伊澤山龍膽

Gentiana scabrida var. itzershanensis (Liu & Kuo) Ying, Quart. J. Exp. Forest N. T. U. 3(2): 94. 1989.

Annual herbs. Stems usually branched, purple or dark purple, densely scabrous, 10-25 cm tall. Leaves aristate-acuminate at apices, slightly scabrous along margins; radical lanceolate to narrow lanceolate, 10-20 mm long, 5-8 mm wide; cauline leaves narrow-lanceolate, 12-15 mm long, 3-4 mm wide; sheaths 2-3 mm long. Flowers pedicellate, solitary on terminal branches; pedicels 4-10 mm long; calyx-tube campanulate, 5-7 mm long, with 5 prominent scabrous costae, 5-lobed, the lobes stick-like, longer than calyx-tubes, 8-10 mm long, aristate at apices, with obscurely scabrous-serrulate near apices, dilated and very minutely scabrous-serrulate at base, middle-part almostly entire; corolla tubular-campanulate, yellow, with brown or dark brown spots in the middle, 20-24 mm long, with 5 lobes; the lobes acutely ovate, 3-5 mm long, aristate-acuminate at apices, sinuses plicate with ovate-triangular appendages, appendages acute or cuspidate near apices; stamens 5, the anthers narrow, 2.5 mm long, the filaments 15-17 mm long, attached slightly above the lower-part of corolla-tube; ovary shortly stipitate, lanceolate to narrow ovate, 8-10 mm long, 4-6 mm wide, stiple 2-3 mm long, style 6-7 mm long, the stigma bifurcate and spirally. Capsules obovate or elliptical, 5-6 mm long, stipe 16-18 mm long, with serrulate wings, exserted beyond the persistent corolla. Seeds ovoid, with minutely longitudinal reticulate-striae, 0.8-0.9 mm long, about 0.5 mm wide.

TYPE: Taiwan. Hsinchu Hsien: Itzershan, in the central ranges, SH 512, 15 July 1935 (holotype: TAI!).

HSINCHU HSIEN: Tapachienshan, elev. ca. 3200-3400m, C. H. Chen 1443 (TNU); same loc., elev. ca. 2700-3500m, Kuoh 3278 (TAI); Suzuki s. n. Jul. 5, 1934 (TAI); same loc., elev. ca. 3400m, Ying 4207 (NTUF). MIAOLI HSIEN: Chiuchiushanchuang to Tapachienshan, elev. ca. 2700-2900m, Peng 8486 (HAST); same loc., Wang 1274 (TNU); Itzershan, elev. ca. 3250-3300m, Huang 105 (HAST). TAICHUNG HSIEN: Chikashanchuang to Sanliuchiushanchuang, elev. ca. 2400-3100m, C. H. Chen 1337 (TNU); Hsuehshan, Yang s. n. Aug. 23, 1995 (TAIF); same loc., elev. ca. 3150-3850m, C. H. Chen 1370 (TNU); same loc., Huang 1602 (TNU); Wuling lodge to Taoshan, elev. ca. 2900-3000m, Peng 12032 (HAST); Sanliuchiushanchuang to Tsueichih, elev. ca. 3200-3884m, Wang 4419 (TNU); Taoshan, elev. ca. 10000 feet, Hosokawa 2281 (TAI).

Distribution and habitat. Endemic to Taiwan, on exposed grasslands or bedrock area on Hsuehshan Mountain Range from 2,800 to 3,800 m in elevation. Flowering Jul-Oct, fruiting Aug-Nov.

Note. Gentiana itzershanensis is readily separated from its congeners in Taiwan by its stick-like calyx-lobes and cauline leaves which are linear-lanceolate to narrow lanceolate.