Lappula microcarpa (Ledeb.) Gürke

An erect annual to 50 cm. Stems simple or branched. Stem and branches appressed hairy with hairs less than 1 mm long, intermixed with subappressed longer hairs arising from a tuberculate base. Basal leaves linear-oblong, 20-30 x 2-3.5 mm, covered on both surfaces with suberect hairs up to 2 mm long; cauline leaves smaller. Inflorescence elongating in fruit. Pedicels in fruit stout, c. 2-2.5 mm long, hairy. Calyx lobes c. 2 mm long. Corolla blue; tube 2-3 mm long. Nutlets, c. 2 mm long, margin of wing with appendages uniseriate and up to 0.7 mm long, not or barely dilated towards base bearing anchor-like spinules. Dorsal and ventral surface tuberculate. Style slender, exceeding the nutlets.

Herbs annual or biennial, erect. Stems much branched above middle, 20-45 cm tall, white strigose. Basal leaves forming a rosette, withered in fruit; leaf blade oblong, 3-4 cm, base attenuate, apex obtuse; stem leaves linear, 2-3 cm × 2-4 mm, flexed along midvein, gray-white hispid, hairs discoid at base, margin spreading ciliate. Inflorescences terminal on branches, elongated in fruit; bracts linear. Fruiting pedicel erect, ca. 2 mm. Calyx 5-parted; lobes linear, ca. 3 mm, not enlarged in fruit. Corolla light blue, campanulate, ca. 5 mm; tube slightly longer than calyx; limb ca. 4.5 mm wide; lobes ovate-orbicular. Style surpassing nutlets 0.8-1.5 mm. Nutlets ovoid, 2.5-3 mm; adaxially granulose, sometimes with 2 rows of glochids below; disc narrowly ovate, granulose, center line keeled and with short glochids; marginal glochids in a single row, 0.8-1 mm. 2n = 22, 24.

W. & C. Asia, Himalaya (Kashmir to Nepal).

Distribution: Soviet C. Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir.

N Xinjiang, S and SE Xizang [Afghanistan, N India, Kashmir, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan; SW and W Asia].

3500-4000 m

Fl. Per.: May.

Sunny slopes, low mountain canyons; 700-2500 m.

Echinospermum microcarpum Ledebour, Fl. Altaic. 1: 202. 1829; E. oligacanthum Ledebour; E. stylosum Karelin & Kirilov; Lappula microcarpa var. heterogenea X. D. Wang & C. J. Wang.