Roscoea purpurea Smith var. auriculata (K. Schumann) H. Hara.

Plants erect, 20--40 cm tall. Leaves 3--7; leaf sheath purple, tubular, wholly closed; leaf blade lanceolate, 7.5--20 × 2--2.5 cm, glabrous, base auriculate and clasping, apex acuminate. Inflorescence several flowered; peduncle enclosed by leaf sheaths; bracts linear-lanceolate, 2--2.5 cm, membranous. Flowers usually bright purple or white. Calyx ca. 3.5 cm. Corolla tube longer than calyx; lobes lanceolate, ca. 3.5 cm. Lateral staminodes erect, white, falcate, ca. 2 cm, shortly clawed. Labellum reflexed, obovate, ca. 4.5 × 3 cm, apex 2-cleft. Stamen ca. 2 cm; anther ca. 1 cm; connective spur short. Capsule 2--3 cm. Seeds brown. Fl. Jun--Aug.

Grasslands; 2400--2700 m. SC Xizang (Nyêmo Xian) [Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim].