• Scientific Name: Saussurea medusa Maxim.
• Ref: Bull. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg 27:488. 1881
• Synonyms: Saussurea dainellii Pamp.; Saussurea trullifolia W.W.Sm.; Theodorea medusa Kuntze
• Chinese Common Name: 水母雪兔子 shuǐmǔ xuětùzi, 水母雪莲花 shuǐmǔ xuělián∙huā, 甘青风毛菊 Gān-Qīng fēngmáo∙jú
• Family: Asteraceae
• Genus: Saussurea
• Distribution: Rocky slopes, alpine scree slopes; 3000-5600 m. Gansu, Qinghai, W Sichuan, S Xinjiang, Xizang, NW Yunnan (Dêqên, Zhongdian) [?Kashmir].
• Photo: Baima Snow Mt., Yunnan

Herbs 6-20 cm tall, perennial, polycarpic. Caudex 3-8 mm in diam., usually branched. Stem solitary, 0.5-1.5 cm in diam., erect, simple, hidden by reflexed leaves. Rosette and lower stem leaves petiolate; leaf blade obovate, fan-shaped, rhombic, or orbicular, 1-7.5 × (0.5-)1-5 cm, both surfaces grayish green and white or yellowish arachnoid lanate, margin dentate to pinnately lobed, apex obtuse. Middle and upper stem leaves ovate-elliptic, pinnately lobed or divided, both surfaces densely lanate, apex acute to acuminate. Uppermost stem leaves narrowly ovate to linear, both surfaces densely lanate, margin dentate. Capitula numerous, in a hemispheric synflorescence 3-7 cm in diam., sessile. Involucre cylindric, 5-8 mm in diam. Phyllaries in 3 or 4 rows; outer phyllaries narrowly ovate-triangular, 1.5-2.5 × 0.5-0.6 cm, apically white or brown lanate, apex caudate; middle and inner phyllaries narrowly obovate-oblong, 10-14 × 1-4 mm, glabrous, apex rounded and ciliate. Receptacle bristles 0.5-2 mm. Corolla bluish purple, sparsely papillose, 1-1.3 cm, tube 5-7 mm, limb 3-6 mm, lobes 1-3 mm. Achene dark brown, narrowly fusiform, 8-10 mm, sparsely papillose on apical rim or glabrous. Pappus dirty white; outer bristles 3-6 mm; inner bristles 1-1.3 cm. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep. 2n = 34*. (Flora of China)