Bupleurum longicaule Wall.

All four varieties have reputed medicinal value. See the taxonomic note under Bupleurum candollei.

Plants 50–70 cm, perennial. Rhizome horizontal, little-branched, gray-brown. Stems solitary or several, erect, little-branched above, branches short or elongate, base without fibrous remnant sheaths. Basal leaves narrow-linear, lanceolate or oblanceolate, 10–12 × 0.5–2 cm, 5–11-nerved, base tapering into a conspicuous petiole, apex acute or acuminate. Cauline leaves sessile; blade linear-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, smaller, base broad-cordate and clasping, apex long-acuminate or acute. Umbels 3–8 cm across; bracts 0 or 2–3, lanceolate or ovate, 4–15 × 3–8 mm, unequal, 9–15-nerved; rays 3–12, 2.5–6 cm, unequal, somewhat stout, ribbed; bracteoles (5–)10–12, narrow-lanceolate or suborbicular, ca. 7 × 5 mm, longer than the flowers; umbellules ca. 8 mm across, ca. 20-flowered; pedicels 1.5–2 mm. Petals dark purple or yellow. Stylopodium low-conic, discoid, dark purple. Fruit ovoid or ellipsoid-ovoid, gray-brown, 3.5–5 × 1–1.5 mm; ribs prominent, acute; vittae 3 in each furrow, 4 on commissure. Fl. and fr. Jul–Sep.

Perennial, 15-40 cm tall, 1 or more stems from the base. Lower leaves linear to lanceolate; upper leaves lanceolate, amplexicaul, apices long acuminate. Involucral bracts 1-3, ovate, unequal. Rays 2-8. Involucel of 6-8 oval bractlets, slightly connate at the base, longer than the flowering umbellet, veins 5-7. Petals and stylopodium almost black. Fruit oblong; ridges slightly winged; furrows 3-vittate.

Himalaya (Kashmir, Kumaun, Bhutan), Tibet.

S Gansu, W Hubei, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi, NE and W Sichuan, E Xizang, NW Yunnan [India, Kashmir, Nepal, Pakistan].

Distribution: Central Asia, Himalayas in India and Pakistan.

3300-4900 m

Forests, grassy places on mountain slopes; 1000–4000 m.