高河菜 Megacarpaea delavayi

  • Scientific Name: Megacarpaea delavayi Franch.
  • Ref: Bull. Soc. Bot. France 33:406. 1886
  • Chinese Common Name: 高河菜 Gāohé cài
  • Family: Brassicaceae
  • Genus: Megacarpaea
  • Distribution: Swampy meadows, grassy slopes, open thickets; 3300-4800 m. Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Myanmar].
  • Photo: 07/29/2012, Mt. Jiajin, Sichuan
  • Note: Chinese common name is from the ancient name of Ximatan, a high altitude reservoir built in Dali, Yunnan.
Herbs perennial, 15-86 cm tall. Trichomes retrorse, flattened, not crisped. Root cylindric, to 2 cm in diam. Caudex short, simple or rarely branched. Stems erect, branched above. Petiole of basal and lower cauline leaves (1-)2-5(-8) cm, considerably flattened at base; leaf blade oblong-oblanceolate in outline, appearing pinnately compound, (0.5-)5-15(-22) cm, sparsely to densely pubescent; lateral lobes 7-13 on each side of rachis, broadly ovate, oblong, or linear, (0.5-)1-2.5(-4.6) × 0.1-1(-2) cm, base decurrent, margin entire, irregularly serrate, or laciniate, apex acute or obtuse. Cauline leaves sessile, strongly auriculate or amplexicaul at base; leaf blade similar to that of basal leaves but with fewer lobes. Fruiting pedicels slender, (0.6-)0.8-1.5(-2) cm, usually strongly recurved, pubescent. Sepals purplish, oblong, 3-4(-4.5) × (1-)1.5-2(-2.5) mm, sparsely pubescent or glabrous. Petals lavender or deep purple, narrowly oblanceolate, oblong, or broadly obovate, entire or shallowly to deeply 3(-5)-lobed, (5-)7-10(-12) × (1-)3-4(-6) mm, base cuneate, apex rounded or subacute. Stamens 6; filaments (2.5-)3-4 mm; anthers narrowly oblong or linear, 1-1.5 mm. Fruit halves broadly obovate, (0.8-)1-1.2(-1.5) cm × (6-)7-8(-10) mm; wings 1-2 mm wide; replum 2.5-4 mm; locule 7-12 × 5-8 mm. Seed dark brown, broadly ovate, 4.5-6 × 3-4 mm. Fl. May-Aug, fr. Jul-Sep. (Flora of China)

07/29/2012, Mt. Jiajin, Sichuan

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