Gentiana azurea Bunge, Mem. Soc. Imp. Naturalistes Moscou 7: 230. 1829.

Annuals 2-25 cm tall. Stems ascending to erect, striate, branched from base. Basal leaves withered at anthesis. Stem leaves sessile, oblong, elliptic-lanceolate, or elliptic, 0.3-2.2 cm × 1-7 mm, base narrowed, margin scabrous, apex obtuse, midvein distinct. Cymes axillary and terminal, rarely 1-flowered. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicel to 4.5 cm. Calyx 4-9 mm; lobes linear-lanceolate, elliptic, or ovate-oblong, sinus between lobes cuneate, margin and midvein blackish, apex acute to obtuse. Corolla pale blue to blue, funnelform, 5-14 × 4.5-5.5 mm; lobes oblong, 2-6 mm, apex obtuse. Nectaries 10. Stamens inserted at middle of corolla tube; filaments 2-4.5 mm; anthers blue, ovoid to ellipsoid, 0.4-1 mm. Style linear; stigma lobes suborbicular. Capsules ovoid-ellipsoid, 0.6-1.5 cm. Seeds brown, ellipsoid, 1-1.2 mm; seed coat reticulate. Fl. and fr. Jul-Sep.

Grasslands on hillsides, alpine meadows, scrub, forests; 2200-4900 m. Gansu, Qinghai, NW Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang, NW Yunnan [Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia (Siberia)].