喜马拉雅柳兰 xi ma la ya liu lan

Epilobium speciosum Decaisne in Jacquemont, Voy. Inde 4(Bot.): 57. 1844; E. latifolium Linnaeus subsp. speciosum (Decaisne) P. H. Raven.

Herbs perennial, erect, clumped, with a thick, woody rhizome. Stems 20-45 cm tall, densely strigillose throughout, especially on inflorescence. Leaves sessile, or petioles to 2 mm; basal leaf blade brownish green, triangular-ovate to lanceolate, 1-2 cm, submembranous; cauline blade pale green or brown when dry, narrowly ovate to lanceolate-elliptic, 3.5-7.5 × 0.7-1.8(-3) cm, both surfaces strigillose, lateral veins distinct, 3-5 per side, base cuneate, margin remotely punctate-denticulate with 7-15 teeth per side, apex acute, acuminate, or sometimes subobtuse. Bracts ca. 1/2 as long as cauline leaves. Inflorescence densely strigillose. Flowers erect in bud, nodding at early anthesis. Sepals 1.5-2 cm × 3-5 mm. Petals purplish red or rose, 1.7-2.5 × 1.2-2.2 cm. Ovary purplish green, 1.7-2.5 cm, densely canescent; style 5-7 mm, lower half villous. Capsules 5-9 cm, strigillose; pedicels 1-3 cm. Seeds 1.2-1.3 × 0.4-0.6 mm, irregularly low-reticulate; coma tawny, 1-1.3 cm, not readily deciduous. Fl. Aug-Sep, fr. Sep-Oct. Chromosome number unknown.

Moist gravelly or sandy soils, scree slopes in mountains; 3900-4500 m. Xizang [India, Nepal, Pakistan; endemic to Himalayan region].