降龙草 ban shuo ju tai

Stems 10-40 cm, sparsely purple-brown or purple spotted, glabrous to pubescent, simple, with 4-8 nodes. Petiole 0.5-7 (-9) cm; leaf blade elliptic to ovate or obovate, 3-22 X 1.4-11.5 cm, adaxially nearly glabrous to pubescent, abaxially glabrous to pubescent, base usually slightly unequal, cuneate to attenuate and decurrent, sometimes touching at node, margin entire to weakly serrate, shallowly crenate toward apex, or densely denticulate, apex acute to acuminate, vermiform sclereids dispersed in leaf mesophyll; lateral veins 5-7 on each side of midrib. Cymes (1-)3-10- or more flowered; peduncle 2-7(-13) cm, glabrous; involucre 1-2.5 cm in diam., outside glabrous, seldom pilose. Calyx 5-sect from base; segments equal, lanceolate to narrowly ovate or elliptic to oblong, 6-12 X 3-4.5 mm, outside and margin glabrous. Corolla outside white, inside purple spotted, 3.5-4.2 cm, outside sparsely glandular puberulent, inside with a ring of hairs; tube 2.8-3.5 cm; adaxial lip 5-7 mm; abaxial lip 6-9 mm. Anthers 3-4.5 mm; staminodes 3, 2-8 mm. Pistil 3-4 cm, glabrous. Capsule 1.5-2.5 cm. Fl. Aug-Oct, fr. Oct-Dec.

* Rocks in montane valley forests and shaded wet forests; 100-2100 m. S Anhui, Fujian, S Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, S Henan, Hubei, Hunan, S Jiangsu, Jiangxi, S Shaanxi, Sichuan, SE Yunnan, Zhejiang.

Lower Taxa

• Hemiboea subcapitata var. guangdongensis (Z. Y. Li) Z. Y. Li
• Hemiboea subcapitata var. subcapitata