Eritrichium thymifolium (A. DC.) Y. S. Lian & J. Q. Wang

Herbs annual, 10-35 cm tall. Stems much branched, appressed pubescent. Basal leaves becoming withered, spatulate to oblanceolate, 1-3 cm × 3-4 mm; stem leaves short petiolate or sessile, linear, 1-3 cm × 2-3 mm, appressed pubescent, base cuneate, apex obtuse. Inflorescences terminal, frequently extra-axillary, several to many flowered, becoming racemelike. Pedicel 2-5 mm, sparsely pubescent, erect to ascending at anthesis, recurved in fruit. Calyx lobes erect at anthesis, divaricate or reflexed in fruit, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate-oblong, ca. 2 mm, appressed pubescent outside, glabrous or sparsely appressed pubescent inside. Corolla blue or light blue, campanulate-tubular, ca. 1.3 mm; appendages smaller, papillate; lobes oblong, ca. 0.7 mm. Anthers ovate-triangular, ca. 0.3 mm. Nutlets dorsiventrally compressed, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, 1.5-2.5 × ca. 1 mm excluding marginal glochids, adaxially keeled, abaxially slightly convex; marginal glochids ca. 1 mm, triangular below, free or confluent into a wing; attachment scar at middle or slightly below adaxially, ovate. Fl. and fr. Jun-Aug.

Gansu, Heilongjiang, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Xizang [India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia]

Sunny slopes, gravelly areas, terraces; 1800-4800 m.