Limonium franchetii (Debeaux) Kuntze

Herbs, perennial, 25--60 cm tall. Taproot often thick, red-brown to black-brown; bark unbroken. Caudex thickened, simple or rarely 2- or 3(--6)-branched, densely covered with persistent petioles. Leaves basal, occasionally 1--6 on basal part of main axis of inflorescences, persistent to anthesis; petiole broad; leaf blade obovate-oblong to oblong-lanceolate including petiole, 3--6(--15) X 1--2(--3) cm, base attenuate, apex rounded to obtuse. Inflorescences corymbose or paniculate; main axis usually simple, rarely 2 or 3(--6), stout, cylindrical, without angles and grooves; sterile branches few, usually simple, on basal part and at forks of rachis; spikes with (3--)5--7 spikelets; spikelets 2- or 3-flowered; bracts obovate, 3.5--4.5 mm, usually curved and apically 2- or 3-lobed after anthesis, herbaceous part obovate to obovate-spatulate; first bractlet 7--8 mm. Calyx funnelform, 7--8 mm; tube ca. 1.5 mm in diam.; limb pale purple, becoming white, 3.5--4 mm wide, 7--8 mm in diam.; lobes wide and short, apex rounded and usually fugaciously aristate. Corolla pale lilac to pale purple. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Jun-Aug.

Sandy slopes around seashores. N Jiangsu, S Liaoning, E Shandong.

Statice franchetii Debeaux, Acta Soc. Linn. Bordeaux 31: 348. 1876; Limonium subviolaceum Q. Z. Han & S. D. Zhao; L. teretiscaposum S. D. Zhao; S. tchefouensis Gandoger.