cm tall, ash- or grayish arachnoid pubescent, often subglabrous, violet or red-brown, equally and rather densely leafy. Leaves linear-lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate and linear-spatulate; cauline leaves 2–6 cm ื 2–10 mm, erect; upper leaves; sessile, lower ones long narrowed at base and often early marcescent; radical leaves in a rosette, to 10 cm ื 13 mm, linear, pubescent to subglabrous, green. Inflorescence usually large, often complex branched, with a few heads and more than 30 calathidia, but compact, compact-corymbiform; usually calathidia homogeneous, 6–8 mm in diam., closely aggregated in heads, to 3 cm in diam.; floral leaves ovate-lanceolate and oblong, flat, to 3 cm ื 10 mm, densely tomentose, more often greenish yellow to yellowish and light ash-colored adaxially, greenish tomentose abaxially, forming a “star” to 7 cm in diam. Heads heterogamous or diclinous-dioecious. Fl. Jun–Aug, fr. Jul–Sep.

Dry meadow of river banks, steppes, limestone slopes of mountains, dry Larix forest and Pinus forest and forest edges; 400–1700 m. Heilongjiang, Nei Mongol [Mongolia, Russia].

34. Leontopodium campestre (Ledebour) Handel-Mazzetti, in Schr๖ter, Pflanzenl. Alp. ed. 2, 505. 1924.

山野火绒草  shan ye huo rong cao

Leontopodium alpinum Cassini var. campestre Ledebour, Fl. Ross. 2: 614. 1846; L. fedtschenkoanum Beauverd; L. ochroleucum Beauverd subsp. campestre (Ledebour) V. M. Khanminchun; L. ochroleucum var. campestre (Ledebour) Grubov.

Perennials. Rhizome simple, shortened, with solitary stem or multiheaded, to 10 cm, densely covered with brown relics of leaf vaginas and beset with thinly filiform radicals, usually without stolons, forming small lax fasciculate clusters of a few stems and sterile bundles of leaves. Stems (5–)15–30(–50) cm tall, erect or ascending, herbaceous, firm sometimes subflexuose ash- or gray arachnoid-tomentose or arachnoid, violet (pubescence) flocculose (as on leaves), usually glabrescent, at least in lower half up to anthesis, equally leafy, with 5–20 leaves. Leaves oblong, linear, linear-spatulate or linear-lanceolate; cauline leaves sessile, 2.5–4.5 cm ื 2–5 mm, usually corrugated and dropping at anthesis; radical rosette leaves more often narrowly lanceolate, narrowed into a long petiole, ca. 15 cm ื 9 mm, equally and subequally ash- or gray arachnoid-tomentose on both sides. Inflorescence usually simple, loose, but sometimes corymbiform, to 7 cm in diam., of 3–7 separate heads; bracts linear or linear-lanceolate, of very unequal lengths, with convolute margins, yellowish or almost white, to pallid yellow (in dried plants,) densely tomentose, forming irregular multiradiate “star” 4–5 cm in diam. Heads 4–6 mm in diam., numerous(7–12, to 20), closely aggregated. Apices of involucral bracts somewhat prominently tomentose, almost transparent to almost black. Heads heterogamous or unisexual, dioecious. Fl. May–Sep, fr. Jun–Sep.

Steppes, dry or marshy meadows, dry pebbly and stony rocks and hills, herbaceous sands, forests; (700–)1400–4500 m. Qinghai, Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia].

35. Leontopodium leontopodioides (Willdenow) Beauverd, Bull. Soc. Bot. Gen่ve, Ser. 2. 1: 371. 1909.

火绒草  huo rong cao

Filago leontopodioides Willdenow, Phytogr. 12. 1794; Gnaphalium leontopodioides Willdenow; Leontopodium sibiricum Cassini; L. sibiricum var. depauperatum Turczaninow.

