保山乌头 bao shan wu tou

Caudex subterete or carrot-shaped. Stem 50--70(--100) cm tall, simple or branched, basally becoming glabrous, apically sparsely curved and appressed pubescent. Basal leaves and subbasal cauline leaves long petiolate; petiole to 48 cm, nearly glabrous, base shortly sheathed; leaf blade pentagonal-reniform, 5--8.5 × 10--15 cm, papery or leathery, abaxially sparsely appressed pubescent, adaxially nearly glabrous, 3-sect, sometimes nearly to base; central segment rhombic or obovate-rhombic, 3-fid, ultimate lobes narrowly ovate or narrowly lanceolate; lateral segment obliquely flabellate, unequally 2-parted. Cauline leaves 1--3, similar to basal ones but smaller. Inflorescence narrowly long, 12--30 cm, 6--25-flowered; proximal bracts leaflike, distal ones narrowly ovate; rachis and pedicels densely curved and appressed white pubescent. Pedicels 2--4.5 cm, proximally with 2 bracteoles; bracteoles narrowly ovate, 3--4 mm. Sepals blue-purple, abaxially white pubescent; lower sepals ca. 1.1 cm; lateral sepals orbicular-obovate, ca. 1.2 cm; upper sepal navicular-galeate, oblique upward, shortly clawed, shortly beaked, ca. 1.8 cm from base to beak, lower margin slightly concave. Petals glabrous; limb ca. 7 mm; lip ca. 2.5 mm; spur incurved, ca. 1.5 mm or ecalcarate. Stamens glabrous; filaments entire. Carpels 5, densely white pubescent. Fl. Oct. 2n = 16*.

Forest margins, scrub, grassy slopes; 1800--3800 m. Yunnan [NE India, N Myanmar].