牯岭藜芦 gu ling li lu

Veratrum atroviolaceum Loesener; V. warburgii Loesener.

Plants to 1 m tall, basally with brown, reticulate fibers formed from disintegrated sheaths. Leaves basally narrowed to a rather long or basally clasping petiole; leaf blade broadly elliptic to lorate, (15--)20--30(--60) × (0.5--)2--10(--13) cm, glabrous, base cuneate, apex acute to acuminate. Panicle variable in length, laxly many flowered; branches spreading; rachis gray-white woolly; bracts 5--7 mm, abaxially woolly. Pedicel 6--8(--14) mm. Tepals yellowish green, greenish white, brownish, deep purple-violet, or black-purple, subelliptic, oblong, oblong-lanceolate, or obovate-elliptic, 5--8 × 2--3 mm, base not clawed, apex obtuse or subacute; outer tepals pubescent at least at abaxial base. Stamens 2--5 mm. Ovary glabrous. Capsule erect, 1--2 × ca. 1 cm. Fl. and fr. Jun--Oct. 2 n = 16*.

* Shaded and moist places on forested slopes; 700--1400 m. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Zhejiang.

Chinese records of Veratrum japonicum (Baker) Loesener (e.g., in FRPS) are referable to V. schindleri.