Pimpinella oreophila Hook.F.

Afroalpine perennial herb, (6–)15–40(–95) cm. with a tough stoloniferous rootstock.. Stem sulcate, green to blackish purple, moderately to densely furnished with (1–2–)many-celled hairs which are sometimes violet-coloured along the cell walls, especially above and on the peduncles.. Basal leaves sometimes purplish tinted, pinnate with 1–5 pairs of sessile or shortly petiolulate, ovate or rounded, crenate to crenate-serrate ± 5–30 mm. leaflets (the terminal to 40 mm.) broadly cuneate to cordate with an open or closed basal sinus, or sometimes simple, crenate to crenate-serrate, subacute to obtuse, ovate to almost round, to ± 3 cm.; glabrous to long-pilose at least on the nerves beneath, glabrous to more shortly pilose above; petiole (1–)2–13 cm., it and the axis pilose with hairs similar to those of the stem or darker; sheath rather quickly narrowed to the petiole, pilose, ± 10–15 mm.; median and upper stem leaves simple to trisect or pinnatisect with usually progressively more narrowly divided pinnae, occasionally subpinnatisect with linear-oblong segments; pinnae of lower stem leaves usually roundish or ovate, sessile or shortly (rarely to 1 cm.) petiolulate; median and upper stem leaves sessile on the inflated, 6–25(–30) mm., often purplish, dorsally pilose and marginally ciliate sheaths.. Umbels of 5–17 ± sulcate, shortly pilose rays 3–30 mm. long; involucre absent or of a single broader or up to 3 linear bracts 6–10 mm. long; partial umbels ± 7–12-flowered, the shortly pilose pedicels 1–4 mm. long; involucel of 1–6 narrowly linear, 2–4 mm., often ± purplish bracteoles; peduncles ± 2–13(–22) cm., pilose especially below the umbels.. Calyx absent.. Petals white to creamy-green, sometimes tinted with purplish black, ovate, ± 1 mm., glabrous, with a slender oil-duct.. Ovary glabrous, ribs prominent when young.. Fruit oblong-ovoid, glabrous, 2–3 mm.; stylopodia large, conical, divergent. Styles yellow to blackish purple, ± as long as the stylopodia.

In upper montane grasslands.