青海玄参 qing hai xuan shen

Perennials, 8-30 cm tall. Rhizomes to 5 mm in diam. Stems 1-3, often branched from middle or apically, sparsely pilose apically. Leaves on lower nodes scalelike. Stem leaves petiole to 1.5 cm, sparsely pubescent; leaf blade ovate, 1-4 X 0.8-3 cm, abaxially sparsely pubescent, margin dentate, serrate, or crenulate. Thyrses terminal on main stems and not surpassing upper leaves, or also on lateral branches, less than 2 cm; cymes (1-)3-flowered; peduncle glandular hairy. Pedicel glandular hairy, ca. 3 mm at anthesis, to 7 mm in fruit. Calyx lobes ovate-oblong, 4-6 X 2.5-3.5 mm, glandular, apex rounded. Corolla yellow, ca. 1.5 cm; upper lip ca. 2.5 mm longer than lower lip, lobes rounded, ca. 5 mm wide. Stamens as long as lower lip. Style ca. 1.1 cm. Capsule globose, ca. 7 X 6 mm. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Aug-Sep.

Sunny and rocky slopes; 4100-4600 m. SE Qinghai [Sikkim].