Perennials. Rhizome abbreviate, lignose, multiheaded, with numerous flowering and sterile stems, but without sterile rosettes of leaves, forming a fine, but dense cluster. Stems erect, firm, in lower part often somewhat ligneous, thin, sometimes subflexuose, (10–)20–25(–40) cm tall, simple, or sometimes branching in inflorescence, entire plant gray silky or ash lanate, sometimes flocculent pubescence, plentifully leafy, leaves erect, often appressed to stem, linear-lanceolate, to narrowly lanceolate, 15–45 ื 2–5 mm, acute, large hydathode at apex, basally rotund, sessile, solid, often involute at margin, with prominent nerve abaxially, both sides equally or more densely abaxially pubescent, ash colored, greenish adaxially or almost equally colored, or yellowish abaxially. Inflorescence depauperate, of 3 or 4(–7) aggregate heads or heads solitary, or in corymb, each head on a separate peduncle to 2.5 cm; floral leaves 1–4 per head, almost not distinguishable from upper leaves, linear to narrowly lanceolate, erect, not forming a “star.” Heads 7–10 mm in diam., 6–7 mm tall. Involucral bracts lanceolate, 5–6 mm, white lanate outside, with acute, colorless or light brown apex. Florets diclinous and plants dioecious, very rarely heads heterogamous; corolla of staminate florets 3.5–4.5 mm. Pappus dirty white, 4.5–6.5 mm. Fl. Jun–Sep, fr. Aug–Oct.

Steppes, dry meadows, dry stony and rocky slopes, sandy places, shrubby thickets; 100–3800 m. Gansu, Hebei, Nei Mongol, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Xinjiang [Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia].

36. Leontopodium smithianum Handel-Mazzetti, Acta Horti Gothob. 1: 115. 1924.

绢茸火绒草  juan rong huo rong cao

Perennial herbs. Rhizome short, stout, with several sterile stems and flowering stems. Stems erect, 10–45 cm tall, densely grayish or white tomentose, densely and equally leafy; internodes 0.5–2 cm. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 20–55 ื 4–8 mm, apex obtuse or acute, narrower to base, surfaces densely grayish or white tomentose. Bracteal leaves 3–10, oblong or linear-lanceolate, similar to upper leaves in size, shape and indumentum, forming an irregular star or compound stars. Heads 6–9 mm in diam., (1–)3–25. Involucre 4–6 mm, white lanate; phyllaries in 3 or 4 series, apex acute, glabrous, dark brown. Florets heterogamous; corolla 3–4 mm. Achenes papillose. Pappus white, serrulate, ca. 4 mm. Fl. Jun–Aug, fr. Aug–Oct.

* Subalpine meadows or dry grassland; 1600–2900 m. Gansu, Hebei, Qinghai, Nei Mongol, Shaanxi, Shanxi.

Natural hybrids of Leontopodium

1. Leontopodium albogriseum Handel-Mazzetti, Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 44, 2: 63. 1928.

白灰火绒草  bai hui huo rong cao

* Meadows, thickets, rocky slopes; 2700–3500 m. Yunnan.

2. Leontopodium gracile Handel-Mazzetti, Acta Horti Gothob. 1: 121. 1924.

纤细火绒草  xian xi huo rong cao

Leontopodium hapliphylloideslinearifolium Handel-Mazzetti; L. hapliphylloideslongifolium Ling.

* About 3300 m. N Sichuan.

3. Leontopodium kamtschaticum stoechas Handel-Mazzetti, Acta Horti Gothob. 12: 237. 1938.

* Riversides; 3100 m. Sichuan (Daofu).

4. Leontopodium niveumsinense Handel-Mazzetti, Acta Horti Gothob. 12: 235 (1938).

* Dry slopes; 1800–1900 m. W Sichuan.

5. Leontopodium stoechasartemisiifolium Handel-Mazzetti, Acta Horti Gothob. 12: 234. 1938.

* About 3200 m. W Sichuan.

6. Leontopodium stoechas dedekensii Handel-Mazzetti, Acta Horti Gothob. 12: 233. 1938.

* 3200–3900 m. Sichuan (Daofu).

7. Leontopodium stoloniferumdedekensii Handel-Mazzetti, Acta Horti Gothob. 12: 235. 1938.

* About 3100 m. Sichuan (Daofu).

8. Leontopodium stracheyi franchetii Handel-Mazzetti, Acta Horti Gothob. 12: 231. 1938.

* Dry slopes; 3600 m. Sichuan (Daofu).

5. Anaphalis Candolle, Prodr. 6: 271. 1838.

Zhu Sixin (朱世新); Randall J. Bayer

[Ed. note: Anaphalis (55 spp.) is by a different Chinese author, Zhu Sixin at Zhengzhou University, Henan. The manuscript is currently being edited (27 March 2008) and will follow as soon as possible.]

