垂果乌头 chui guo wu tou

Caudex carrot-shaped, ca. 6 cm, ca. 1 cm in diam. Stem ca. 1.5 m, several shortly branched below inflorescence, sparsely retrorse pubescent, with 16 leaves equally arranged along stem. Proximal cauline leaves long petiolate, withered at anthesis, middle ones slightly long petiolate; petiole 4.5--6 cm, sparsely spreading pubescent, base sheathed; leaf blade orbicular-reniform or pentagonal, 8--10 × 10--14 cm, abaxially sparsely pubescent at veins, adaxially sparsely appressed pubescent, base broadly cordate, 3-parted; central lobe rhombic, apex acuminate; lateral lobes obliquely flabellate. Inflorescence terminal, 22--28 cm, 13--18-flowered; rachis and pedicels densely retrorse and appressed pubescent; proximal and middle bracts leaflike, distal bracts linear or narrowly so, small. Pedicels slightly decurved, 1.5--5 cm, with 2 proximal bracteoles; bracteoles linear-subulate, 3--4.5 × ca. 0.3 mm. Sepals pale blue; lower sepals ca. 1.2 cm; lateral sepals ca. 1.5 cm; upper sepal navicular-galeate, 1.5--1.7 cm high, abaxially nearly glabrous, external margin oblique, beak ca. 4 mm, 1.5--2 cm from base to beak, lower margin slightly concave. Petals ca. 1.7 cm; claw glabrous or sparsely pubescent; lip ca. 3 mm, glabrous; spur incurved and ca. 1.2 mm, or circinate and 3.5--4 mm. Stamens glabrous; filaments entire. Carpels 3 or 4, sparsely or densely pubescent. Fl. Sep. 2n = 16*.

* Forests, scrub; 3500--3800 m. SE Xizang, NW Yunnan.