矮兔耳草 ai tu er cao

Herbs, ca. 5 cm tall. Rhizomes erect or oblique, short, narrow, with few lateral and fibrous roots. Stems 1 or 2, erect, slightly longer than leaves. Basal leaves 3-5; petiole 1.5-2 cm, flattened, base somewhat expanded; leaf blade ovate to broadly ovate, thick, shorter than or almost as long as petiole, base cuneate, margin coarsely crenate, apex acuminate and mucronate. Stem leaves 1-3, short petiolate to subsessile, smaller than basal leaves. Spikes dense, capitate to oblong, 1-2.5 cm; bracts obovate, margin toothed above middle, apex acute. Calyx membranous, 2-lobed, veins conspicuous and almost reaching apex. Corolla blue to purple, 0.9-1.2 cm; tube straight; lower lip nearly as long as upper, lobes 2, narrowly lanceolate; upper lip oblong, emarginate. Anthers reniform. Style included; stigma 2-lobed. Fl. Jun.

* Grassland on mountain slopes, gravel slopes; 5100-5200 m. SW Xizang.