6. PHAGNALON Cassini, Bull. Soc. Philom. Paris 174. 1819.

绵毛菊属  mian mao ju shu

Chen Yousheng (陈又生); Randall J. Bayer

Perennial herbs or sometimes shrublets. Stem with fibers in phloem, without pericyclic cambium and resin canals. Leaves generally sessile, sparsely hairy; margin often dentate, revolute. Capitula solitary or few together, heterogamous, disciform. Involucral bracts generally cartilaginous but often with a papery apical portion, in several rows, outnumbering disc florets. Cypselas and pappus as in disc florets. Disc florets perfect; corolla yellow; corolla lobes erect; veins reaching apex of lobes. Anthers ecalcarate, without tails; endothecial tissue polarized; apical appendages flat, as wide as thecae. Style-branches obtuse, abaxially with obtuse sweeping hairs not reaching furcation; stigmatic surface basally separated but apically confluent. Cypselas with 2 or 3 vascular bundles, sparsely hairy with elongated, not myxogenic twin hairs; epidermis smooth. Pappus of basally connate, barbellate, capillary bristles in 1 row; apical cells acute. x = 9.

About 43 species: C and W Asia, Europe, North Africa, Macaronesia; one species in China.

1. Phagnalon niveum Edgeworth, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, Bot. 20: 68. 1846.

绵毛菊  mian mao ju

Phagnalon denticulatum Decaisne ex C. B. Clarke.

Subshrubs with erect or decumbent stem, (5–)10–30(–40) cm tall, few to profusely branched, branches and stem covered with dense snow white cottony wool. Branches densely foliate. Leaves variable in shape and size, 8–35(–40) ื (2–)4–8 mm, lanceolate, oblanceolate, linear oblong, or spatulate, sometimes much narrowed into a sessile base, apex obtuse or subobtuse, with entire, undulate, dentate or shallowly lobed margins, densely white cottony below, less or ฑ glabrous adaxially. Peduncles erect, 20–70(–80) mm, covered with white cottony wool, bearing a single capitulum. Capitula 8–12(–14) mm in diam., multiflorous; phyllaries many seriate, densely floccose lanate, outer phyllaries subulate to narrowly lanceolate, 2–2.5 ื ca. 0.5 mm; middle ones 3–3.5 ื ca. 0.5 mm, subulate to narrowly lanceolate, gradually narrowed into a acicular point with entire margins, apex ฑ opaque, inner phyllaries 6–7 ื ca. 0.5 mm, subulate, long acuminate. Bisexual florets tubular, 5–6 mm, tube ฑ glabrous, lobes small ฑ rounded, ฑ hairy at tips. Anthers included to subexserted, totally ecaudate at base. Style included to subincluded, bifid, stigmas rounded, papillose. Achenes compressed, sparsely hairy, ca. 1 mm; pappus setae 5, 4–5 mm, barbellate almost up to base. Fl. May–Aug. 2n = 18.

Valleys; 1800–2700 m. W Xizang [Afghanistan, India, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan].

7. Gnaphalium Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 850. 1753.

鼠麴草  shu qu cao shu

Chen Yousheng (陈又生); Randall J. Bayer

Annuals or perennials, usually taprooted, sometimes fibrous-rooted. Stems usually 1, erect, with or without fibers in phloem, without resin canals, without pericyclic cambium. Leaves mostly cauline, alternate, sessile; blades oblanceolate to spatulate or linear, bases cuneate, margins entire, faces concolored, gray and tomentose, eglandular. Heads heterogamous, disciform, usually in ฑ capitate clusters in axils of leaves or bracts, sometimes in spiciform glomerules. Involucres narrowly to broadly campanulate, 2.5–4 mm. Phyllaries in 3–5 series, usually white or tawny to brown, opaque or hyaline, often shiny; stereomes usually glandular distally; equal to unequal, papery toward tips; inner phyllaries narrowly oblong, usually white-tipped and protruding distal to outer. Receptacles flat, smooth, epaleate. Marginal florets pistillate, 40–80; corollas purplish or whitish. Disc florets bisexual, 4–7; corollas purplish or whitish. Anthers ecalcarate, with short tails; endothecial tissue polarized; apical appendage flat, as wide as thecae. Pollen gnaphalioid. Style bifid; style branches truncate with obtuse sweeping hairs apically; stigmatic surface separated. Cypselas oblong, with 2 vascular bundles, sparsely hairy with short, clavate, not myxogenic twin hairs; epidermis with imbricate papillae. Pappus dimorphic, of free, scabrid, capillary bristles in 1 row, basally with patent cilia; apical cells subclavate in disc florets, acute in female. x = 7.

