Ruellia delavayana Baillon, Hist. Pl. 10: 408. 1891; Hemigraphis drymophila Diels; Pararuellia drymophila (Diels) C. Y. Wu & H. S. Lo; R. arcuata Lingelsheim & Borza; R. drymophila (Diels) Handel-Mazzetti; R. esquirolii H. Léveillé.

Herbs. Stems 1-2 cm. Petiole 0.5-2 cm; leaf blade oblong to oblong-elliptic, sometimes obovate, elliptic, or lanceolate, 4-12 × 2.5-4 cm, abaxially pubescent, adaxially strigose, secondary veins 7-9 on each side of midvein, base cuneate and decurrent onto petiole, margin undulate to crenate, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded. Spikes ca. 4 cm, with 1-3 nodes; bracts elliptic to ovate, 1-4.7 × 0.5-2.5 cm, reduced in size apically on rachis, both surfaces sparsely strigose, base rounded, margin ciliate, apex acute to obtuse; bracteoles linear, ca. 7 × 1 mm. Calyx ca. 8 mm; lobes triangular-lanceolate, ca. 7 × 1 mm, margin apically ciliate. Corolla white, light blue, or pink, ca. 1.3 cm; tube basally cylindric and narrow for ca. 4 mm, throat ca. 5 mm; lobes orbicular, ca. 4 × 4 mm, subequal, apex emarginate. Stamen longer pair ca. 3.5 mm, shorter pair ca. 1.5 mm; anther thecae oblong, ca. 1 mm. Ovary ellipsoid; style ca. 1.4 cm, white hirsute. Capsule to 2 cm, 16-seeded. Seeds ovate to subcircular in outline, 1.1-1.4 × 1.1-1.4 mm, covered with dense appressed trichomes. Fl. Jul-Sep, fr. Nov-Feb.

● Forests, slopes; 700-3000 m. Guizhou, S Sichuan, Yunnan.