Gentiana contorta Royle, Ill. Bot. Himal. Mts. 1: 278. 1835; G. yamatsutae Kitagawa; Gentianopsis contorta var. wui Ma.

Annuals 8-35 cm tall. Stems usually dark purple, erect, branched apically. Basal leaves short petiolate; leaf blade spatulate to obovate, 0.5-1.5 cm × 4-7 mm, base narrowed, margin ciliolate, apex rounded, midvein distinct. Stem leaves 2-6 pairs, sessile, elliptic to ovate-elliptic, 0.8-3 cm × 4-10 mm, base cuneate, margin ciliolate, apex obtuse to rounded, midvein distinct. Pedicel erect, (1-)2-3(-8.5) cm. Calyx 2-3 cm; lobes subequal, margin membranous; outer lobes lanceolate, 5-11 mm, apex subacuminate; inner lobes ovate-triangular to triangular, 4-10 mm, apex acute. Corolla blue to dark blue, tubular-funnelform, 2.5-5 cm × 6-10 mm; lobes elliptic, 5-13 × to 7 mm, apex rounded and sometimes crenulate, margin not fringed. Filaments to 1.5 cm; anthers ellipsoid, ca. 2 mm. Style short. Capsules cylindric, as long as corolla; gynophore to 1.3 cm. Seeds brown, subglobose. Fl. and fr. Aug-Oct.

Slopes, forests; 1900-3600 m. Guizhou, Liaoning, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan [Japan, Nepal].