Saussurea nanzhengensis Y.S.Chen & L.S.Xu, sp. nov. (Fig. 2)

Type: — CHINA. Shaanxi, Hanzhong City, Nanzheng county, Longtoushan, limestone slopes along forest margin, 1420–2100 m, 26 July 2021, Lian-Sheng Xu & Zi-Chao Jin XJ 20210128 (holotype IBSC; isotypes IBSC, XBGH) .

Herbs 20–70 cm tall, perennial. Stem solitary, erect, simple or few branched, sparsely pubescent. Basal and lower stem leaves petiolate; petioles 2–4 cm long, winged; leaf blade narrowly elliptic, lyrately lobed, blade 14–26 × 3.5–5 cm, adaxially green and glabrous, abaxially greyish white and densely arachnoid lanate or nearly glabrous, margin entire or subentire; lateral lobes (1–)2–4 pairs, splitting to the middle, triangular in shape, apex acute to obtuse; terminal segment oblong, apex acute, distinctly larger than other ones; middle and upper stem leaves nearly sessile, lanceolate, adaxially green and glabrous, abaxially densely arachnoid lanate, undivided, apex attenuate, base attenuate, gradually smaller upward on stem. Capitula numerous, in a paniculate synflorescence. Involucre campanulate, 0.6–1 cm in diameter, 0.9–1 cm in high. Phyllaries in 6 rows, green with black margin, densely arachnoid lanate or nearly glabrous, apex acuminate to acute; outer phyllaries ovate, ca. 10 × 2.6 mm; middle phyllaries triangular-lanceolate, ca. 10 × 2.5 mm; inner phyllaries narrowly triangular-lanceolate, ca. 7.5 × 1.5 mm. Receptacle bristles brown, 2–3 mm long. Corolla purple, 4.5–5 mm long, tube 4.5–5.5 mm long, limb 4.5–5.5 mm long, lobes 2.5–3 mm long. Pappus brown; outer bristles 4–4.5 mm long, scabrid; inner bristles 8–9.5 mm long, plumose.

Phenology: —Flowering and fruiting from late July to early October.

Etymology: — Saussurea nanzhengensis is named after its type locality, Nanzheng county, Shaanxi, China.

Distribution and habitat: — Saussurea nanzhengensis is distributed in Nanzheng county, Shaanxi province, and Nanjiang county, Sichuan province of China (Fig. 3). It usually grows on limestone slopes along forest margin at altitudes of 1000~ 2100 m.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — CHINA. Shaanxi, Nanzheng country, Longtoushan, roadside grass, 1420 m, 26 July 2021, L. S. Xu & Z. C. Jin XJ 20210128 (IBSC) ; Sichuan: Nanjiang county, Gaungwushan, limestone slopes along forest margin, 1600–1800 m, 5 September 2020, Lian-Sheng Xu & Jun Li XL 200491 (IBSC) ; Nanjiang county, Gaungwushan, limestone slopes along forest margin, 1050 m, 4 October 2021, You-Sheng Chen & Xin-Qiang Guo 21233 (IBSC) .