Saussurea qilangii Y. S. Chen & Q. L. Gan, sp. nov. (Fig. 1)

Type:— CHINA. Hubei province, Zhuxi county, Taoyuan xiang, Maoyuangou forest farm, Hengliangzi, 31.73137231°N, 109.64797775°E, 1627 m, 21 September 2024, L. S. Xu & Z. C. Jin XJ202432 (holotype: IBSC; isotypes: IBSC, PE).

Description:—Perennial herbs 60–170 cm tall. Rhizome with numerous fiberous roots. Stem erect, solitary, simple or apically few branched, with sparse multicellular articulate hairs or glabrescent. Basal leaves withered at anthesis. Lower and middle stem leaves petiolate, petioles 8–16 cm, glandular pubescent or glabrescent, forming a semi-amplexicaul sheath; leaf blade cordate, 10–23 cm long, 6–19 cm wide, apex acuminate, base cordate, margin coarsely dentate with short needle-like small pointed tips at the end of the teeth, adaxially glabrous, abaxially sparsely pubescent along veins or glabrescent. Bract leaves ovate, 4–10 cm long, 1–5 cm wide, adaxially glabrous, abaxially sparsely pubescent along veins, margin sparsely dentate or entire, apex acuminate, base nearly sessile or short petiolate; petioles glabrous. Capitula (15–)30–80, in a lax panicle, shortly pedunculate. Involucre cylindrical, 4–4.5 cm in diameter, 1.4– 1.5 cm high. Phyllaries in 5–6 rows, imbricate, nearly glabrous but margin white arachnoid hairy; outer ones ovate, herbaceous, 2–3 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, apex obtuse and patent; middle ones oblong, 8–11 mm long, 3–3.5 mm wide; inner ones membranous, linear, 1.3–1.5 cm long, 1.5–2 mm wide, apex obtuse. Receptacle bristles 10–11 mm long. Corolla purple, 1.4–1.5 cm long, tube 5–6 mm long, limb 6–8 mm long, lobe 2–3 mm long. Achene brown, cylindric, 6–8 mm long. Pappus light brown, outer bristles 4–5 mm long, scabrid; inner bristles 11–12 mm long, plumose.

Phenology:—Flowering from August to September, fruiting in October.

Etymology:—The specific epithet pays tribute to Mr. Qilang Gan, who made significant contributions to plant diversity research in Zhuxi County of Hubei province and edited Flora of Zhuxi.

Vernacular name:— AERÑffi¨, Qi liang feng mao ju in Chinese Pinyin.

Distribution and habitat:—Only known from the two localities in Zhuxi county, Hubei province. It grows in grassy slopes along forest margin at elevation of about 1400–1800 m.

Discussion:— Saussurea qilangii is similar to S. oligantha Franchet (1896: 421) in its habit, phyllaries shape and indumentum, but differs by its lower leaves cordate (vs. broadly ovate-cordate), capitulum (15–)30–80 (vs. 2–8), involucre 4–4.5 cm in diameter (vs. 0.8–1.2 cm in diameter), and phyllaries apex obtuse and patent (cv. acuminate, reflexed to erect) (Table 1). Saussurea qilangii is also similar to S. stricta Franchet (1894: 342) in its habit, phyllaries shape and indumentum, but differs in lower leaves cordate (vs. ovate-triangular), capitulum (15–)30–80 (vs. 8–20), involucre 4–4.5 cm in diameter (vs. 1.2–1.5 cm in diameter), and phyllaries apex obtuse and patent (cv. rounded and very shortly acuminate, patent to recurved) (Table 1).

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — CHINA. Hubei, Zhuxi county, Maoyuangou forest farm, Hengliangzi, 31.728080°N, 109.638431°E, 1693 m, 26 July 2023, Y. S. Chen, S.Y. Liao et Q. L. Gan ZX20230860 (IBSC).