taxonID	type	description	language	source
24A47774B9DC59FDB9FA5CF492711CC0.taxon	description	Fig. 1	en	Bai, Zengfu, Zhang, Zhihua, Zhang, Guojin, Zhang, Ji (2025): Aster xuelinii (Astereae, Asteraceae), a new species growing on moist rocks from Gansu Province, China. PhytoKeys 263: 17-23, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.263.166400
24A47774B9DC59FDB9FA5CF492711CC0.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. This new species resembles A. dolichopodus superficially. Both have linear – lanceolate cauline leaves and long pedicels. However, the new species differs by having fewer than 15 ray florets (vs. 19 – 26), stems that are caespitose, pendent, or rarely ascending, and slender (vs. simple, sometimes caespitose, erect, stout stems). It grows in moist habitats (vs. dry habitats).	en	Bai, Zengfu, Zhang, Zhihua, Zhang, Guojin, Zhang, Ji (2025): Aster xuelinii (Astereae, Asteraceae), a new species growing on moist rocks from Gansu Province, China. PhytoKeys 263: 17-23, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.263.166400
24A47774B9DC59FDB9FA5CF492711CC0.taxon	description	Description. Perennial herbs, 30 – 70 cm tall. Rhizomes short, slightly thick, woody. Stems caespitose, pendent, or rarely ascending, slender, unbranched except for inflorescence, shortly pubescent, with many basal rosette leaves and cauline leaves. Rosette leaves lanceolate, 4 – 10 × 0.8 – 1.2 cm, apex acute, base gradually narrowing, strigose, margin serrately one- to two-toothed, petiole 3 – 5 cm long; lower cauline leaves similar to rosette leaves, sessile, narrowly lanceolate, 4 – 8 × 0.6 – 1.4 cm, margin entire or 1 - toothed, base gradually narrowing, apex acute, both surfaces of the leaf sparsely scabrous; middle to upper leaves sessile, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 3 – 7 × 0.4 – 0.7 cm, entire or rarely with a single tooth. Synflorescence leaves lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 0.5 – 3 × 0.1 – 0.4 cm. Capitula 1 - 6 in terminal corymbiform synflorescences, sometimes solitary; peduncles 6 – 9 cm long, with linear ca. 2 – 3.5 mm in diam. bracts. Involucres hemispherical, ca. 5 mm long, 7 – 15 mm in diameter; phyllaries 5 – 7 - seriate, imbricate, coriaceous, with broadly scarious and shortly ciliate. Outer bracts shorter than inner ones: outer ones lanceolate, only the outermost basally covered with short scabrous hairs; inner ones oblanceolate. True ray 12 – 14, pale purple, glabrous, 5 – 9 × 1.2 – 2 mm; corolla tube 4 – 6 mm long, apex slightly 2 – 3 - lobed. Disk florets numerous, perfect; tubular yellowish-green, tube 3 – 4 mm long, glabrous, shallowly 5 - lobed; lobes narrowly triangular. Pappus 1 - seriate, erect and persistent, off-white in color with minute pubescence adaxially, reaching the base of the corolla lobes or equaling the tube in length. Achenes of both florets similar, narrowly oblong, ca. 2 mm long and 1 mm wide, strigose.	en	Bai, Zengfu, Zhang, Zhihua, Zhang, Guojin, Zhang, Ji (2025): Aster xuelinii (Astereae, Asteraceae), a new species growing on moist rocks from Gansu Province, China. PhytoKeys 263: 17-23, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.263.166400
24A47774B9DC59FDB9FA5CF492711CC0.taxon	etymology	Etymology. This distinctive designation honors the substantial contributions made by Chinese botanist Xuelin Chen to botanical diversity surveys in Gansu Province over many years. Hence, the Chinese name “ 学林紫菀 (xué lín zĬ wăn) ” is suggested.	en	Bai, Zengfu, Zhang, Zhihua, Zhang, Guojin, Zhang, Ji (2025): Aster xuelinii (Astereae, Asteraceae), a new species growing on moist rocks from Gansu Province, China. PhytoKeys 263: 17-23, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.263.166400
24A47774B9DC59FDB9FA5CF492711CC0.taxon	distribution	Distribution and habitat. Aster xuelinii is only known from its type locality, Hui County, Gansu Province, China. This new species grows on moist rock slopes at elevations of 800 – 1000 meters (Fig. 2).	en	Bai, Zengfu, Zhang, Zhihua, Zhang, Guojin, Zhang, Ji (2025): Aster xuelinii (Astereae, Asteraceae), a new species growing on moist rocks from Gansu Province, China. PhytoKeys 263: 17-23, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.263.166400
