菱叶元宝草 ling ye yuan bao cao

Lamium rhomboideum Bentham, Labiat. Gen. Spec. 509. 1834; Erianthera rhomboidea (Bentham) Bentham.

Herbs unbranched. Stem base usually concealed amongst rocks, slender, flexuous, with scalelike leaves; above ground part 15-30 cm tall, robust, ascending, densely villous-tomentose. Basal leaf blades subentire; stem leaves few, crowded, petiolate, blade rhombic; upper leaf blades 5-10 cm wide, corrugate, base cuneate, margin coarsely crenate, apex obtuse, veins flabellate, netted. Verticillasters 2-flowered; floral leaves numerous, gradually reduced at apex; bracts subulate, flaccid-lanate, as long as calyx. Calyx 1.3-2 cm, flaccid-villous outside, teeth lanceolate-linear. Corolla purple; tube straight, ca. 3.8 cm, puberulent outside, glabrous inside; lateral lobes of lower lip ovate, entire. Anthers hirsute.

Alpine alluvial fans; 4000-5000 m. Xizang [Afghanistan, India, Pakistan].