飞流紫堇 fei liu zi jin

Type: China. Sichuan: Baoxing Xian, T’u-pa-kou, on stone at foot of waterfall, Jul-Aug 1939, S. Y. Hu 1252 (holotype, A; isotypes, A, SZ).

Herba perennis glabra carnosa glaucissima. Rhizoma dense intricato-ramosum. Caules plures ramosi bi- vel trifoliati. Folia radicalia plura bi- vel triternata lobis ultimis obovatis obtusis. Folia caulina minora ternatisecta vel biternatisecta. Racemus 5- ad 8-florus. Bracteae integrae ellipticae. Corolla ecristata angusta acuta calcari brevi tenui. Capsula lineari-oblonga subtorulosa 7- ad 11-seminalis, seminibus laevibus parvis.

Herbs, perennial, glaucous, 20-30 cm, "very fleshy," glabrous. Rhizome branched, dense, contorted, thick, with some thick roots, apically 1 to few leaf rosettes with fleshy petiolar bases. Stems 3-10, suberect, branched, with 2 or 3 leaves. Rosette leaves: petiole 6-11 cm; blade glaucous on both surfaces, 5-10 × 4-9 cm, bi- to triternate, primary and secondary leaflets stalked, ultimate leaflets once to twice 2-4-divided into oblong or obovate obtuse lobes 2-10 × 1.5-5 mm. Cauline leaves much smaller, sessile, ca. 2 × 1.5 cm, ternatisect to sub-biternatisect. Racemes (fruiting) 3-6 cm, 5-8-flowered; bracts elliptic, 7-15 × 2-7 mm, entire. Pedicel 15-26 mm in fruit. Sepals obovate, ca. 2 × 1.5 mm, apically finely dentate. Corolla color unknown. Upper petal narrow, without crest, 17-18 mm, acute to shortly acuminate; spur cylindric, ca. 6 mm, narrow; nectary ca. 1/2 as long as spur, thin; lower petal with long narrow claw, expanded into rounded dentate limb, abruptly and shortly acuminate; inner petals 11-12 mm. Stigma square; marginal simple papillae unknown; geminate papillae lateral (submarginal) and in basal corners. Capsule subtorulose, 12-16 × ca. 1.5 mm, 7-11-seeded; style ca. 4 mm. Seeds in 1 row, ca. 1.3 mm, smooth, with small appressed elaiosome. (Fl. and) fr. Jul-Aug.

● Stones at foot of a waterfall; ca. 2000 m. Sichuan (Baoxing).

The specific epithet means "of the waterfalls," genitive plural of Latin cataracta, from Greek καταράκτης (cataractēs, "waterfall").