头花象牙参 tou hua xiang ya shen

Plants 30--50 cm tall. Leaves several; leaf blade linear, rarely lanceolate, 15--25 × 1--2.8 cm, strongly keeled, base narrowed, apex acuminate. Inflorescence capitate, densely flowered; peduncle 5--10 cm; bracts green, lanceolate, 4--4.5 × ca. 1 cm. Flowers blue. Calyx ca. 2.5 cm, strongly pubescent especially along veins, split on 1 side, apex 2-toothed. Corolla tube shorter than calyx; central lobe oblong-cuneate, cucullate, ca. 2 cm, apex apiculate; lateral lobes longer than central one. Lateral staminodes obliquely spatulate, ca. 2 cm. Labellum not reflexed, oblong-cuneate, ca. 2.5 × 1.4 cm, lobed for ca. 1/4 its length; lobes conspicuously emarginate at apex. Anther creamy white, locules ca. 5 mm; connective spur ca. 1 cm. Ovary pink. Capsule clavate, ca. 2.5 cm. Fl. Jul--Aug.

Forests; 2300--2400 m. Xizang [Nepal].