Volutaria sinaica (DC.) Wagenitz / Heterotypic Synonyms: Amberboa leucantha Coss ex Batt., it is an annual herb, up tp (10-) 30-40cm, scabrid hairy. Stems branched or simple, with leaves mostly restricted in the basal parts. Basal leaves slightly coriaceous, obovate, sharply incised serrate to pinnatilobed. tapered below into a long, thin petiole. Cauline leaves sessile, pinnatifid to pinnatipartite, with lobes pectinate, serrate. Capitula 1-2 per branch, terminal, narrow and cylindrical, slightly hairy at the base. Outer and middle involucral bracts linear-ovate to linear-lanceolate, 3 (-5) nerved, margins carious and hyaline, occasionally with a pale pink line near the apex between the coriaceous involucral bract body and its hyaline marginal membrane; apices acute-apiculate with margins ciliolate. Inner most involucral bracts linear-oblong, 3-5 nerved, with rather broad, hyaline, scarious margins and scarious, acute, ciliolate apical appendages. Marginal florets tubular, sterile, radiating violaceous. sometimes whitish or rosy. Central florets whitish with violaceous to rosy lobes; tube sparsely hairy. Anthers light brown coloured; filaments glabrous. Cypsela 3.5 x 1 mm hairy, pitied between the ribs, with hilum sub-basal; umboe, 0.5 mm, 5-ribbed, whitish; pappus sub-3-rowed of flattened, ciliolate, purplish scales, as long as or slightly longer than the body of the cypsela.
Leave a Reply