1. Swertia speciosa D. Don in Lond. & Edinb. Phil. Mag. J. Sc. 8:77. 1836. J. Linn. Soc. Lond., 17:518. 1837.
J. Shah,
Islamia College, Peshawar, Pakistan
Perennial. Stem 20-140 cm, hollow, cylindrical or ± square, glabrous, simple. Basal leaves 9-20 x 2-5 cm, elliptic-spathulate to ovate-spathulate, acute 5-9-nerved. Cauline leaves 7-14 x 2-4 cm, elliptic-ovate to oblong-ovate or ovate, connate. Inflorescence paniculate, dense or lax. Flowers pentamerous. Calyx lobes 4-12 x 2-4 mm, ± free, elliptic-oblong to narrowly ovate or ovate, acute, entire or eroded, overlapping at the base or not. Corolla yellowish green or bluish green with or without purple or bluish veins, tube 1-2 mm, lobes 6-15 x 2-5 mm, elliptic-oblong to narrowly oblong, obtuse or acute. Glands two per lobe, contiguous or slightly separated, cushion-shaped, fimbriate or not. Filaments 5-7 mm, squamellate at the base or not, anthers elliptic-oblong, apiculate or obtuse. Ovary 8-12 mm, style none, stigmas orbicular to sub-orbicular. Capsule 10-15 mm. Seeds flat, annular winged, finely warted.
