Lappula tianschanica Popov & Zakirov

Herbs biennial or perennial. Stems usually single, erect, much branched above, 40-60 cm tall, densely gray-white strigose. Basal leaves numerous, lanceolate to spatulate, 5-8 cm, withered in fruit; stem leaves lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 3-6 cm × 4-10 mm, flat, sparsely hirsute, hairs discoid at base, sometimes densely light gray pilose, apex ± acute. Inflorescences widely spaced, 10-15 cm, elongated and secund in fruit; bracts linear to linear-lanceolate, usually shorter than fruit. Fruiting pedicel 3-10 mm, erect or recurved. Calyx lobes spreading, linear, 2-3 mm, to 4 mm in fruit, apex acute. Corolla light blue, ca. 4 mm; tube ca. as long as calyx; throat appendages trapeziform, dark blue, ca. 0.8 mm; limb 5-6 mm wide; lobes divaricate, obovate. Style surpassing nutlets by ca. 1 mm, not surpassing prickles. Fruit ovoid-globose, 3-4 mm; nutlets ovoid, adaxially finely tuberculate; disc narrowly ovate, tuberculate, center line with unequal glochids; marginal glochids in 2 rows; inner glochids 1.5-2.5 mm, bases slightly widened but free; outer glochids on lateral surface below, 0.4-0.6 mm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.

Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan]

Hillside meadows; 1800-2500 m.