Saussurea obvallata (DC.) Sch. Bip.

Flowering and fruiting from July to September.

Saussurea obvallata is close relative of Saussurea wettsteiniana, but differs from the latter in subtending leaves to 11 cm (vs. no more than 7 cm), capitula 6-15 (vs. 1-3), sessile (vs. with short peduncles), straight (pendent), phyllaries abaxially glandular hairy (vs. villous).

Saussurea obvallata is occurring in Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan of China, Bhutan, NW Indian, Kashmir, N Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sikkim.

Herbs, perennial, 16-60 cm tall. Rhizomes thick, neck densely covered with brown fibrous lacerate residue of petioles. Stems erect, pubescent or glabrous. Basal leaves with to 8 cm petiole; leaf blade narrowly elliptic, oblong, or ovate, 7-20 cm long, 3-6 cm wide, glandular hairy, base cuneate, margin serrulate, apex obtuse. Stem leaves sessile, similar to basal leaves but gradually smaller towards stem apex. Uppermost stem leaves surrounding inflorescence, yellow, narrowly elliptic to ovate-oblong, to 16 cm long, 7 cm wide, membranous, pubescent or glandular hairy, margin serrulate, apex obtuse. Inflorescences terminal on stem, hemispherical. Capitula 6-15, pedunculate or not. Involucre hemispherical, 1-1.5 cm in diameter. Phyllaries in 4 rows, abaxially pubescent and glandular hairy, margin blackish purple, apex acute; outer phyllaries ovate; middle phyllaries elliptic; inner phyllaries linear. Pappus dark brown, in 2 rows; outer pappus ca. 5 mm, scabrous; inner pappus ca. 1.2 mm. Florets bluish purple, ca. 1.8 cm, tube ca. 8 mm, limb ca. 1 cm. Achene oblong, ca. 5 mm.

The chromosomal number of Saussurea obvallata is 2n = 32 (Gupta and Gill, 1989; Gupta et al., 1989; Amano and Ohba, 2000).

Growing in grassland, rocky places on mountain slopes, by streams, scree; 3200-4700 m.

Saussurea obvallata was used as medically, used to treat paralysis of the limbs and cerebral ischemia.