凌云紫堇 ling yun zi jin

Herbs, perennial, very glaucous, 4-10 cm above scree surface, fleshy, glabrous; stems and radical leaves attenuate to filiform underground base. Storage roots many, fascicled, tapering to both ends, 2-5 cm × 2-3 mm. Stems few, with 2 leaves ± at scree surface, and sometimes a third small leaf higher up, simple or with an axillary inflorescence from uppermost leaf. Radical leaves with long thin petioles; blade triangular-ovate, 15-45 × 12-30 mm, bipinnate; pinnae 3-6; pinnules entire to deeply cut into obovate ± overlapping lobes. Cauline leaves: petiole to 1 cm or leaves sessile; blade ovate-oblong, 2-5 × 1-3 cm, like radical leaves. Raceme capitate, 10-25-flowered; lower bracts 10-15 mm, with broad cuneate base, distal 2/3 deeply divided into 3-5 segments that are again cut into narrow lobes; upper bracts similar but smaller and less divided. Pedicel 7-12 mm, soon arcuate. Sepals ca. 1 × 2 mm, dentate. Corolla bluish purple, with dark reddish purple keels and dark tips to inner petals; outer petals with obtuse crest overtopping apex, ca. 2.5 mm wide, not or slightly decurrent on spur; upper petal 18-22 mm; spur ± downcurved, cylindric, 8-10 mm; nectary 4-5 mm; lower petal elliptic, margin undulate; inner petals 8-11 mm. Stigma square; marginal papillae: median 2 distinct, lateral confluent; geminate papillae lateral (submarginal) and on basal lobes. Fruit unknown; ovary smooth, with 7-9 ovules; style ca. 2.5 mm. Fl. Jul-Aug.

● Alpine scree slopes; 4300-5300 m. E Xizang (Qamdo, Zogang).