山西黄芩 shan xi huang qin

Herbs rhizomatous. Stems erect, 14-20 cm tall, ca. 1 mm in diam., sparsely pilose along angles, unbranched. Petiole 1.5-7 mm, pilose; leaf blade cordate, 0.7-1.3 × 0.8-1.2 cm, thin papery, pilose, base shallowly cordate, margin 4- or 5-crenate-serrate, apex obtuse to acute. Bracteoles needlelike, less than 0.5 mm, inserted at base of pedicels in pairs. Flowers axillary. Pedicel ca. 3 mm, pilose. Calyx ca. 3 mm, finely pilose; scutellum ca. 0.3 mm. Corolla purplish, 9-10 mm, puberulent outside, sparsely pilose only on lower lip inside; tube slightly curved, ca. 1.5 mm wide, gradually dilated to 3.5 mm wide at throat; middle lobe of lower lip spreading upward, trapeziform, ca. 3.5 × 5 mm, apex emarginate; lateral lobes ovate, almost as long as upper lip. Fl. May-Jun.

* Shady areas in valleys; ca. 1500 m. Shanxi.