草黄乌头 cao huang wu tou

Caudex carrot-shaped, ca. 1.2 cm in diam. Stem ca. 1.5 m tall, branched, basally pubescent, apically glabrous. Proximal cauline leaves withered at anthesis, distal ones shortly petiolate; petiole ca. 2 cm, glabrous; leaf blade pentagonal, ca. 8 × 12 cm, abaxially sparsely appressed pubescent, adaxially glabrous, 3-parted; central lobe rhombic or narrowly rhombic, apex acuminate; lateral lobes obliquely flabellate, unequally 2-fid. Inflorescence terminal, ca. 20 cm, ca. 11-flowered; rachis glabrous; bracts usually leaflike, distal ones linear. Pedicels 2--6.5 cm, above middle densely spreading yellowish pubescent, with 2 bracteoles near middle, bracteoles oblong to narrowly linear, 4.5--10 × 0.5--1.5 mm. Sepals stramineous, glabrous or nearly so; lower sepals ca. 1.2 cm; lateral sepals ca. 1.2 cm; upper sepal galeate, 1.4--1.9 cm high, shortly clawed, with a short beak, slightly upward curved, 1.3--1.5 cm from base to beak, lower margin oblique upward, concave. Petals curved, ca. 1.9 cm, glabrous; lip ca. 3 mm, slightly concave; spur subcircinate, subequaling lip. Stamens glabrous; filaments entire. Carpels 5, glabrous. Fl. Aug.

* Slopes; ca. 3600 m. NW Yunnan (Weixi Lisu Zu Zizhixian).