湖南马蓝 hu nan ma lan

Subshrubs 0.8-2 m tall, gregarious, anisophyllous. Stems subterete, bisulcate, glabrous. Petiole 1-5 cm, sulcate, glabrous; leaf blade oblong-elliptic to elliptic, smaller of pair 6-12 × 2-4 cm and larger ones 13-26 × 4-8 cm, both surfaces glabrous and densely covered with cystoliths, secondary veins 5-10 on each side of midvein and prominent on both surfaces, tertiary veins prominent, base narrowly cuneate, margin serrate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences axillary, simple spikes, (3-)7-10 cm, solitary, leafless; rachis glabrous; bracts ovate, 3.5-5 × 2.5-3 mm, glabrous, abaxially with 2 swollen bulges resembling eyes, apex long acuminate to mucronate; bracteoles ovate-oblong, ca. 4 × 2 mm, somewhat fragile and caducous, glabrous, apex acuminate to mucronate. Flowers in opposite pairs, 1-2 cm apart on rachis. Calyx 1-1.2 cm, sparsely pubescent when young, glabrescent, subequally 5-lobed almost to base; lobes yellowish brown, lanceolate, 1-veined, apex long acuminate. Corolla purplish blue, 3.5-4 cm, outside glabrous, inside glabrous except for trichomes retaining style; tube basally cylindric and ca. 3 mm wide for 6-11 mm then bent to ca. 90° and gradually widened to ca. 2 cm at mouth; lobes ovate, ca. 4 × 7 mm, apex emarginate. Stamens 4, included; filaments pilose, shorter pair ca. 3 mm, longer pair ca. 1 cm; anther thecae oblong, ca. 3 × 1.2 mm; pollen type 3. Ovary ca. 3 mm, glabrous; style ca. 2.8 cm. Capsule clavate, 1.5-2 cm, glabrous, 4-seeded. Seeds ca. 3 × 3 mm, lenticular, densely appressed pubescent; areola small. Fl. Jul-Oct, fr. Nov.

● On rocks by streams; 200-800 m. Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan.