Flowering from June to August.
Doronicum altaicum is close relative of Doronicum thibetanum, but differs from the latter in its basal leaves ovate or ovate-oblong, rarely orbicular (vs. obovate-spatulate or oblong-elliptic), lower stem leaves ovate-oblong (vs. ovate-oblong or oblong-spatulate), basally attenuate into ca. 2 cm (vs. 2-4 cm) broadly winged petiole, involucre 2-3 cm in diameter (vs. 3-3.5 cm), ray florets 1.6-2.5 cm (vs. 2.2-2.8 cm), pappus as long as or only slightly longer than achenes (vs. 3 times long achenes), achenes glabrous or sometimes laxly puberulous (vs. laxly puberulous on veins).
Doronicum altaicum is occurring in Nei Mongol, N Xinjiang, Xizang of China, Russia.
Rhizomes procumbent or sometimes ascending, stout, ca. 1 cm in diameter. Stem solitary, erect, green or brown, sometimes purple-tinged, 20-80 cm tall, simple, basally glabrous, apically densely glandular hairy, more densely so below capitula. Radical leaves usually withered by anthesis; petiole long, 6-19 cm long; blade ovate or obovate-oblong, 5-10 cm long, 4-5 cm wide, base attenuate, apex rounded or obtuse. Stem leaves 5 or 6, uppermost leaves ovate-oblong, 5-6 cm long, 4-4.5 cm wide, base attenuate into ca. 2 cm broadly winged petiole, other stem leaves sessile, broadly ovate, semi-amplexicaul. Median leaves 7-8 cm long, 3-3.5 cm wide, upper ones 2.5-3.5 cm long, 0.8-2.5 cm wide, base broadly cordate, semi-amplexicaul, all glabrous, margin undulate-denticulate, or sometimes entire, glandular ciliate, apex obtuse or slightly acute. Capitula solitary, large, 4-6 cm in diameter with ray florets. Involucre hemispherical, 2-3 cm in diameter; phyllaries equal, 1-1.3 cm; outer ones oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, 1.8-2 mm wide, densely glandular hairy at base; inner ones linear-lanceolate or linear, 0.5-1 mm wide, glabrous or ciliate on margins only, all bracts apically long acuminate. Ray florets yellow, 2-2.5 cm long, with 2-2.5 mm tube, glabrous; rays linear-oblong, 16-22 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, 3-veined, apically 3-denticulate. Disc florets yellow, 5-5.3 mm wide, with 1.5-2 mm tube and cylindrical campanulate limb, 5-lobed, lobes ca. 1 mm, apically acute; anthers ca. 2 mm, basally obtuse, appendages ovate, style arms short, apically obtuse or truncate. Achenes yellow-brown or dark brown, cylindrical, 2-4 mm long, ribbed, glabrous or sparsely puberulous. Pappus present in all florets, white or red-brown at base, 3-4 mm long.
The chromosomal number of Doronicum altaicum is 2n = 30, 60 (Rostovtseva, 1979; Stepanov, 1994).
Growing in grasslands on slopes, under Picea forests; 2300-2500 m.
