Ligularia latihastata (W. W. Sm.) Hand.-Mazz.

Flowering and fruiting from July to October.

Ligularia latihastata is occurring in Xizang, NW Yunnan of China.

The Ligularia-Cremanthodium-Parasenecio (L-C-P) complex of the Tussilagininae (Asteraceae: Senecioneae) are endemic to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in eastern Asia. A phylogenetic analysis of members of the complex and selected taxa of the tribe Senecioneae was conducted using chloroplast (ndhF and trnL-F) and nuclear (ITS) sequences (Liu et al., 2006). Results suggest that the L-C-P clade was largely unresolved, most likely originated as a consequence of an explosive radiation. Molecular-clock analyses suggest that the explosive radiation of the L-C-P complex occurred mostly within the last 20 million years, which falls well within the period of recent major uplifts of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau between the early Miocene to the Pleistocene. It is proposed that significant increases in geological and ecological diversity that accompanied such uplifting, most likely promoted rapid and continuous allopatric speciation in small and isolated populations, and allowed fixation or acquisition of similar morphological characters within unrelated lineages. This phenomenon, possibly combined with interspecific diploid hybridization because of secondary sympatry during relatively stable stages between different uplifts, could be a major cause of high species diversity in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas of eastern Asia.

Herbs perennial. Root fleshy, numerous. Stem erect, 35-60 cm tall, branched above and inflorescences with white and yellowish-brown pubescent, nearly glabrous below, base 3.5-5 mm in diameter, covered with fibrous remains of old leaves. Radical leaves with petiole, petiole 15-35 cm long, glabrous, leaves blade broadly hastate or triangular-hastate, 4-11 cm long, 9-15 cm wide at base, rounded or triangular at apex, acute, with regularly mucronulated toothed, glabrous on both surfaces with palmed venation; middle cauline leaves with petiole or sessile, sheathing swell, sheathing up to 7 cm long, with toothed, leaves blade triangular or cordate-hastate; upper cauline leaves broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate with broad sheathing amplexicaul base, with toothed. Racemose 10-30 cm long; capitula 8-10; Involucre broadly campanulate, 9-11 mm long, 8-12 mm wide; bracts 8-10, oblong, 3-5 mm wide, acute; ray florets yellow, ray linear-oblong or linear, 2.5-4 cm long, 2-5 mm wide, acute or acuminate at apex, tubes ca. 7 mm long; disc florets numerous, 10-12 mm long. Achenes cylinder, 6 mm long, smooth.

Growing in streamsides, swamp, grasslands, under forest; 2400-4000 m.