矮鸢尾 ai yuan wei

Rhizomes short, stout, woody. Leaves linear, slightly twisted, 10--20 cm × ca. 3 mm, midvein absent, base surrounded by yellowish brown, persistent sheaths. Flowering stems not emerging above ground; spathes 2 or 3, narrowly lanceolate, 6--8 cm × 8--10 mm, 2-flowered, apex long acuminate. Flowers yellow, purple spotted, 3--5 cm in diam.; pedicel ca. 1 cm. Perianth tube 4--5 cm, slender; outer segments narrowly oblanceolate, ca. 3 cm × 5 mm, limb spreading; inner segments erect, narrowly oblanceolate, ca. 2 cm × 2--3 mm. Stamens 1.5--1.8 cm; anthers yellowish or purplish. Ovary ca. 1 cm. Style branches shorter and narrower than perianth segments. Capsule ellipsoid, ca. 2 cm × 7--8 mm, 6-ribbed, apex shortly beaked. Fl. May, fr. Jun--Aug.

* Dry hillsides. S Liaoning.

An endangered species.