微果草属 wei guo cao shu

Herbs annual, villous. Leaves alternate. Cymes terminal, nearly umbel-like. Flowers pedicellate. Calyx 5-parted to base; lobes narrow, not enlarged in fruit. Corolla blue or white, broadly tubular to campanulate; tube ca. as long as calyx or slightly shorter; throat appendaged. Stamens inserted on middle of corolla tube, included; filaments extremely short; anthers ovate; ovary 4-parted. Stigma subcapitate. Gynobase terete. Nutlets oblong-ovate, vertical, adaxially with grooved longitudinal keel; abaxially rounded, wrinkled, glabrous, center line longitudinally keeled; attachment scar at base adaxially. Seeds straight; cotyledon complanate.

About three species: China, NE India; one species in China.

Lower Taxon

• Microcaryum pygmaeum (C. B. Clarke) I. M. Johnston