滇东杜根藤 dian dong du gen teng

Calophanoides xerobatica (W. W. Smith) H. P. Tsui.

Subshrubs to 30 cm tall, prostrate. Stems basally woody, slender, flexuous, and often rooting at nodes, apically ascending, minutely white sericeous. Petiole 2-3 cm, pilose; leaf blade subcircular, broadly obovate, or rarely narrowly lanceolate, 1-2 × 0.5-0.8 cm, softly membranous, both surfaces pilose on veins, base cuneate, margin entire, apex rounded to obtuse. Spikes axillary, ca. 1 cm, 1-3-flowered; bracts surrounded by leaves, leaflike, broadly obovate to subcircular, 3-4 mm; bracteoles ovate to nearly subulate-lanceolate, small. Calyx green, ca. 5 mm, 5-lobed almost to base; lobes linear-lanceolate, midrib pilose, margins scarious, apex acuminate. Corolla white (reportedly), ca. 9 mm, outside sparsely pilose. Mature capsule not seen. Fl. Sep.

● Limestone areas; 1200-1400 m. Sichuan, Yunnan.

Justicia xerobatica is very similar to J. xerophila. Further studies of both will be necessary to determine whether they should be treated as distinct from one another.