04 SAUSSUREA MEDUSA MAXIM.
Saussurea medusa Maxim. is a precious flowering plant in the Saussurea genus in the Asteraceae family. It grows on the alpine subnival belt, an area just below the permanently snow-covered zone and the highest of all terrestrial ecosystems inhabited by seed plants. Its furry leaves serve to absorb and preserve warmth as well as protect the pollen.