苦玄参属 ku xuan shen shu

Curanga Jussieu.

Herbs, creeping or diffuse. Leaves opposite, petiolate. Flowers in terminal or axillary racemes; bracts small. Pedicel slender, apex dilated. Bracteoles absent. Calyx divided to base into 4 spreading segments; lower and upper lobes large and further enlarged in fruit, base cordate, margin entire; upper lobe often apically shallowly 2-lobed; lateral lobes narrow. Corolla limb 2-lipped; lower lip longer than upper lip, spreading, 3-lobed; upper lip base wide, apex emarginate. Stamens 4; anterior pair often reduced to clavate staminodes; posterior pair perfect, inserted at base of corolla lobes, included; anthers coherent, locules distinct, divaricate. Stigma 2-lamellate. Capsule included in calyx, septicidal, valves separating from wide placental axis. Seeds numerous; seed coat rugose and scrobiculate-reticulate.

Two species: S and SE Asia, China; one species in China.

Lower Taxon

• Picria felterrae Loureiro