玉龙乌头 yu long wu tou

Caudex narrowly obconical or carrot-shaped, 3--7.5 cm, 1--3.8 cm in diam. Stem twining, ca. 3 m, branched, becoming glabrous. Petiole 4--9 cm; leaf blade pentagonal, 4.8--8.5 (--11.5) × 5.2--10(--14) cm, abaxially glabrous, adaxially very sparsely pubescent, base cordate, 3-parted or -lobed nearly to base; central lobe ovate-rhombic, apex acuminate, subpinnately parted; lateral lobes obliquely flabellate, unequally 2-parted. Inflorescence 3--8-flowered; rachis glabrous or sparsely retrorse pubescent; proximal bracts leaflike, others oblong-linear or linear. Pedicels 2--6 cm, glabrous or spreading pubescent, apex curved, with 2 bracteoles at middle or below; bracteoles narrowly linear, 2.5--5 mm. Sepals blue; lower sepals 1.1--1.3 cm; lateral sepals orbicular-obovate, 1.3--1.5 cm; upper sepal galeate, 1.9--2.2 cm high, abaxially glabrous, lower margin 1.5--1.8 cm, oblique upward. Petals glabrous; limb ca. 1 cm; lip ca. 5.5 mm; spur incurved, ca. 4 mm. Stamens glabrous; filaments entire or 2-denticulate. Carpels 5, glabrous. Follicles erect, ca. 1.8 cm. Fl. Sep--Oct. 2n = 16*.

* Scrub; 2800--3400 m. NW Yunnan.