青海梅花草 qing hai mei hua cao

Stems several, ca. 2 cm, glabrous, with 1 leaf near base. Basal leaves 8 or 9; petiole 8-10 mm, base broadened into a membranous sheath, margin brown ciliate; leaf blade brown punctate, cordate-reniform, 4-6 × 5-8 mm, leathery, glabrous, base cordate, apex obtuse. Cauline leaf petiolate; petiole to 1 mm, margin brown ciliate; leaf blade subcordate, 3.3-3.5 mm, glabrous. Hypanthium ca. 2 mm. Sepals brown punctate, subovate, 3-3.3 × 2-2.5 mm, 5- or 6-veined with veins apically confluent, glabrous on both surfaces, apex obtuse. Petals pale yellow-green, obovate, 4.3-5 × 3-3.5 mm, base truncate to auriculate, with a claw adnate to hypanthium and staminodes, margin erose, apex retuse. Stamens to 4.3 mm; filaments subulate, base adnate to hypanthium; staminodes subspatulate, 2-2.2 × 0.8-1 mm, apex 3-5-dentate. Ovary semi-inferior, ovoid, ca. 2.5 mm; style to 1.5 mm; stigma 3-lobed. Capsule opening when ripe to expose seeds in an apparent splash cup.

* Dense turf in alpine meadows; ca. 4200 m. S Qinghai (Darlag Xian, Yushu Xian).

The present authors have seen no specimens of this species; the above description is based on the protologue, in which it was said to be allied to Parnassia venusta. Parnassia qinghaiensis differs from that species in having the cauline leaf borne near the stem base, sepal veins apically confluent, petal and filament bases adnate to the hypanthium, staminodes 3-5-dentate at the apex, and the ovary semi-inferior.