藏珍珠菜 zang zhen zhu cai

Herbs biennial or perennial, to 37 cm tall. Stems erect, slightly angular, often branched from base, glandular on upper part. Basal leaves early deciduous. Stem leaves alternate; petiole ca. 1 cm, narrowly winged; leaf blade broadly ovate (lower leaves) to ovate-lanceolate (upper leaves), 2--3 X 1.4--1.7 cm, abaxially glaucescent, glandular pulverulent, sparsely red glandular punctate near margin, base cuneate, apex acute; veins 4 or 5 pairs; veinlets inconspicuous. Racemes terminal, to 9 cm, 2.5--3 cm in diam., apex rounded; bracts subulate-acuminate, ca. 5 mm; margin membranous. Pedicel to 6 mm. Calyx ca. 5 mm; lobes lanceolate, ca. 4 X 1.2 mm, margin membranous, glandular striate outside, apex long acuminate, ± blunt. Corolla white or tinged with red, to 1 cm, deeply parted; lobes oblong, ca. 6.5 X 2 mm, sparsely red striate; sinus between lobes acute. Stamens ca. as long as corolla lobes and adnate to them; anthers dorsifixed. Ovary ovoid, glabrous; style to 5 mm. Immature capsule subglobose, ca. 3.5 mm in diam. Fl. Aug.

* Wet streamside meadows. SE Xizang (Tsarong Xian).