螃蟹甲 pang xie jia

Phlomis kawaguchii Murata.

Taproots fusiform, to 2.5 cm in diam., lateral roots with globose swellings. Rhizomes cylindric, neck with dense, persistent petiole bases. Stems unbranched, 15-20 cm tall, sparsely appressed stellate tomentulose. Petiole of basal leaves 2-5 cm, others 0.4-1.3 cm; basal leaf blades lanceolate-oblong to narrowly oblong, 5-9 × 2-3.5 cm, base cordate, margin crenate, apex obtuse to rounded; stem leaves ovate-oblong to oblong, 2-3.5 × 1.2-2 cm, adaxially bullate, sparsely stellate hispid and simple hairy, abaxially sparsely stellate tomentulose, base broadly cuneate, margin crenate. Verticillasters 3-5, many flowered, basally widely spaced; floral leaves short petiolate to subsessile, 1.8-3.5 × 0.6-1.2 cm, margin dentate to entire; bracts bristlelike, ciliate, stellate puberulent, nearly as long as calyx. Calyx tubular, 9-10 × ca. 4 mm, densely stellate and glandular puberulent; teeth circular, ca. 1.3 mm, apex spinescent, spines ca. 1.2 mm. Corolla ca. 1.5 cm, tube glabrous, limb densely villous and villous annulate inside; upper lip ca. 5 mm, bearded inside, dentate; lower lip ca. 8 × 6.5 mm, middle lobe obcordate, ca. 3.5 × 3.5 mm, emarginate; lateral lobes ovate, ca. 2.5 mm. Stamen appendage hooked, at base above villous annulus. Nutlets apex granular hairy. Fl. Jul.

* Slopes, fields, thickets; 4300-4600 m. Xizang

Roots used medicinally for cough and bronchitis.