Lappula caespitosa C. J. Wang

Herbs perennial. Taproots brown, straight, stout. Stems 4 to numerous, cespitose, branched above, 11-18 cm tall, brownish below, stiff, slightly spreading gray-white villous; branches ascending. Basal leaves numerous, forming a rosette, frequently persistent in withered state, sessile; leaf blade linear-spatulate to linear, 1-3 cm × 1.5-3 mm, flat or longitudinally flexed, densely gray-white villous, base attenuate, apex obtuse; stem leaves linear-spatulate to linear, 1-2 cm × 1-1.5 mm. Inflorescences 2-5 cm in fruit; bracts linear, 3-5 mm. Pedicel 1.5-2 mm. Calyx 5-parted; lobes erect, linear, ca. 2.5 mm in fruit, densely villous. Corolla light blue, campanulate, 3-3.5 mm; tube ca. as long as calyx; throat appendages 5, trapeziform; limb 2-2.5 mm wide; lobes obovate. Anthers oblong, inserted on middle of corolla tube. Style slightly surpassing nutlets, not surpassing upper prickles of nutlets; stigma subglobose. Fruit ovoid; nutlets narrowly ovoid, 2.5-3 mm, adaxially wrinkled or glabrous; disc lanceolate, sparsely finely white granulose; marginal glochids in a single row, 1-1.5 mm, bases slightly widened, not contiguous. Fl. and fr. Jun-Aug.

SW Xizang

* Alluvial, sandy, gravelly areas, arid ravines; ca. 4200 m.