About 200 species: Africa, Asia, Australia, Central, North, and South America; 20 species (one endemic, three introduced) in China.

1a.       Heads in terminal corymbs; phyllaries membranous, nitid, golden yellow, citrine yellow, light yellowish white, or dark brown.

2a.       Phyllaries light white or bright brown.

3a.       Robust herbs, up to 1 m tall; leaves distinctly 3-nerved ...........................  1. G. adnatum

3b.       Dwarf herbs, 10–40 cm tall; leaves 1-nerved.

4a.       Annual herbs; leaves spatulate or spatulate-oblong, apex obtusely rounded, base narrower  2. G. luteo-album

4b.       Perennial herbs; leaves lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, rarely linear, apex shortly acute, base broader .........................................................................................................  3. G. flavescens

2b.       Phyllaries golden yellow or citrine yellow.

5a.       Stems shortly glandular; leaves base decurrent to form wings; heads ca. 5 mm in diam. or larger    4. G. chrysanthum

5b.       Stems white lanate, leaves base decurrent, sometimes slightly amplexicaul; heads 2–4 mm in diam.

6a.       Dwarf herbs, 10–40 cm tall, usually branched from base; leaves spatulate or spatulate-oblanceolate, not amplexicaul or auricled, whitish tomentose on both surfaces; pappus connate at base  5. G. affine

6b.       Robust herbs, up to 70 cm tall, only branched in upper part; leaves linear, subamplexicaul-auricled, green glandular adaxially, white tomentose abaxially; pappus distinct  6. G. hypoleucum

1b.       Heads in dense globose or glomerulate inflorescences, raceme or spike, rarely solitary; phyllaries herbaceous or rarely membranous, yellowish brown or reddish brown.

7a.       Heads in dense globose or glomerulate inflorescences, or compound inflorescences.

8a.       Heads sessile, in dense compound inflorescences; leaves adaxially sparsely pubescent, abaxially densely white lanate; compound inflorescences with equal leaves in radiate or stellate arrangement; phyllaries reddish brown.

9a.       Basal leaves withering at anthesis .................................................  7. G. involucratum

9b.       Basal leaves persistent at anthesis, rosette .........................................  8. G. japonicum

8b.       Heads pedunculate, in dense globose or glomerulate inflorescences; leaves both surfaces white lanate; inflorescences with unequal leaves in irregularly arrangement; phyllaries pale yellow or yellowish brown.

10a.     Stems prostrate; leaves spatulate; phyllaries all linear, apex shortly acute
.......................................................................................................  9. G. pulvinatum

10b.     Stems erect; leaves linear-lanceolate or narrowly oblong; outer phyllaries ovate or broadly ovate, apex obtuse ...........................................................................................  10. G. uliginosum

7b.       Heads in raceme or spike, rarely solitary.

11a.     Heads in racemes, panicles, 2–6(–8) in spikes or solitary; plants usually 2–10 cm tall.

12a.     Heads in racemes; outer phyllaries obovate ........................................  11. G. stewartii

12b.     Heads in spike, panicles or solitary; outer phyllaries ovate to ovate-oblong.

13a.     Perennial herbs; basal leaves persistent at anthesis; heads 2–6(–8) in spikes or solitary  12. G. supinum

13b.     Annual herbs; basal leaves withering at anthesis; heads in loose spikes or panicles  13. G. calviceps

11b.     Heads numerous, in spikes; plants usually 20–60 cm tall.

14a.     Plant usually branched; basal leaves usually withered in flowering; upper leaves similar to lower leaves; phyllaries membranous, pale yellow, apex without stripes and maculae.

15a.     Leaves 5–7-nerved; receptacle concave; pappus connate at base
                                                                                               14. G. pensylvanicum

15b.     Leaves 1-nerved; receptacle flat or only concave in center; pappus distinct
                                                                                                      15. G. polycaulon

14b.     Plant usually unbranched; basal leaves usually persistent, rosette; upper leaves gradually smaller than lower leaves; phyllaries herbaceous, brown or upper part dark brown, apex striped or maculae.

16a.     Bracteal leaves short, spatulate to oblong; leaves spatulate-oblong, apex obtuse.

