Table 1.

Morphological comparison between M.kangdingensis, M.macrantha, and M.bracteata.

Characters	M.kangdingensis	M.macrantha	M.bracteata
Leaves	basal leaves persistent during flowering; leaves pinnatipartite	basal leaves wither during flowering; leaves pinnatipartite	basal leaves wither during flowering; leaves usually entire
Bracts	numerous and conspicuous, grading into the narrow outer phyllaries	absent	numerous and conspicuous, grading into the narrow outer phyllaries
Capitula	with 22–27 florets	with ca. 40 florets	with usually 20–30 florets
Involucres	phyllaries subequal, narrow, densely covered with long white multiseriate glandular hairs abaxially and along the margins, trichomes gradually decreased from the outer to inner phyllaries	phyllaries imbricate, outer phyllaries wide, margin white densely fimbriate, glabrous abaxially; inner phyllaries narrow, completely glabrous	phyllaries subequal, narrow, all completely glabrous
Anther tube length	5.5–6.4 mm	3.7–4.3 mm	3.7–4.6 mm
Achene length	10–11 mm	10–11 mm	7.9–8.5 mm
Achene beak	ca. 4 mm long, about 1/2 length of the achene’s body	ca. 1.8 mm long, about 1/3 length of the achene’s body	ca. 6.5 mm long, nearly equal in length to the achene’s body