Saussurea

Belongs within: Asteraceae.

Saussurea is a Holarctic genus of composite-flowered herbs found in cooler habitats.

Characters (from Hickman 1993): Perennial. Leaves basal and cauline, alternate. Inflorescence with heads discoid, 1–many; involucre ovoid to more or less obconic; phyllaries many, in several series, unequal, acute; receptacle flat or rounded, naked to bristly. Florets few to many; corollas blue to purple, tube slender, throat abruptly wider, lobes linear; anther bases short-tailed, tips linear, acute; style branches oblong, short-papillate, tips minutely hairy. Fruit oblong, more or less angled, attached at base; pappus of one or two series, outer of short bristles or scales, inner of generally longer plumose bristles fused at base.

<==Saussurea
    |--S. abnormisO88
    |--S. americanaH93
    |--S. candolleanaO88
    |--S. chrysotrichaO88
    |--S. dhwojiiO88
    |--S. gnaphalodesO88
    |--S. gossypiphoraO88
    |--S. graminifoliaO88
    |--S. heteromallaO88
    |--S. hieracioidesO88
    |--S. hookeriO88
    |--S. kanzanensisCP02
    |--S. laminamaensisO88
    |--S. leontodontoidesO88
    |    |--S. l. var. leontodontoidesO88
    |    `--S. l. var. filicifoliaO88
    |--S. linearifoliaO88
    |--S. namikawaeO88
    |--S. nepalensisO88
    |--S. nishiokaeO88
    |--S. obvallataO88
    |--S. pachyneuraO88
    |--S. platyphyllariaO88
    |--S. polystichoidesO88
    |--S. royleiO88
    |--S. simpsonianaO88
    |--S. spicataO88
    |--S. sughooO88
    |--S. taraxacifoliaO88
    |--S. tridactylaO88
    |--S. unifloraO88
    |--S. wernerioidesO88
    `--S. yaklaO88

*Type species of generic name indicated

References

[CP02] Chung, S.-W., & C.-I. Peng. 2002. Senecio kuanshanensis (Asteraceae), a new species from southern Taiwan. Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica 43: 155–159.

[H93] Hickman, J. C. (ed.) 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press: Berkeley (California).

[O88] Ohba, H. 1988. The alpine flora of the Nepal Himalayas: an introductory note. In: Ohba, H., & S. B. Malla (eds) The Himalayan Plants vol. 1. The University Museum, University of Tokyo, Bulletin 31: 19–46.