苞叶木蓝 bao ye mu lan

Shrubs or shrublets, erect or prostrate, 20-90 cm tall. Stems and young branches glabrous. Stipules narrowly lanceo­late, 3-7 mm, glabrous. Leaves 3-11 cm, 5- or 7-foliolate; petiole and rachis glabrous; petiole 1.5-3.5 cm; rachis adaxially grooved; stipels subulate, 2-2.5 mm; petiolules 1-1.5 mm; leaflet blades opposite, elliptic to obovate-elliptic, 1.2-2.5(-3.2) × 0.6-1 cm, membranous, both surfaces with appressed medi­fixed trichomes, abaxially pale green, adaxially darker, midvein abaxially prominent, secondary veins 5-10 on each side of midvein and obvious, base broadly cuneate to rounded, apex rounded to emarginate and mucronate. Racemes 8-15 cm, densely flowered; peduncle (1-)3-5 cm, glabrous; bracts cuspi­date, 4-6 × 2-2.2 mm, covering buds, reticulate veined, margin ciliate, apex acuminate. Pedicel (1.5-)2-3 mm. Calyx 1-1.5(-2) mm, with appressed white or brown trichomes; tube 1-1.5 mm; teeth triangular, ca. 0.5 mm. Corolla light purple or white; stan­dard broadly ovate, 7-9 × 5.5-6 mm, outside with appressed white or light brown trichomes; wings 6-8 mm, margin ciliate; keel 7-9 mm, spur ca. 1 mm. Stamens 7-8 mm; anthers ovoid, base with a few trichomes. Ovary glabrous, with 8 or 9 ovules. Legume cylindric, spreading, 3-3.5 cm × 2-3 mm, glabrous. Seeds 7-10 per legume. Fl. May-Jul, fr. unknown for China. 2n = 16.

Grasslands in mountain forests; 2700-3000 m. S Xizang [?Bhu­tan, India, Kashmir, Nepal].