直距淫羊藿 zhi ju yin yang huo

Herbs, 30-40 cm tall. Rhizome shortly repent, compact. Leaves basal and cauline, trifoliolate; leaflets adaxially dark green, lanceolate, 8-11 × 3-4 cm, leathery, abaxially glaucous, glabrous, base cordate with equal lobes rounded, those of lateral leaflets oblique with outer lobe large and acute, inner lobe smaller and rounded, margin closely spinose-serrulate, apex long acuminate. Flowering stem with 2 trifoliolate opposite leaves. Panicle ca. 30-flowered, ca. 18 cm, glabrous, with lower peduncles 3-5-flowered. Pedicel ca. 1 cm. Flowers large. Outer sepals caducous, oblong, ca. 3.5 mm; inner sepals rose-tinged, elliptic, 11-12 × 4-5.5 mm. Petals much longer and narrower than inner sepals, with yellow-edged lamina ca. 3.5 mm high; spur slightly curved, nearly straight, purple, subulate, elongated, 1.7-2 cm. Stamens enclosed, whitish, ca. 3 mm; filaments ca. 1 mm; anthers ca. 2 mm, valved. Pistil ca. 5.8 mm; style slightly curved. Fruit unknown. Fl. Apr, fr. unknown.

● Forests on slopes; ca. 700 m. Hubei (Enshi).