Eritrichium hemisphaericum W. T. Wang

Herbs perennial, cushionlike, 1-3 cm tall. Stems numerous, in crowded fascicles. Petiole 1-1.5 cm, base inflated becoming sheathlike; leaf blade spatulate to obovate-oblong, abaxially sparsely short pubescent only near apex, adaxially white pilose, base attenuate forming into a petiole, margin ciliate, apex obtuse. Inflorescences terminal, 1- or 2-flowered. Pedicel somewhat pubescent, 1-1.5 cm in fruit, mostly erect. Calyx lobes erect at anthesis, divaricate in fruit, rarely reflexed, ovate to broadly ovate, 0.7-1 mm, with many white hairs outside, glabrous inside and with many ciliate hairs along margin. Corolla blue, campanulate-tubular, ca. 2 mm; tube usually ca. 2 × as long as lobes; appendages obscure or papillate; lobes orbicular or nearly so, ca. 0.7 mm. Stamens inserted at middle of corolla tube; anthers elliptic. Gynobase semiglobose, ca. 0.5 mm. Style ca. 0.5 mm. Nutlets dorsiventrally compressed, 1.2-1.5 × 0.8-1 mm excluding marginal glochids; adaxially keeled, glabrous; abaxially ovate, with a center line rib, with many hairs; marginal glochids curved toward center, confluent into a broad wing, margin irregularly bristly, tips not anchorlike; attachment scar at middle adaxially. Fl. and fr. Jul-Aug.

Qinghai (Zhidoi Xian), Xizang.

* Gravelly slopes, volcanic rock piles; 4900-5700 m.