17a.     Adaxial leaf faces glabrous or glabrate; involucres 2.5–3 mm, bases glabrous; outer phyllaries elliptic-obovate to broadly ovate-elliptic, apices rounded to obtuse; bisexual florets 2–3        16. G. coarctatum

17b.     Adaxial leaf faces sparsely arachnoid (hairs persistent, evident); involucres 3–4.5(–5) mm, bases (imbedded in tomentum) often sparsely arachnoid on proximal 1/5–1/2; outer phyllaries ovate, ovate-triangular, or ovate-lanceolate, apices acute to acuminate; bisexual florets 2–6
.................................................................................................  17. G. purpureum

16b.     Bracteal leaves distinct, linear to; leaves linear, filiform, linear-lanceolate, apex acute to acuminate.

18a.     Leaves usually 3-nerved ..........................................................  18. G. norvegicum

18b.     Leaves 1-nerved.

19a.     Leaves linear or linear-lanceolate, 5–8 mm wide; spikes long and loose; involucre 3–5 mm in diam. ......................................................................................  19. G. sylvaticum

19b.     Leaves linear or filiform, 1–3 mm wide; spike short and dense; involucre 2–3 mm in diam.  20. G. nanchuanense

1. Gnaphalium adnatum (Wallich ex Candolle) Kitamura, J. Jap. Bot. 21: 51. 1947.

宽叶鼠麴草  kuan ye shu qu cao

Anaphalis adnata Wallich ex Candolle, Prodr. 6: 274. 1838; A. esquirolii H. L้veill้; A. sericeo-albidum (Vaniot) H. L้veill้; Gnaphalium esquirolii H. L้veill้; G. formosanum Hayata; G. sericeo-albidum Vaniot.

Robust herbs. Stems erect, 4–8 mm in diam., 50–100 cm tall, unbranched or rarely branched below, corymbosely branched above, densely woolly. Basal leaves withering at anthesis; middle and lower leaves oblanceolate or subelliptic, 4–9 ื 1–2 cm, apex obtuse, base decurrent, leathery, surfaces densely tomentose, midrib elevated. Heads 5–7 mm in diam., in corymbs on upper stem. Involucre yellow or whitish, scarious, globose, 5–6 mm wide, in 3 or 4 series; outer bracts obovate or oblanceolate, ca. 4 mm, rounded; inner bracts elliptic or oblong, ca. 4 mm. Outer florets many, corolla ca. 3 mm; central florets 5–7, ca. 3 mm. Achenes oblong, ca. 0.5 mm. Pappus white, ca. 3 mm. Fl. Aug–Oct.

Mountain slopes, roadsides and exposed rocky environments; 500–3000 m. Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Henan, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, SE Xizang, Yunnan, Zhejiang [India, Indochina–need to list which countries, Myanmar, Philippines].

2. Gnaphalium luteo-album Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 851. 1753

丝棉草  si mian cao

Pseudognaphalium luteo-album (Linnaeus) Hilliard & Burtt.

Annuals, 15–40 cm; taprooted or fibrous-rooted. Stems loosely white tomentose, not glandular. Leaf blades (crowded, internodes 1–5, sometimes to 10 mm) narrowly obovate to subspatulate, 1–3(–6) cm ื 2–8 mm (distal smaller, oblanceolate to narrowly oblong or linear), bases subclasping, usually decurrent 1–2 mm, margins weakly revolute, surfaces mostly concolored to weakly bicolored, abaxially gray tomentose, adaxially usually gray tomentose, sometimes glabrescent, neither glandular. Heads in terminal glomerules (1–2 cm in diam.). Involucres broadly campanulate, 3–4 mm. Phyllaries in 3 or 4 series, silvery gray to yellowish (hyaline), ovate to ovate-oblong, glabrous. Pistillate florets 135–160. Bisexual florets 5–10 (corollas red-tipped). Cypselae not evidently ridged (conspicuously dotted with whitish, papilliform hairs; pappus bristles loosely coherent basally, released in clusters or easily fragmented rings). 2n = 14, 28.

Exposed fields, roadsides; below 3200 m. Gansu, Hainan, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Shandong, Sichuan, Taiwan [India, Pakistan, C Asia–need to list which countries; Africa, SW Asia, Australia, Europe, North America].

3. Gnaphalium flavescens Kitamura, Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 15: 71. 1953.

拉萨鼠麴草  la sa shu qu cao

Pseudognaphalium flavescens (Kitamura) A. Anderberg.

Perennial herbs, somewhat woody at base. Stems in turfs, 1–1.2 mm thick, branched from middle and in upper part, 14–16 cm tall, cobwebby tomentose. Basal leaves withering at anthesis, linear, 10–12 ื ca. 1.5 mm; median leave